The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-20 00:00:00

ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

MEETING AT LINCOLN.
LINCOLN, WEDNESDAY.
The business of the society may be said to have
commenced to-day, as the implement-yard was
thrown open this morning to the public at the
charge of half-a-crown, when a greater number
availed themselves of the opportunity of seeing the
collection than is usual at this comparatively high
charge. The show of implements is unusually
large, occupying with their descriptions, an octavo
catalogue of 230 pages. The number of imple-
ments seems to increase year by year, the agricul-
tural implement makers throughout the country
having become increasingly alive to the importance
of these annual exhibitions of their manufactures.
At the same time, it must be owned that they
greatly abuse the privilege. The implement-yard
has become, in fact, a sort of bazaar, for the show
of every kind of smith's and wright's manufacture
that can, by the most strained courtesy, be consi-
dered as connected with agriculture, while these
implements that are more germane to the matter
are heaped together with a profusion that renders
inspection next to impossible, and suggests the idea
that the implement makers have swept their shoes
to make a good show, rather than they have made a
selection from the newest or most useful articles. If
a breeder were to send his whole stock to occupy the
cattle-yard, he would not be acting one whit more
absurdly than the implement makers, do in sending
specimets of every implement they manufacture.
There is another point in which the implement-
yard might profitably receive a lesson from its
sister department. There is not, as in the case
of the live stock, any attempt at classification. A
breeder may enter animals for competition in every
class of stock for which prizes are offered ; but his
property is not collected together under one stall
bearing his name—cattle are placed with cattle,
horses with horses, and even Devons, Herefords,
and short-horns are not allowed to be intermixed.
But this is not the case with the stalls of the great
exhibitors, which contain everything that can be
used on a farm, from a portable steam-engine to a
pitchfork, and to compare plough with plough, or
turnip drill with turnip drill, the visitor must run
backwards and forwards two or three times over
the field, while the chances are that he has for-
gotten the peculiarities of one before he comes to
another. It is true that this evil is in part removed
by the trial of implements in farm work ; but be-
sides that this applies only to a small portion of
implements, it is farther to be remembered that
the trials are not attended by 99 in every 100 of
those who come to the show. The evil is loudly
complained of by many practical agriculturists ;
and their complaints become more and more fre-
quent with the annual increase of the nuisance.
Among the machines exhibited, however, there
were several which attracted notice from their
novelty of construction, and their adaptation to
important farm purposes. The reaping machines
come in for the largest share of attention. They had
been brought in from the trial field, and, lying out
of gear iu the implement yard, a very inadequate
view of their powers could of course be obtained,
but the peculiar mode of action of each would still
be shown, and they were surrounded throughout
the day with eager groups of visitors. It will be
seen by reference to the prize-list, which we sub-
join, that Bell's reaping machine, which has
hitherto been the most successful, has failed this
year in carrying off the prize, which has been
awarded to the machine exhibited by Messrs. Dray
and Co., of London. This machine is an improve-
ment on Mr. Hussey's original reaping machine,
being lightened in its draught, and provided with
a skeleton knife instead of the old solid blade, which
was apt to choke the cutters with the weeds that
form the undergrowth of the harvest. We under-
stand that the judges hesitated for some time be-
tween Mr: Dray's machine and Bell's reaper as
manufactured by Croskill, and at last the palm was
awarded on the ground that Bell's laid the corn
with most precision, yet in cutting of the corn
Dray's was far superior to the other.
The French engine of M. Mazier, though confes-
sedly imperfect in its details, was much admired
for the simplicity of its construction and lightness
of draught. It was felt, .however, that the roller
for lifting corn that has been laid by the action of
the rain—which, by the way, no other machinist
of these implements has attempted—requires
much improvement before it can be fit for prac-
tical use.
The prize for the best plough for general pur-
poses is awarded to Messrs. Ransome and Sons.
The prize for the one best adapted to plough more
than ten inches deep was, after a severe struggle,
and trials repeated three or four times over, finally
awarded to Messrs. Howard's (of Bedford) imple-
ment over one by Ransome. Of the steam-engines,
which were found last year the most difficult to
decide upon, the prize for the best portable steam-
engine has this year been awarded to Messrs.
Hornsby and Son, of Grantham, Lincolnshire.
Messrs. Ransome carried off the second prize for a
fixed and the first for a portable steam-engine ;
while Messrs. Dray obtained the second prize for
the fixed engine. Both of these fixed steam-engines
were distinguished for simplicity of construction,
the smallness of space they occupied, and the easi-
ness of access to all parts of the machinery.

The economical distribution of manure is every
year rising in importance as a portion of the
management of a farm. Several machines for that
purpose are in the yard. That which obtained the
prize
is a broad-cast manure distributor, invented
and manufactured by Mr. Chambers of Fakenham,
Norfolk. The principle of this machine consists of a
barrel formed of a series of rings, each having mov-
able projecting pieces (for the delivery of either
highly comminuted or rough manure), which come
in contact with scrapers so placed beneath the box
that the manure has to slide down them; the pres-
sure of the scrapers on the barrel being regulated
also, by moveable weights, to the greatest nicety,
according to the adhesiveness of the manure used.
It is also fitted with a quite novel and excellent
stirrer, of an horizontal movement, by means of a
pair of bevil wheels and crank, which never fails to
give a constant and regular delivery from the box
to the barrel, however moist the contents of the
box may be.

There was, however, another implement in the
yard which attracted much attention, being a ma-
chine for the distribution of liquid manure. It is
the invention of Mr. Hall, of Princes-gate, Nave-
stock, Essex, himself a practical farmer. The ma-
chine itself is in principle no more than a barrel, and
as it revolves as it is dragged along, the fluids with-
in are kept in a constant state of agitation, so that
it is impossible any sediment should remain in the
cart. The machine dispenses with the use of axle-
trees cross bands, or wheels, and the fluids are dis-
tributed by the application of a common syphoon.
It would be equally adapted for the distribution of
water on common roads. Thisingenious implement
was not brought into trial on the previous days,
but to-day it was exhibited in full work in the trial
yard, to the admiration of all who witnessed the
simplicity and efficiency of its working.
There were several subsoil and trench ploughs in
the field. Many of them attracted attention. That
which, upon the whole, secured the largest circle of
admirers, was one invented by Mr. Cotgreave, of
Ipswich. By an ingenious arrangement this im-
plement combines the common plough, the trench
plough, and the subsoil plough in one, is capable
of tilling the land to any required depth, from 10
to 18 inches, and one ploughing will generally be
found sufficient for each course of cropping. To
the beam of the plough is attached a foot, for regu-
lating the width and depth. of the furrow, to which
are fixed revolving discs, acting both as coulters
succeeded by the
and heels ; this is followed by the part resembling
gtahiensoil up an inclined
h,wiiic plough,h tbor bi
Ile g as
plane to the surface ; lastly,
ttrheenccolimprooulgi
,the subsoiler comes
into operation, pulverising the b •
su soil the required
depth. This implement was •
out in the trial field,
and the manner in which it
performed its work was
the theme of general approbation, as it left little
to be done for the land
over it. after it had once passed
It is unnecessary further to dwell upon the im-
plements exhibited f
for ordinary farm purposes.
They may be dismissed with the general remark,
that while some approach is made to simplicity this
year as compared with former years, there is still
much to be done in that •
direction before the class
of improved farm imp • l ements can be more than in-
genious toys. The number and complication of
wheels, cogs, nuts, and screws that bristle on the
face of every
machine are of the most formidable
description, and if one were to form a judgment
simply from the articles that appear in the show-
yard of the society, he would come to the conclu-
sion that the most highly skilled labourers in Eng-
land were to be found in the farm servants who use
them. The principle has in former years been car-
ried to au absurd extreme. We are happy to ob-
serve that the tide is now upon the turn, the
idirectors of the society having been most assiduous
to inculcate upon the exhibitors the necessity of
simplicity, economy, and durability in 1411 their