378 Report on the Exhibition of Implements 
Miles's I saw the machine sowing little more than three-quarters 
of a bushel per acre. Although unable to give any account of 
my own comparative yield, I am glad to have obtained the fol- 
lowing statement of an experiment which is very satisfactory : — 
" ' Upper Swell, Sept. 21, 1844. 
" ' Sir, — Having used your dibbling machine last year in opposition 
to the drill, I think it nothing but justice to you to state the result, which 
is as follows : — I planted 6 pecks per acre with the drill, which produced 
26 bushels and 1 peek per acre ; and on the next day I planted with 
the dibbling machine 5 ])ecks per acre in the same field (the land being 
the same in everj- respect), which produced 33 bushels 1 \ peck, giving, 
in favour of the dibbling, 7 bushels and half a peck, besides 1 peck saved 
in the seed. The straw was much longer and stronger. The drilled 
weighed only 63^ lbs. per imperial bushel, the dibbled 64 lbs. Being 
so well satisfied with the experiment, I think you may safely recommend 
the implement, &c. 
'* ' J. W. Hakkes. 
" * To Mr. Newberry.* 
" The only drawbacks to the general use of this machine are 
the price and the draught; but the former objection is partly met 
by its being let out to hire like the common drill ; and though it 
requires more horses than the drill, a saving of horse strength is 
made in other respects, because the dibbler is used at once on the 
land as left by the plough, without any harrowing or rolling as for 
the drill. Several neighbouring farmers have used the dibbler 
this season, who saw its effect on my land last summer." 
A hand-dibble, the invention of Mr. Richard Smith, of Upper 
Hail, near Droitwich, highly deserves record, in the opinion of 
the writer, as likely to prove a very useful implement. He 
finds no mention of it in the judges' notes. This dibble plants 
the seed, and possesses a principle of action which, if not already 
perfect, is an important step made towards the construction of a 
perfect self-feeding, self-depositing implement. On the lop of a 
hollow stem is fixed a seed-box, with a delivering apparatus im- 
mediately beneath it. Below this again two handles project 
from the stem, one on each side, which work up and down in 
slides or slots formed in it. From the centre of those handles a 
rod descends with a tapering point, passing at bottom ihrougli a 
hollow conical termination of the stem, and forming part of the 
extremity which enters the ground and makes the hole. One of 
the levers of a small bell-crank is also worked by the handles, the 
other lever giving motion to a slider jiierced with the hole which 
measures and lets fall the seed from the seed-box. The action is 
as follows : — when the dibble is pressed down into the earth, the 
modicum of seed is discharged from the box, and falls to the 
bottom of the stem ; but its extremity being then closed, none of 
