704 The Trials of Self-binding Harvesters at Chester. 
They recommended, however, that a Silver Medal be awarded 
to Walter A. Wood “ as a recognition of progress,” and that 
high commendation be bestowed on Osborne’s mechanism. 1 
Once more the Society offered its Gold Medal, at the Bristol 
Meeting of 1878 — this time with more success. The machines 
shown at Liverpool had all used wire as the binding material ; 
but in view of the danger and unsuitableness of wire, inventive 
ingenuity had been exercised in the interim to devise apparatus 
for binding with string. At Bristol there were four wire Binders 
(three American, one English), and three string Binders (one 
American, two English). Mr. John Coleman, who with Mr. 
Henry Cantrell and Mr. J. W. Kimber acted as Judge, gives, in 
Vol. XV. of the Journal, an extremely interesting report of the 
Trials, and of the difficulties encountered during their progress. 
Eventually the Judges came to the unanimous decision that 
McCormick’s Sheaf-binder had fulfilled the conditions of the 
Society, and they awarded the Gold Medal to it accordingly. 
Mr. Hemsley, the Senior Steward at Bristol, doubtless ex- 
pressed the general view when he said in his report that “ the 
Members of the Society might probably have felt more satisfac- 
tion if a less dangerous material than wire had been used for 
tying ; ” and it is not surprising, therefore, that when the Society 
next encouraged competition at Derby, in 1881, it should limit 
the offer of its Gold and its Silver Medals “ to the Sheaf-binding 
Machines which, after a trial during the harvest season of 1881, 
shall, in the opinion of the Judges, be the best and the second 
best — the binding material to be other than wire.” Mr. Cole- 
man and Mr. Kimber again officiated as Judges, with Mr. W. 
Scotson for their colleague, at the trials of the eight Binders 
which competed for the Medals in August 1 881 ; and as a 
result the Gold Medal was awarded to the McCormick Company 
and two Silver Medals to Samuelson & Co. and the Johnston 
Harvester Company, whose machines were bracketed as equal 
(see Journal, Vol. XVIII., 1882, pp. 264 et seg.). 
Three years later the Society determined to have, in connec- 
tion with the Shrewsbury Meeting of 1884, a further trial of 
Binders, offering this time, instead cf its Gold Medal, two prizes 
of 10 01. and 50/. respectively for “Seif-binding Reapers, the 
binding material to be other than wire.” 
On this occasion there were 17 competitors, and the Judges 
(Messrs. Thomas Bell, Mason Cooke, and W. Scotson) awarded 
the first prize to Messrs. Hornsby & Sons, Ltd., of Grantham, 
1 See the late Mr. J. Hannam’s report in Vol. XIV. of the Journal (1878), 
■with diagrams of the different binders shown. 
