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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
June  28,  1900. 
is  encouraging  enough  to  induce  manufacturers  to  extend  their 
production. 
A  day  intelligently  spent  amongst  the  machinery  at  a  big  show  is 
always  a  day  well  used,  and  one  by  which  the  farmer  may  obtain 
much  useful  knowledge,  even  if  he  buys  nothing,  whereas  if  he  be 
inclined  tc  criticise  as  well  as  inquire,  the  engineer  or  machine  maker 
may  pick  up  many  a  hint  in  return  from  his  practical  knowledge. 
There  are  £200  offered  in  prizes  for  machinery,  and  the  exhibits  are 
thus  classified  : — 
Horse  power  cultivators  ...  ...  ..  ...  18 
Steam  diggers  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  2 
Milking  machines  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  2 
Sheep  shearing  machines  ...  ...  ...  ...  11 
New  implements  for  medal  ...  ...  ...  50 
Amongst  the  novel  implements  is  an  entirely  new  invention,  just 
brought  out  by  Messrs.  Ashley  &  Sons  of  Louth.  It  is  a  mill  for 
grinding  corn,  crushing  maize,  and  splitting  beans.  The  grain  is  first 
dealt  with  by  a  combination  of  grinding  discs,  which  bring  it  to  a 
three  parts  ground  condition  ;  it  then  passes  through  the  stones  and  is 
reduced  to  meal.  A  great  saving  of  power  is  claimed  for  this  process. 
Messrs.  Sargeant  &  Co.  of  Northampton  sent  a  novelty  in  the 
shape  of  a  drill  named  the  “  Victor.”  The  object  of  this  tool  is  the 
simultaneous  sowing  of  grain  and  artificial  manure,  whilst  not 
allowing  the  two  to  come  into  immediate  contact.  This  end  is 
obtained  by  having  two  sets  of  coulters  ;  the  first  row  open  a  number 
of  small  furrows  and  deposit  the  manure  therein,  the  other  set 
following  behind  and  passing  between  these  furrows  fill  them  up, 
covering  the  manure  and  leaving  the  grain  between  them  and  not  in 
contact  with  the  fertiliser.  The  advantage  in  this  drill  is  in  com¬ 
pleting  two  sowings  at  one  operation.  We  should  prefer  manure  to 
be  broadcasted  and  harrowed  in,  either  before  or  after  the  grain 
drilling,  as  we  are  sure  manures  cannot  be  too  much  distributed. 
A  new  implement  of  great  ingenuity  and  which  is  attracting 
attention  is  a  patent  automatic  electrical  horse  feeder,  and  was 
exhibited  by  Messrs.  Thomas  Wood,  Miles  &  Co.  of  Bristol.  The 
apparatus  is  so  constructed  that  it  can  be  worked  by  an  alarum  clock 
or  by  pressing  an  electric  button.  One  or  any  number  of  horses  may 
be  fed  at  a  given  moment,  the  feed  having  been  prepared  and  put  into 
one  or  more  overhead  feeding  boxes ;  when  the  appointed  hour 
arrives  or  the  button  is  pressed  the  boxes  are  reversed  and  each 
deposits  its  contents  in  the  manger.  Much  difference  of  opinion  was 
expressed  as  to  the  utility  and  value  of  this  invention,  but  we  venture 
to  think  that  it  will  obtain  a  favourable  verdict  in  the  long  run,  for 
now  that  horsemen  are  so  difficult  to  obtain  and  still  more  difficult  to 
get  out  of  bed  at  a  time  when  horses  should  have  their  morning  feed, 
any  apparatus  which  will  make  these  animals  independent  of  the 
sleepiness  or  otherwise  of  the  farm  servant  will  be  a  benefit  to  them* 
and  through  them  to  their  owners.  Apart  from  farm  horses,  it  should 
commend  itself  to  public  companies  and  all  owners  of  horses  who 
expect  their  animals  to  be  at  work  at  an  early  hour.  This  apparatus 
was  only  exhibited  for  the  first  time  three  weeks  ago  at  Bath. 
Another  new  m  ichine  that  deserves  notice  and  which  attracted 
a  good  deal  at  the  show,  is  the  new  patent  swath  turner,  exhibited  by 
Messrs.  Blackstone  &  Co.  of  Stamford.  This  machine  with  its  two 
forks  turns  two  swathes;  one  is  turned  clear  of  the  road  wheel,  and 
the  other  on  to  the  track  over  which  the  horse  has  passed — i.e.,  the  space 
between  the  swathes  before  being  turned.  Each  swath  is  turned  on 
to  dry  ground  previously  unoccupied.  The  Clover  or  hay  is  left  in  a 
wcnderfully  light  condition  for  drying,  and  as  one  machine  will  take 
the  place  of  a  large  number  of  men,  the  money  saving  must  be  con¬ 
siderable,  besides  which  there  is  the  greater  expedition  with  which  the 
crop  may  be  harvested,  thus  minimising  the  risk  of  damage  from  rain. 
Anything  which  tends  to  remove  elements  of  danger  is  to  be  com¬ 
mended,  and  when  we  think  of  the  many  accidents  with  chaff  cutters 
which  have  come  under  our  own  observation,  we  cannot  but  express 
our  pleasure  that  no  less  than  th^ee  new  cutters,  built  with  special 
view  to  the  safety  of  the  man  feeding,  have  been  shown  at  York,  the 
exhibitors  being  Messrs.  Richmond  &  Chandler,  Messrs.  Bamford  and 
Sons,  and  Messrs.  Kelsey  &  Son  of  Sheffield. 
Messrs.  Bamford’s  cutter  practically  feeds  itself,  the  material  to  be 
cut  being  simply  thrown  into  a  wooden  trough,  and  it  is  not  necessary 
for  the  man  to  put  his  hands  in  at  all.  There  is  also  an  automatic 
apparatus,  which  throws  the  cutter  out  of  gear  if  it  is  strained  by 
overfeeding.  When  noted  ploughmakers  like  Messrs.  Howard  of 
Bedford,  and  Messrs.  Cooke  of  Lincoln  both  take  up  a  new  idea  there 
should  be  something  in  it.  These  firms  are  exhibiting,  as  novelties, 
ploughs  to  ridge  three  rows  at  once ;  Messrs.  Cooke’s  is  also  described 
as  an  earthing  plough.  As  regards  the  ridging,  one  thing  gained  by 
such  an  implement  should  be  greater  equality  in  the  width  of  the 
ridges,  and  if  it  be  found  to  save  horse  or  manual  labour  as  well  it 
should  come  into  general  use.  We  should  be  more  doubtful  as  to  its 
utility  for  earthing  up  purposes. 
We  have  always  had  a  good  feeling  for  Messrs.  Lankester  since  we 
bought  that  very  satisfactory  little  Iron  Age  hoe  from  them,  and  we 
trust  that  they  are  not  promising  too  much  with  their  new  hay  loader* 
This  loader  is  attached  to  a  farm  waggon,  and  will  take  up  the  hay 
from  a  windrow,  but  not  out  of  cock.  It  is  supposed  to  be  able  to 
load  a  ton  of  loose  hay  in  five  minutes,  and  do  it  more  cleanly  than  hand 
labour.  A  public  trial  of  such  a  machine  would  be  very  interesting! 
and  we  should  like  to  see  one. 
A  difficulty  in  connection  with  spraying  machines  worked  by  hol’se 
power  has  been  the  liability  of  the  air  vessel  to  burst  owing  to  a  too 
sudden  increase  of  speed  on  the  part  of  the  horse.  Mr.  G.  F.  Strawson 
has  invented  a  new  automatic  safety  gear  which  prevents  this  and 
regulates  the  pressure  up  to  which  it  is  desired  that  the  machine  shall 
work. 
The  prizes  for  horse  power  cultivators  were  awarded,  first  to  Messrs. 
Harrison  of  Stamford,  second  to  Messrs.  Coleman  &  Morton  of 
Chelmsford.  For  steam  diggers,  first  prize  The  Cooper  Steam  Digger 
Co.,  Kings  Lynn.  For  milking  machines  no  prize  was  given,  the 
machines  being  considered  open  to  much  further  imprtvement,  and 
the  judges  suggested  renewed  competition  at  some  future  time.  In  the 
two  classes  for  sheep  shearing  machines  there  were  eleven  entries,  and 
ihe  prizes  for  both  mechanical  power  and  hand  driven  machines  went 
to  the  same  parties,  the  Barton  Gillette  Co.  Messrs.  Kelsey  received 
a  silver  medal  for  their  new  safety  apparatus  in  connection  with  their 
chaff  cutter,  and  another  was  awarded  to  the  Milwaukee  harvester  and 
binder. 
.Work  on  the  Home  Farm, 
The  Royal  Show  week,  as  usual,  brought  with  it  showery  weather, 
and  would-be  haymakers  are  anxiously  waiting  for  a  rising  barometer 
before  venturing  to  set  the  grass  mower  to  work.  The  crops  have 
improved  a  little  with  the  heavy  showers,  but  Clovers  have  always  been 
too  thin  on  the  ground  to  mak-e  good  crops  of  hay,  and  it  is  impossible 
to  improve  them  now.  Hay  is  just  a  fair  crop,  and  will  be  of  good 
quality  if  well  got.  It  has  plenty  of  bottom  grass,  but  is  short.  -We 
do  not  think  it  is  advisable  to  wait  for  fine  weather  before  cutting; 
farmers  have  to  take  risks  bigger  than  this,  and  we  have  noticed  that 
if  we  cut  in  showery  weather  we  very  often  had  fine  weather  to  follow. 
Then  there  is  the  second  crop  to  consider,  for  the  earlier  the  first  crop 
is  harvested  the  more  valuable  will  the  second  be  for  the  lambs  during 
the  critical  month  of  August. 
All  crops  show  great  improvement.  Barley  especially,  as  it  delights 
in  warm  showers  about  midsummer.  Turnips,  which  a  week  or  two 
ago  were  suffering:  in  a  few  cases  from  fly,  are  now  growing  rapidly, 
and  will  get  on  quite  as  fast  as  the  majority  of  farmers  will  want  them, 
for  farm  hands  are  as  scarce  as  ever.  A  few  old  Wheat  stacks  are 
still  to  be  seen.  As  prices  have  varied  very  little  during  the  last  six 
months,  holding  Wheat  must  have  been  an  expensive  game  to  play. 
There  should  be  no  reason  for  delaying  thrashing  any  longer  if  the 
necessary  hands  can  be  got,  unless  the  Chinese  trouble  should  lead  to  a 
European  war.  We  fear  that  the  stacks  will  not  be  worth  much  if  they 
are  kept  until  such  an  event  takes  plane. 
We  see  that  the  Meteorological  Office  is  offering  to  supply  daily  tele¬ 
graphic  forecasts  of  the  weather  to  persons  desirous  of  having  them 
during  the  harvest  season.  The  charge  will  be  6d.  per  diem,  and  an 
equivalent  charge  for  porterage  where  necessary.  Applications  for  the 
forecasts,  stating  the  period  for  which  they  should  be  supplied  and 
particulars  as  to  the  shortest  telegraphic  address  and  porterage,  should 
be  sent  to  the  secretary.  Meteorological  Office,  6.3,  Victoria  Street, 
London,  S.W.  Surely  one  farmer  at  least  in  every  parish  ought  to  avail 
himself  of  this  cheap  information.  We  have  found  an  evening  paper 
with  the  day’s  cricket  in  it  very  useful  in  attempting  to  forecast  the 
next  day’s  weather;  but  the  information  at  thecommand  of  the  weather 
office  is  of  a  far  wider  nature  than  that,  and  covers  thousands  of  miles ; 
and  the  farmer  should  have  the  forecast  in  his  hands  before  his  men 
leave  work  for  the  day. 
