Report on Miscellaneous Implement Awards at Derby . G21> 
on the face of which is a movable slide which forms the crank, 
the different lengths of cut being obtained by moving the slide 
nearer or farther from the centre. From this is attached, 
through a connecting-rod, a rocking-shaft, which runs across 
and under the box, and has at either side a pawl or catch work- 
ing into ratchets, keyed on the bottom roller-shaft. Thus there 
is a ratchet for each knife, and the necessary intermittent motion 
to the rollers is obtained. As soon as the knife has cut through 
the hay, each ratchet moves on the feed. The top roller is geared 
to the bottom roller in the ordinary way. The chief novelty is 
in the two ratchets, which have never been applied in the same 
way before. The machine costs 3/. IO5., the fly-wheel is 3 feet 
6 inches diameter. 
The Judges were very favourably impressed as to the superior 
merits of the Wire Ropes shown by Messrs. George Cradock and 
Co., of Wakefield, and made under John Lang's patent. The 
principal difference between this and the ordinary wire rope 
is that a larger surface of the wires is exposed to friction. 
There is, therefore, more to wear away before the rope becomes 
useless, and from the nature of the twist, when working over 
pulleys, drums, or round curves, the wires are bent obliquely, 
and not in the straight line as in the old rope. The con- 
tention is that, by the ordinary mode of construction, the wires 
are worn on the crown of the strands, Avhereby friction is con- 
fined to a very small portion of the wire only. The wires in an 
ordinary rope are almost in a straight line with the rope, and 
as they retain their full size and strength on each side of the 
worn or weakened part, the working of the rope around drums, 
pulleys, and curves, causes the bending to take place on the worn 
or weakened part especially. Hence the reason why so many 
ropes have to be thrown aside as useless, through the breaking- 
of wires when but slightly worn. In proof of this view, a por- 
tion of one of Lang's ropes, that had been at work in a colliery 
for a year, was exhibited, and contrasted with a used-up rope on 
the old construction, in which some of the strands had worn 
through, whilst others, not exposed, were as good as new. 
Lang's rope exhibited a uniformly worn surface, and, judging- 
from appearances, fully bore out all that was said in its favour. 
The exhibitors state that as yet they have not made many ropes 
for steam-cultivation, and though those they have made have 
given satisfaction, there was no opportunity for a trial, without 
which no award was possible. If it can be proved that this rope 
is capable of doing an increased amount of work — varying from 
2, to 3 times the efficiency of the old rope — it is a most 
valuable discovery. All that the Judges can do is to advise 
those who are steam-cultivators to purchase a rope, and compare 
