The Evolution of Agricultural Implements. 251 
notice. In 1808, however, the Duke’s prize system being again 
revived, Salmon’s reaper was described in BelVs Weeldy Mes- 
senger, and it is a remarkable fact that this early machine 
embodied all the principles of the modern self-raker, which was 
not introduced until nearly sixty years later. 
In 1814 Salmon patented the first hay-making machine, to 
which modern improvement has added nothing new but details. 
He received, at various times, silver medals from the Society 
of Arts for surgical instruments, a canal lock, apparatus for 
pruning trees, a man-trap, and earth walls ; but, perhaps, his 
most important work was the designing of the Duke of Bedford’s 
Home Farm and Estate Buildings at Woburn. 
This great obscure mechanician died at Woburn in 1821, 
aged 69, the event being shortly recorded in the Gentleman’s 
Magazine for that year. IVIr. Salmon is there spoken of as 
‘‘well known and respected by the admirers of the fine arts 
and sciences, the inventor of many useful and valuable instru- 
ments of surgery, agriculture, and hydraulics.” * 
Class VII. — Prime Movers. 
Agricultural prime-movers fall naturally into the following 
groups : — 
1. Portable engines, single and compound. 
2. Straw-burning engines. 
3. Self-moving engines. 
Although portable engines were made the subject of many 
patents during the latter half of the last century, nothing of 
practical value resulted from these various inventions until the 
Royal Agricultural Society commenced its useful labours for the 
encouragement of steam in its application to cultivation. 
Watt, indeed, himself patented a portable engine in 1784, 
and Trevitliick’s fixed engine, exhibited at the Kilburn Show 
Museum already alluded to, was actually used in 1811 for 
driving a threshing-machine belonging to Sir Christopher 
Hawkins. Lester, in 1814, patented a self-moving portable 
engine, designed for transporting as well as driving the thresh- 
ing-machine ; and Heathcote, in 1832, patented an engine on 
wheels to be used for di’ainage purposes, of which more hereafter. 
No mention is made of steam engines at the Royal Agricultural 
Society’s Shows of 1839 and 1840, although it is said that Wingate 
of Hareby, and Morton, Earl Ducie’s manager, urged the Tuxfords 
’ See Journal, Vol. II., Third Scries, Part I., 1891, page 132. 
