378 
Report on the Exhibition of Implements 
The Implements exhibited at York exceeded in number and 
variety those brought forward on any previous occasion. To 
sight-seers this alone must have been a strong recommendation ; 
but to agriculturists, quality is of more importance than quantity, 
and it is satisfactory to be able to add, that the show-yard at this 
meeting contained a great number of well-tried machines of 
sterling merit, as well as a fair sprinkling of ingenious novelties, 
and was therefore in all respects well calculated to realize the 
objects for which such exhibitions are held. 
As some difference of opinion exists respecting the precise ob- 
jects sought to be attained by shows of implements, the writer of 
this Report thinks it desirable that he should briefly state his own 
views on the subject, as they must in some measure influence the 
reasoning and general tendency of the whole Report. The public 
will thus be enabled to judge for themselves whether the opi- 
nions which more or less pervade the whole are such as they can 
assent to. 
The principal advantages to be derived from shows of imple- 
ments may be classed under three heads, of which the first and 
most important is, that the awards of prizes should point out to 
every farmer who enters the show-yard, the best implements in 
their res})ective classes which the kingdom produces. 
Farmers, as a body, have neidier the means nor the leisure re- 
quired for travelling about to visit the manufactories of the va- 
rious implement-makers; nor, if this were practicable, could they 
safely decide on the comparative efficiency of their respective 
productions, by merely seeing them in the makers' yards. It is, 
therefore, a great advantage to the farmers of any district to have 
a large show of implements brought into their neighbourhood, 
especially when the best of each class are pointed out to them by 
competent judges after a fair trial. If this were more generally 
recognised as the main object of these exhibitions, it would en- 
tirely put an end to the disappointment which is sometimes felt 
at finding that a large proportion of the implements at every 
show have been exhibited on previous occasions. To novelty 
hunters, this is no doubt mortifying; but to those who visit the 
show-3 ard to ascertain which are the best implements of the day, 
it matters not whether they are of recent or of older date, and 
they will feel gratified rather than disappointed, that really 
sterling implements should give a fresh proof of their efficiency 
by winning an additional prize. 
The York Exhibition was particularly satisfactory when viewed 
in this light, nearly all the eminent implement-makers in the 
kingdom being exhibitors, and the names of Cornes, Crosskill, 
Garrett, Hornsby, and Howard may be specially mentioned as 
