18 
Ayriciiltural Proyrets and 
the result being economy of feeding material, saving of manual 
labour, and improvement in the condition of bis live-stock. 
Is it seedtime.? His drills are so accurate in their work that 
the horse-hoe can follow when the weeds are yet so young that 
they are exterminated by the passage of the knives, yet without 
risk to the young corn. The iron harrows, before and after sow- 
ing (zigzag, diagonal, or chain), do more work at one turn than 
the old country blacksmith's implements did at two or three. If 
the land be too light, there are the smooth-roller, the fluted-roller, 
and the clod-crusher. Should it be hay-time or harvest, there are 
the mowing and reaping machines, the hayspreaders, the horse- 
rakes, the steel forks, the improved harvest-carts, the Dutch barn, 
and the rick-stands. This resume might be extended to a tedious 
length, but it is unnecessary. We have one question, and but 
one, to ask when the inspection is completed. In this farmer's 
whole set of machines and implements, is there one which has 
not received a prize or medal of the Royal Agricultural Society ? 
If not, or if, as we believe to be a common case, the exceptions 
are only such as to prove the rule, then are we in a position to 
point out not only what an important influence has been exer- 
cised by improved machinery in bringing about the agricultural 
progress which has been realised of late, but also what a large 
share the Royal Agricultural Society's Shows have had in pro- 
ducing this gratifying result. 
Steam. — The influence of steam as applied to agricultural ma- 
chinery still remains to be noticed. Nothing could have been 
more antecedently improbable than that the costly steam-engine, 
with its delicate valves, its niceties of adjustment, and its tremen- 
dous power for good or for evil, could safely have been entrusted 
to the caie and control of any one but a trained engineer. So 
thought and so reasoned most thinking men twenty years ago ; 
and of all the working-classes the agricultural labourer would 
have been thought the least likely to be either able or willing to 
lend a helping hand. How did he receive the introduction of 
the first piece of machinery which became common on the farm ? 
All who have attained the age of fifty can recollect the quasi- 
rebel lion which, under the name of "Swing riots" raged in the 
southern counties of England when thrashing-machines began to 
make their way there. The labourers rose in full force to resist 
this aggression on their rights with fire and flail. Yet in twenty 
short years the horse thrashing-machines may be said to have 
come and gone, and the intelligence of the labourer has so 
advanced meanwhile, that the most labour-saving invention is no 
longer followed with threats and sullen looks ; and of all the 
obstacles to the introduction of steam-machinery, the least has 
