694 
Report on Implements at Preston. 
allow the traces to be a little shortened. The trees are fitted 
with hooks turning upon a rivet, so that in work the point 
of the hook is well covered. 
In these two forms of steel whippletrees great lightness is 
attained, with a considerable amount of strength in fair work ; 
but the Judges were of opinion that they were neither of them 
well suited to the rough work of a farm. 
In Ransomes, Sims, and Jefferies, No. 4339, we have stout steel 
of a C"shaped section, well trussed. 
Most of the other sets were adjustable by holes in the centre of 
the pomel-tree. Here the pomel-tree is lengthened, and has extra 
holes at each end ; as these ends are solid, they add somewhat 
to the weight ; but in addition to the advantages that the others 
have of giving a weaker horse less work than a stronger one, 
they also admit of the horses being set closer or wider apart, to 
suit the work. 
The whippletrees were tried, as nearly as we could manage 
it, in alphabetical order, and the particulars of each entry are 
tabulated in the list on pp. 692 and 693. It soon appeared 
that some of the exhibitors had made their pomel-trees too 
long (see column 6). The point of attachment on the ofF-side 
of the pomel-tree ought to be just over the centre of the furrow ; 
instead of this, it was too far to the right, so that, in order to be 
directly in front of his work, the horse would have had to walk 
on the ploughed land. This was very noticeable in each of 
Corbett's entries, while Vipan and Headley showed the same 
defect in a smaller degree. In Davey, Sleep, and Co.'s set the 
two whippletrees frequently got locked together, the hook of one 
trace catching in the hollow back of the other tree. After the 
prizes had been awarded, they explained that in Cornwall they 
were accustomed to have rings instead of hooks on the traces, 
and that with rings there would be no catching in the same way. 
It was a great mistake that they made no change during the 
trial, but left the hooh of the trace in the hook of the tree, thus 
causing their work to be most defective in the very point where 
they had taken special pains to avoid defect. With a horse that 
Fig. 4a. — Details of Davey, Sleep, and Co.'s Wliippletree. 
kicks, it is a great advantage to have no hook behind him that 
can cause injury. This would be attained when a ring on the 
trace is held by these safety-hooks. Though its merits were not 
