638 Report on the Trials of Implements at Taunton. 
having gone carefully through their points, observations, anc 
notes, which the three previous trials had given them an oppor 
tunity of making, expressed themselves satisfied. But, at th( 
request of the Stewards, they selected 10 machines, to give then 
what they termed a gallop through a difficult piece of work ir 
one of the fields, asking the exhibitors for no restrictions what- 
ever ; and although the official trials were concluded to th( 
satisfaction of the Judges, they paid particular attention to tht 
manner in which the work was performed. Nothing, however 
was noted by them to alter their previous impressions ; but the) 
preferred to give in their awards for Classes I. and II. simul- 
taneously. 
These 10 machines were Samuelson, No. 181 ; Harrison and 
M'Gregor, 741 ; Hornsby and Son, 580 ; W. Anson Wood, 193 : 
Samuelson, 183 ; Walter A. Wood, 2437 ; Burgess and Key, 
2824 ; Hornsby, 582 ; Hornsby, 583 ; Hornsby, 581. 
It may here be stated that each of the three Judges took notes 
separately in the field, and afterwards compared them, and they 
thus arrived at the conclusions upon which their awards were 
based ; also : — " They wish to state that the engineers pointed 
out to them, in the most careful manner, the weak and strong 
points, advantages and disadvantages, of different gearings, and 
other important points in each machine, and that all these 
matters were carefully considered, jointly, nothing being deter- 
mined in an off-hand manner. The system of judging by 
points keeps their attention to every particular, nothing is left 
to memory, ample printed log-sheets being provided for each 
machine in every trial." 
The Judges have also drawn up the following Report : — 
Two-horse Mowers. 
We can speak in praise of the two-horse mowers as a class. The gap 
between the best and worst machines has lessened considerably since the Man* 
Chester Meeting. All the machines tried at Taunton, with one^or two excep- 
tions, cut a heavy crop of grass fairly. It must be a satisfaction to the public, 
as it is to us, to know that this useful and necessary implement has attained 
to so high a standard of proficiency. 
During the whole of the severe trials which the class had to undergo, only 
two out of the thirty-five machines became " hors de combat." And these two 
instances of severe breakages were probably owing, in some degree, to the 
haste and unskilfulness of the drivers. " Lightness with strength," appears- 
to be the motto acted upon in designing a mower; and, as an illustration o£ 
the mechanical skill which is brought to bear in this direction, we may men- 
tion Hornsby's light " Paragon," which in the final trial fell on a plot with 
more than the average number of old ant-hills. The powerful horses drawing 
it were several times brought to a stop (and, on one occasion, the driver 
pitched off) in so abrupt a manner as to force on one's mind tlie idea that 
some part of it must be broken. On examination afterwards, however, the 
