THE DRAINAGE PLOUGH COMPETITION.

Evening Star, Issue 3956, 29 October 1875, Page 2

THE DRAINAGE PLOUGH COMPETITION.

(From the Bruce Herald.) The drainage plough competition for the prizes of LIOO and LSO, offered by the Provincial Government, took place yesterday, at Mr M'Laren’s Springfield farm, Tokomairiro. In determining the merits of the different machines, the judges had to consider the quality of the work done, the price of the machine, the cost of the drain as completed in each case, and, other things being equal, the preference was to be given to the machine that removed the smallest quantity of earth compatible with the full attainment of the object desired, and which could be supplied at the lowest cost, Mr Blair, C.E., Dunedin; Mr M‘Queen, Dunedin; Mr R. Hamilton, Southland; and Mr Hewitson, Tokomairiro; were the judges. The paddock chosen for the trial was m every way suitable for the purpose. Upon the original date fixed for the trial, about the end of September, only two machines had been entered, one by Messrs Reid and Gray, ot Dunedin, and the other by Air Thomas Murray, of Mount Stuart. After the first postponement the number of entries increased, and a few day« ago we were informed that there would be five competitors—namely, Messrs Reid and Gray, Mr Thomas Murray Mr Graham, of Waihola, Mr Chalmers, of -Tokomairiro, and Mr Haworth, of Dunedin. Mr Chalmers’s machine was tried privately the day previous to the public competition and did not answer the expectations that had been formed of it. Indeed a few practical men who saw it were of opinion that it would never work. It was not brought to the ground yesterday, and the reason given for its absence yeas the difficulty iu obtaining a team to work it. The implement entered in Mr Haworth’s name turned out not to be a drainage plough but an improved plough for ordinary use, made by Mr Jeffcoat, of Saddle Hill. The Provincial Government had consented to allow Mr Jeffcoat exhibit his plough with the others, and it did some excellent work and attracted considerable attention. Thus the only three machines left to compete were those entered by Messrs Reid and Gray Mr T. Murray, and Mr Graham ; but the last mentioned, though ingenious and very useful, was not one that complied in any way with the conditions, Messrs Reid and Gray's machine was the first to get to work, and appeared to be easily worked by four horses. At the start the sod was taken oil’ with an ordinary plough, and the drainage machine was ret to work in the furrow thus made, ’ilie judges estimated that, cutting two inches each time it parsed down the drain, this machine would cut fortytwo chains of a throe-foot drain per day, with four horses and one man, and that it wouhi do tile work at one-third the cost of digging the drain in the ordinary way. This machine did not cut a drain to the depth required iu the conditions, but it did some good clean worx to the depth of about 2ft., and the judges were oppai cully satisfied that it would do all its maker’s claimed for it. Mr Murray's {plough did not work at au s.iiisiacloriiy, tlm explanation being that the implement had not been nish^d;

but its principle was acknowledged by many practical men to be a good one. An objection raised by many who witnessed the trial was that this machine was very cumbersome and difficult to turn. The drainage plough exhibited by Mr Graham, Waihola, which did not comply with the conditions with respect to the work to be performed, was admitted on nil sides to be a very useful implement, and at the same time very simple in its construction. It was easily worked by four horses yesterday, and made a drain about eight inches below the surface of the ground. It is without doubt a valuable implement, and its usefulness has been recognised in the old country. It was certainly very much admired, and considered very suitable for the drainage of grass lands. At about half-past two o’clock in the a!t( moon, M r Henderson, the Secretary of the Tokomairiro Farmers’ Club, announced to the assembled crowd that the judges ha ll arrived at a decision, and that the prize of LIOO had been awarded to Messrs Reid and Gray. He said that no second prize had been awarded, but L2ohad been given to Mr Graham, of Waihola, because the judges considered his plough a very creditable and usetul one. The attendance at Spr.ugtield was very large during the day, farmers from all parts of the district being present.