294 
Report on the Exhibition and Trials 
allowing intending competitors to retain possession of their 
machines between the termination of the Show and the date of 
trial ; a wise alteration, inasmuch as an opportunity might occur 
for preliminary trial and for improvement of detail — of great 
importance when the short interval during which harvest^opera- 
tions are possible, and the consequently extremely limited oppor* 
tunities for experience in actual work are considered, the risk of 
default being provided for by a heavy penalty for any machine 
absent from the trials. That the institution of this penalty was 
a wise and reasonable precaution will be gathered from the fact 
that, whereas twenty distinct machines were shown at Derby as 
entered for trial, only eight put in an appearance at Thulston ; 
and as the Society incurred very considerable expense in pro- 
viding land for the trial of the larger number, it was only 
reasonable that absentees should contribute towards such ex- 
penses. Besides the general conditions already noticed, a series 
of special conditions were issued to each competitor, of which 
the following is a copy : — 
1. Notice of the place and date of the trials will be posted to every Com- 
petitor as soon as they are fixed. 
2. Every Competitor must himself provide for the delivery of his machines 
on the Trial ground, and for the removal of the same after the Trials. 
3. Horses will be j^rovided by the Society to work machines during the 
Trials, but Competitors who desire it may provide their own horses. 
4. Every machine must be delivered at the depot on the Trial grounds in 
proper working order, before 9 a.m. on the first morning of the Trials. 
5. Exhibitors are expected to provide their own drivers and attendants, but 
the Society reserves the right to provide men and to work any machine if an 
Exhibitor is absent, or not ready, or who says that his men are absent, after 
due notice has been given to him to bring his machine out for Trial. 
6. All machines, whether Binders only or combined Reapers and Binders, 
will be tried in the same or similar crops. The Binders will work on swathes 
cut for them by a modern pair-horse swathe-delivery machine, and also on 
a crop cut by a sheaf-delivery machine. 
7. Before starting work on any plot, the Exhibitor must declare the 
number of men and horses required by his Machine. If he personally, or any 
other extra attendant not inchulcd in such declaration, should render any 
actual assistance in working or adjusting the machine during the Trial, the 
fact will be noted by the Judges. 
8. The heiglit of cut must not in any case exceed an average of G inches. 
9. The Judges and Eni;ineers will as far as practicable note the time 
occupied, the number and duration of stoppages, the area passed over, the 
width and height of cut (by Reapers), the mode of delivery and position in 
which the sheaf is left, the waste of corn in the operation of binding, the size 
and condition of the sheaves in each trial, and the economy of power. 
10. In examining the sheaves and the knots in the bands, the Judges will 
attach most value to binding which is secure for liandling without extreme 
tightness of sheaf. 
11. In addition, the following qualifications will be chiefly considered by 
the Judges in assessing the relative merits of the several machines and their 
performances. 
12. Simjilicify and efiicicncy of construction. 
