at the Warwick Meetiiu/, 1859. 
317 
These trials having been intrusted to onr decision hy the Council of the 
Royal Agricultural Society, and carefully conducted binder our immediate 
superintendence, \vc arc unanimously ot opinion that Fowler's apjiaratus is 
" the best application of steam power to the cultivation of the land," and we 
consider him entitled to the Prize of 50/., and therefore make our award 
accordingly. 
We also hi<jlthj commend Fowler's 3-furrow plough or scarifier: and \\'e 
commend Howard and Smith's cultivator as a veiy useful implement, well 
suited for autumnal cultivation. 
WiLLiAir Owen. 
Joseph Druce. 
John Thompson. 
Iteport of J. J. liOWLEY ajid John Bkasnett, the Judges appointed ly tlic 
Stewards to test the merits of Plowjhs, and award the Society's Premiums 
for this Class of Implements. 
During our inspection of the gi^eat number of ploughs in the show-yard, wc 
found 47 whose owners were anxious to contend for the premiums offered by 
the Society. Of these 15 were intended for light land, 9 for heavy land, and 
13 were ploughs for general purposes, and adapted for both heavy and light 
soils. Besides these, 3 were turnwrests, and 7 were ridge-ploughs. 
The trial on both heavy and light land was most severe. The gi'ound 
selected had been much trodden during pasturage, and the surface having been 
exposed to a scorching sun and dry arid winds, rendered the trials extremely 
difficult to conduct. The masterly style in which the work was done called 
forth expressions of surprise, and convinced all who witnessed the trials that 
nothing but iron ploughs could have found their way through such a hardened 
soil. The superioritj^ of the wheel over the swing-plough was never more 
clearly demonstrated than on this occasion, and the most sceptical could not 
fail to be convinced that the trial at Warwick gave sufficient evidence of the 
advantages possessed by the wheel over the swing-plough. 
Before making any comment on the various trials, we feel it our duty to 
state that the land was so completely unprepared for the working of the ridge- 
plough, that no satisfactorj' result could be arrived at. Under these circum- 
stances the Judges were reluctantly compelled to make no award on a class of 
implements which, in root cultivation, are of the greatest importance. We 
would suggest that the future trials of this class of implements should take 
place upon a stubble fallow wdiich has been prepared for turnips in the ordinary 
way. 
The first trials coming under our care were the light-land ploughs. Of 
these, the contest lay between the exhibitors named in the following schedule ; 
and we take the i^resent op]iortunity of thanking them and the competitors in 
other classes for their patience and perseverance under difficulties of no ordinary 
kind. The trial, as before stated, w-as severe, but equally so for all ; the land 
being imiformly hard, with a slight differeuce only in its natural texture. All 
these differences, where they did exist, were taken into consideration, and the 
general instructions given to ourselves by the Council have had due weight 
and influence in guiding us to the decisions at which we arrived after a pro- 
tracted trial imder a dog-day sun. Our examinations into the manufacturing 
details of these important implements were very satisfactory, and, guided by 
the mechanical skill of Mr. Amos, the Society's engineer, led to inquiry and 
explanation, showing how much time had been given to their manufacture, 
and how much studied care and intelligence had been brought to bear to per- 
fect the plans and difl'erent arrangements found in every plough brought 
