at the Warwick Meeting, 1859. 
323 
Miscellaneous Department. 
It is not often that the Judges of this department have much of importance 
to report \ijion, and the exhibition of this }ear is, witli but few excejitions, a 
repetition of that of former years. The first thing that struck lis was the 
innnonsity of tl'.e show. It appeared so large as to cause .some anxiety lest 
we should not be able to pass over it consecutively, and do justice to its 
numerous claims to our attention, extending as it did to between 4000 and 
5000 implements and other articles requiring our inspection. As some ex- 
cuse for any omission which might be apparent in our course round the 
yard, we may say, that, had we allowed but one minute's time to the ex- 
amination of each article, it would have fully occupied us for at least nine 
days. We had to complete the whole in four, besides the field-trials. Another 
cause of perplexity was the true definition of an agricultural imi)lenient or 
machine ; for such is the variety and complexity of the exhibition, as now ex- 
tended, that almost all conceivable articles used by parties occupied in agri- 
cultural pursuits are entered for examination, from a beef-steak beater to a 
baby's cradle or cot. We select a few alphabetically, and we ask what sjiecial 
connexion such machines liave with agriculture, viz., apple-parers, alarum-bells, 
bedsteads, bread-machines, beer-engines, bells, counting-machines, cages, deed- 
boxes, lilters, gun-covers, game-bags, hanuners (atmospheric), knife-cleaners, 
machines for aiding digestion, microscopes, odometers, perambulators, roasting- 
jacks, sewing-machines, sign-paintings, trunks, thermometers, urns, varnish, 
whisks, window-frames, &c. We had pleasure in their inspection, but we were 
ver}- cautious in our awards, and endeavoured to confine them to their legiti- 
mate object, — the improvement of agricultural implements and machinery. 
We would further say that, as the exhibition is becoming such a very extensive 
and important one, we would rather encourage than object to these multi- 
farious collections, and at once make it wliat, in fact, it is, a large and most 
interesting mart lor the exhibition and sale of useful articles in great variety ; 
but we would urge that the Society's funds should be wholly confined to 
those connected with agriculture, though found in the miscellaneous depart- 
ment. In pursuing our examination we found, as usual, many novel inven- 
tions, most of them more novel than useful, and as such we were compelled to 
leave them unnoticed. We look upon the office of a Judge to be more that of a 
guide to the public mind than merely to award prizes, &c. Hence we were 
more liberal in our commendations to established and useful implements and 
machinery, and wary with unusual novelties, many of which are sent to be 
tried for the first time, and to meet the approval or condemnation of the 
Judges, no enviable position for them. Having much before us, we took the 
stands as per catalogue, in which order we will take them in this Eeport, 
reserving those implements for more especial notice, which are included in the 
prize classes, and omitting those which have a periodical trial. At Stand 
1, ]j. Fowler's, wo gave commendation to a pump having a foot-piece valve 
at the side, with a door, so as to give ready access to be cleaned. At Stand .5 
we found an ingenious machine, invented bj' AV. A. Mnnn, Esq., for de- 
stroying caterpillars, fly, etc., upon turnips, the most conunendable part being 
the revolving brushes, taking two rows, followed by ordinary curved hoes, 
and a small roller, for the application of it : we gave it a commendation. 
To liobert Maynard, Stand 18, we gave a commendation for his dibbling 
machine. The peculiarity is that, as the wheel revolves, provision is made 
to clear the hole by a twist of each dibble on leaving the soil, thus pro- 
ducing a clean hole for the seed. To A. and E. Crosskill we gave a com- 
mendation for their improved liquid-manure cart, the improvement being 
chiefly in the valve and lever. To S. and E. Hansome we awarded a com- 
mendation for their improved argaud fire-bars. The air passing through the 
Y 2 
