682 Report on the Trials of Implements at Reading. 
Plot XI. — R. A. Listek and Co. 2nd Stack. 
This plot of 9 acres was, like the adjoining one, of fair 
quality. Mown on the 14th of July, it was stacked on the 18th 
and 19th, in very fair condition as regards dryness, but in 
a rather green state. The stack bottom was 21 feet in diameter, 
and the flue was formed by a sheet-iron tube lying on the 
ground. The shaft was formed by a cage 30 inches square at 
the base, and tapering to about 12 inches square at the top, 
which was 6 feet Irom the ground. 
On the 20th (the day after the stack was finished) the thermo- 
meter showed 140° on the E. side. The fan Avas worked by two 
men for one hour, and reduced the heat to 131°. In the evening, 
however, it was up to 148°. On the 21st, two men worked for 
twenty minutes, reducing the temperature in that time 25°, On 
the morning of the 22nd, the thermometer was up again to 146°, 
and the fan was worked for 1 hour 15 minutes. On the 24th 
(Monday) one of Ransomes' 1^ - horse - power engines was 
applied, and the fan was run on July 28, 29, 30, 31 ; and 
Aug. 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 — altogether about 66 hours' working 
was done. The maximum temperature observed was 168°, on 
the 10th of August ; and after this the heat seemed to decline 
rapidly. This exhibitor was very badly provided with thermo- 
meters, and great difficulty was experienced in getting proper 
observations (see Table IX., p. 709), 
When the stack was opened, it was found that the cage had 
been broken and crushed down to 4 feet by the pressure of the 
hay, and the shaft was consequently so small that the air could 
hardly have made its way through the upper part of the stack ; 
the lower part of the stack was very mouldy, but all the upper 
portion was pretty good brown hay. This stack, and Coultas's 
2nd stack, previously described, were got together under very 
similar conditions. Of the two, Lister's turned out a better 
quality of hay than Coultas's, 
Plot XII. — C. Kite and Co. 
This plot of rather sedgy hay was cut on the 15th and stacked 
on the 20th of July, in fair order. It will be remembered that 
this exhibitor attempts to make hay in the stack by ventilation 
without any mechanical aids. The stack was a circular one, 
about 21 feet in diameter at the base. 
The method adopted was to build a shaft in the centre of the 
stack, extending from the base to the apex, and capped above 
the roof with a patent ventilator, such as is applied by the 
inventor to the ventilation of sewers. The cage which lorms 
and keeps open this shaft is of perforated galvanised iron ; 
communicating with this shaft were two 4^-inch flues of 
