Rej)ort on Implements at Preston. 
711 
men complained that the top of the drain was narrower when 
thrown out by the plough ; but accurate measurement proved 
that it was actually a little wider than when dug by hand. 
The land was a good clay with a level surface, but dotted 
over with tussocks of grass {Aira ciespitosa). It was thought 
likely that these would prove troublesome, but the disc coulters 
of the plough cut through them without difficulty. No diffi- 
culty was experienced in replacing the top furrow, and after a 
heavy roller had passed over it, the surface of the drain was 
very little raised above the level of the field. 
No. 4590. Mr. R. MaynarcTs Automatic Feeder to Chaff-cutter. 
Fig. 19 (p. 712) shows the Self-feeding Chaff-cutter attached 
to a threshing-machine, and taking straw from the shakers. 
The self-feeding apparatus is seen at the upper part of the 
centre of the block. A belt from the main spindle of the chaff- 
cutter passing over the pulley facing us, drives a crank ; this 
crank actuates two separate parts of the apparatus : it gives motion 
to the rake that is half buried in the straw in this figure, and 
is shown lifted up in Fig. 20 (p. 712). This rake is raised and 
thrust forward, then plunged into the straw and drawn back as 
it would be by a man raking straw towards him. In this way 
the straw is automatically taken from the shakers to the feed-box 
of the cutter. The same crank also raises and depresses the 
arms seen in Figure 19, on the left of the pulley and above it. 
Brackets and cross-bars fastened to these arms form a presser 
that presses the feed on to an endless chain, working over rollers, 
and carries it forward to the feed-rollers, that in their turn pass 
it on to the cutting-plate. 
The patentee has so arranged the parts of this new apparatus 
that they can be added to any of his chaff-cutters at a cost of 
15/. For convenience in travelling it is advisable to mount the 
machine on four wheels instead of two ; these four wheels, with 
carriage and shafts extra, cost 4/. 10s. This invention will 
enable any one who practises cutting from the shakers of a 
threshing-machine to dispense altogether with the man who has 
hitherto occupied the dusty and dangerous post of feeding the 
cutter. Such work costs at least '6s. a-day ; if used only 13 days 
in the year, the saving in wages will be equal to 10 per cent, 
on the outlay of 19/. lOs. In the purchase of a new chaff- 
cutting machine the extra cost of the automatic feed, with the 
four wheels and shafts complete, is 13/. When threshing and 
chaff-cutting go on at the same time, the whole process can now 
be done without the interruptions that necessarily occurred 
when one link of the process depended upon the exertions 
of a man working in danger and great discomfort. 
The Automatic-feed Chaff-cutter was shown at work taking 
