The Trials of Sheep Shearing Machines at Chester. 551 
some delay and embarrassment to the shearer ; before the tenth sheep was 
begun the lever had to be secured by means of string. Other portions of the 
gear worked very well. The operator seemed a good deal distressed at the 
end of the run. 
Messrs. Burgon and Ball’s Machine. No. 5253. 
Sheep 
Min. 
sec. 
Sheep 
Min. 
sec. 
1st . . . 
... 7 
54 
0th .. . 
32 
2nd . . . 
. ... 5 
40 
7th .. . 
. ... 5 
41 
3rd . . . 
. ... 5 
15 
8th . . . 
1 
4th .. . 
... 5 
8 
9th . . . 
7 
5th . . . 
... 5 
10 
10th . . . 
17 
Average time between sheep 4(3 seconds. Total time shearing ten sheep, 
up to the normal commencement of the eleventh, 1 hour 7 minutes 14 
seconds. 
One finger of the comb broke oft' about the middle of its length, and was 
changed after the tenth sheep ; the eleventh sheep was commenced, however, 
2 minutes 15 seconds after the tenth. No hitch whatever occurred in the 
working of the machinery, and the operator — quite a young man — did not 
seem in the least distressed. He worked with either hand. The shears 
were detached from the shaft after each sheep and washed with a brush, with 
soft soap and water, and then oiled. 
Second Run, with Lincolns. 
Messrs. Newall’s. No. 5250. 
Sheep Min. sec. 
1st 7 58 
2nd 8 7 
Before commencing this trial the speed of the cutters was greatly 
increased, with the view of improving the quality of the work. 
Trial stopped on account of the severe cutting of the sheep. Time 
between first and second sheep, 27 seconds. 
Messrs. Burgon and Ball's. No. 5253. 
Sheep Min. sec. 
1st 7 40 
2nd 5 30 
Time between first and second sheep, 1 minute. During the run with the 
first sheep some screws in the shears got loose ; half a minute was spent in 
securing them, so that the actual run totals 8 minutes 16 seconds. 
The result of the trials was officially announced as follows : — 
Class II. — Prize of 207. to Messrs. Burgon and Ball, for their Sheep 
Shearing Machine, worked by power, 
Class III. — Prize not awarded. 
The quality of the work done by Messrs. Burgon’s imple- 
ment was all that could be desired ; there was but little wound- 
ing of the sheep, the cutting was uniformly close, and there 
was little waste of wool. 
With reference to the cost of shearing by machinery it is 
evident that it can only be economical where large numbers of 
o o 2 
