The Tfiah of TJire^Jiing Machines at Doncasler. 4S-5 
uniform element, being one hour each for wheat and for barley, 
and half-an-hour for oats, the result being that each trial dealt 
vrith more than three times the amount of corn used at Cardiff. 
As soon as the machine to be tested was got into place, it 
was first run idle up to the regulation belt speed of 1,8S^ feet 
per minute. A preliminary trial of fifty sheaves or thereabouts 
was allowed to each machine to enable the exhibitor to complete 
all adjustments for working to the best advantage. The 
results were not recorded by the Judges, though the run 
afiForded them the opportunity of observing special features to 
be noted during the official trials which followed. As soon 
as the exhibitor had completed his adjustments, and the machine 
was working satisfactorily, he declared the number of attendants 
necessary for the trials, which in every ease, save one, was four, 
the exception bein? Messrs. Foden s machine, worked by three 
attendants. It should be here mentioned that the Society 
fotmd men for putting the com on to the stages of the machines, 
and for clearinor awav the full sacks, the straw and the cavings. 
The exhibitors" men fed the machine, attended to the spouts, 
and looked generally to the working parts. It had been sug- 
gested, probably as a consequence of a suggestion in the CardifiF 
report, that at future trials it would be well that the feeding 
of all the machines should be done by the same man. Xo doubt 
this would be interesting, and. if it were done, the restilts pro- 
bably might be very difierent ; but it is a condirion which it would 
be weU-nigh impossible to carry out fairly. Obviously, an 
inexperienced feeder could not be employed, and an experienced 
one must have gained his knowledge in working a machine 
which, if not of the same make as one of those he would have to 
work in the trial, must have been of a type more closely 
resembling one machine than another. Consequently, with 
every desire to deal imparrially, he could not but work more 
efficiently on the machine more closely resembling the one he 
had been used to. There is. no doubt, a very great difference 
in the way machines are fed, and with this fact no one should 
be better acquainted than the makers ; it should rest with them 
to put the best feeders they can procure to do their work. 
The machine, having qtiite cleared itself of com, was stepped, 
and, after everything was seen to be in proper order, it was 
again started. So soon as it had acqtiired an uniform speed the 
signal was given for the feeding to commence, the time of such 
start being noted. Feeding was continued for the specified time 
and then stopped, after which the machine was allowed to run 
idle for ten minutes to dear itself. During the trials, notes 
were taken by the Judges of all that occurred : not only were the 
