154 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February 14, 1903. 
Motor Lawn Mowers. 
The adoption of motors for vehicles has now been supple¬ 
mented by Messrs. Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies, of Orwell 
Works, Ipswich, wlm have given careful consideration to the 
subject, and have designed a simple, compact, and dependable 
petrol motor for moving and rolling large areas of grass. 
Machines, fitted with these motors have been in use and 
severely tested during the past season in some of the large 
parks, cricket grounds, and the Royal Gardens at Kew. The 
machines are made in four sizes, with cutters of 42 in., 36 in., 
30 in., and 24 in. respectively. 
The No.. 1 is the standard motor lawn mower, fitted with a 
6 h.p. motor, with a seat for the driver, and is well adapted 
for parks, etc., which are reasonably level and where the grass 
has to be cut frequently. 
The No. 2 has a motor of the same horse-power, and is 
designed for more undulating surfaces, such as golf links or 
where the. work is specially rough. 
No. 3 is a useful mower, fitted with a 31,- h.p. motor, and has 
cutters 30 in. wide. 
No.. 4 is specially arranged for use on smaller grounds. It 
is driven by a 2f h.p. motor, and has a cutting cylinder 24 in. 
long. 
The motors for these machines are of the Simms type, with 
magneto ignition, and are so simple that an intelligent gardener 
Ransohe’s Motor Lawn Mower.. 
can soon learn to manage. They travel at, about 31 to 4 
miles an hour and are. controlled by two levers, one to throw 
the engine in and out of gear, and the other to* start or stop 
the engine. 
In the larger machines the grass is delivered out each side 
alternately by a new patented arrangement while the machine 
is running by simply turning a handle at the driver’s side. 
The smallest machine has a removable grass-box similar to 
ordinary hand-mowers. 
These machines can also be used as rollers, the cutting 
evlinder being thrown out of gear and the* knife raised by an 
adjustable roller in front of the cutters, and, where necessary, 
additional weights can be added for heavy rolling purposes. 
Messrs. Ransomes are showing these machines at the Auto¬ 
mobile Exhibition now being held at the Crystal Palace, where 
they have also on view some of their ordinary hand-mowers of 
the Empire design. 
A new machine shown is the Major Empire, which is known 
as a high wheel cutting machine for golf courses, with a 21-in. 
cutter. 
A golf-green roller is also shown, which has a wooden roller, 
and in front is a trough, which picks up and collects worm- 
casts, etc. 
We give an illustration of the No. 1 motor lawn mower, which 
Is listed at £150, the prices for the other machines ranging 
down to £70. 
Those who* have been used to the large machines drawn by 
a horse, pony, or donkey will appreciate the* advantages of 
these motor machines, especially in wet weather, when, in 
spite of using special shoes for the animal, there are often left 
veiy unsightly marks in the turf : and, besides, there is the 
advantage in this case of having two machines in one. 
Full particulars, etc., can be obtained from the company at 
their works as above. 
Trade Catalogues Received. 
Kerr anb Co., 63, Queen Street, Glasgow.—Amateurs’ Guide 
and Price List. 
Maurice Prichard, The Nurseries, Christchurch, Hants.— 
Alpine and Herbaceous Plants; also Maurice Prichard’s 
Paeon,ies. 
John Forbes, Nurseryman, Hawick, Scotland.—Catalogue of 
Florists’ Flowers, Hardy Border Plants, etc. 
Charles Sharpe and Co., Limited, Sleaford, Lincolnshire.— 
Seeds for the Garden. 
AY. AY. Johnson and Son, Limited, Boston, Lines.—Garden 
Seeds. 
AV. and J. Brown, 56, High Street, Stamford.—Catalogue of 
Seeds. 
George AA’ood Ingram, Market Place, Boston, Lines.—Cata¬ 
logue of Seeds. 
CONTENTS OF LAST WEEK. 
PAGE 
Asparagus Sprengeri. 118 
Bull and Sons, Messrs. Wm. 115 
Chrysanthemums, late. 123 
Editorial notes . Ill 
Etherisation of plants . 121 
Eucharis grandiflora. 127 
Ferns from spores . 127 
Gardening, the world of . 117 
Gloriosa superba. 127 
Hybridisation, an interest- 
! > ing phase of orchid. 112 
Iris Tauri. 119 
Juniors’ page and coms- 
pondence . 125 
Kitchen garden, the. 112 
Kniphofia longicollis. 120 
Monstera deliciosa. 127 
News of the week . 129 
Orchid culture, hints on ... 128 
Orchard, making a new ... 127 
Perennials with silvery 
foliage . 119 
PAGE 
Pharmacy Act, amendment 
of the. 118 
Plant food, something about 114 
Plants recently certificated 113 
Primula growing. 128 
Questions and answeis. 131 
QuizziDgs by Cal. 126 
Science, gleanings from the 
world of . 133 
Society and association 
notes. 124 
Soils, the preparation of ... 123 
Streptocarpus hybrids . 116 
Sweet peas . 122 
Sweet peas and bees. 123 
Trees and shrubs, hardy ... 113 
A T ine at Bearhill, big. 114 
ILLUSTRATIONS. 
Asparagus Sprengeri in fruit 117 
Billbergia nobilis . 115 
Iris Tauri. 119 
Kniphofia longicollis. 120 
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE. 
PAGE 
Bismarckia nobilis. 142 
Bothies, gardeners’. 136 
Bristol and District Gar¬ 
deners . 151 
Cacti, half hardy . 139 
Cheadle gardener,death of a 152 
Chrysanthemums in 6in. 
and 7 n. pots . 148 
Crotons and Dracaenas, 
propagating .. 147 
Croydon Horticultural Mu¬ 
tual . 152 
Editorial notes . 133 
Fernery walls, covering ... 148 
Flowers, early spring . 139 
Garcinias and their uses, 
the. 141 
Geraniums, spring propaga¬ 
tion of bedding . 147 
Gloriosa superba . 136 
Kew, best twelve flowering 
plants at . 146 
Kitchen garden, the . 134 
Lawn mower, Kansome’s 
motor. 154 
Natural History of Plants, 
the. 140 
Notes and news, society 
and association . 150 
News of the week . 152 
PAGE 
Orchids, among the . 134 
Plants, notes on hardy. 135 
Primulas, Messrs. Bull and 
Sons’ . 135 
Questions and answers. 153 
Quizzings by Cal. 149 
Reading University College 146 
Royal Horticultural Society 137 
Scolopendrium vulgare cris- 
pum AAJllsi . 145 
Scottish Horticultural As¬ 
sociation . 151 
Sweet Pea, the . 147 
Sweet Peas, all about . 140 
Sweet Peas and Lees. 144 
Trees and shrubs at Castle- 
wellan . ... 143 
Trenching, about . 136 
ILLUSTRATIONS. 
Bismarckia nobilis. 142 
Cacti, half-hardy . 139 
Garcinia Mangostana, fruit 
of . 141 
Garcinia Morelia (Gamboge) 141 
Lawn mower, Ransome’s 
motor. 154 
Scolopendrium vulgare ciis- 
pum AATllsi . 145 
