570 
Reioort on the Trials of 
A rather interesting and amusing tinisli to tlie meeting took 
place on Saturday morning. A sum of money was collected by 
a few gentlemen to be given in prizes for athletic sports, to be 
competed for by the London and local police in tugs-of-war, 
running, throwing the ball, &c. In most of these contests 
the county men were either too much or too strong for their 
friends, gi-eatly to the gi-atification of the local spectators. And 
thus was brought to a close one of the most pleasant meetings 
the Society has fever held. 
I cannot close my report without expressing a certain 
amount of regret at quitting office ; and I sincerely thank my 
brother Stewards and all other officials connected with the 
Society for their kindness shown towards myself. This has 
greatly added to the pleasure I have had in again serving my 
term as Steward of Implements, the duties of which are ren- 
dered as light as they can be, mainly by the able manner in 
which the business of these great meetings is organised and 
carried out by the Honorary Director, Mr. Jacob Wilson. 
XXIX. — Report on the Trials of Ilaij and Straw Presses at 
Nottingham. By Dax. Pidgeox, Assoc. Inst. C.E., Reporting 
Judge. 
Judffes. 
Dax. Pidgeox, Holmwood, Putney Hill, S.W. 
W. ScoTSON, Mossley Hill, Liverpool. 
T. H. Thuesfield, Barrow, Broseley, Shropshii'e. 
Several causes have recently conspired to bring the question of 
hay and straw pressing into notice. The agricultural depres- 
sion has obliged the British farmer to make the best of every- 
thing he j)roduces. The conditions under which he farms have 
become less stringent with dwindling rents ; while the foreigner, 
who is sending large quantities of compressed hay and straw to 
this country, has, thereby, given him a rude lesson in thrift. 
Such are the circumstances under which, braving the possible 
reproach of " encouraging the foreigner," the Royal Agricultural 
Society determined to offer prizes for haj-- and straw-pressing 
machinery at the Nottingham meeting, little imagining, perhaps, 
at the time when this resolution was taken, how large an entry 
of such implements would result from their action. 
It may well be supposed that, in thus breaking new ground, 
some difficulties would occur in settling the conditions of trial ; 
but, after a good deal of consideration, the Society's Consulting 
Engineer was able to suggest, and the Council to adopt, a scheme 
for ascertaining the relative merits of the machines in question, 
