Miscellaneous Implements Exhibited at Chester. 567 
likely to bruise and injure the potatoes than the heavy cross 
blow struck by the diggers that have lately held the field, and, 
as the cross strain is dispensed with, the weight should be 
correspondingly reduced. 
Article 4236. The Stockton Heath Forge Co., Warrington. — 
Spades, Shovels, and Hand Tools were here exhibited in great 
variety and of excellent pattern and manufacture. These tools are 
forged throughout from solid steel, with no cofer, no wedgewood, 
and no rivets in the blade. The sheet-steel shovels were mar- 
vellously cheap and good. Anyone who can appreciate the value 
of good hand tools would admit that this stand was well worth 
a visit. 
Article 4323. Blaclcstone & Co., Ltd., Stamford, Lincoln- 
shire. Horse Rake, price 12 1. 12s. — On this rake the tines can 
be instantly adjusted for collecting and also for close raking. In 
the former case they form a double rank with a space of a few 
inches between the ranks. In the latter case they all come 
into line. We tried this rake with some loose straw in the 
fodder yard, with the tines set in double rank for collecting. 
There appeared to be a tendency to bind on the tines, consequent, 
probably, on the same straw being held by both rows of tines at 
the same time. This prevented the straw from running freely 
up the tines, and the rake did not carry a full load. When this 
is the case, stones, clods, sticks, &c., instead of passing freely 
through the tines, are carried or driven with the load, to the 
injury of the sample of hay, and perhaps the chaff-cutter knives. 
If this tendency occurs with dry straw, it is probable that the 
least rawness would increase the evil. At the same time it must 
be admitted that in this instance, the sweep of the tines, and 
especially their inclination to the ground, were not those best 
adapted to free raking. 
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