NOVEL IDEAS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 264, 14 November 1878, Page 4

NOVEL IDEAS.

[From the "Sydney Mail."] The latest noveliy in agricultural' (machinery is Hornaby'a hedge trimmer. Iniisgtneral priociplea of conetiuotion cud action it, somewhat resembles B mowing machine, bin in detail ifc differs widely. The horses walk aiorg the side of the hedge and the machine cms both sides, ao tbat the trimming of the hedges on a farm or estate will not take up much time, the implement was shown at work near the showyard of the Royal Agricultural Society R t Bristol, and did some capital- hedge trimming at a very rapid rate. The various cppabilities of the implement, the power of the man who is hacdlir-g it to lilt the whole cutting apparatus, to.- alter ihe position of the eulter, to cut the top on either side of the feuce «t will, it is said are very surprising. The second idea is one that raay be carried out anywhere in this colony. It, is tbe manufacture of superior mill belling end everlasting rope from shf ep's eDtraiis. Thia at present forma an industry which proves remunerative in California, The process of the manufacture is as follows .—The entrails, which will average about 55 feet in length, Bi\3 first, thoroughly cleaned, and then placed in vats of brine, where they remain some days. When thus prepared they hre not much thicker than a piece of common cotton twine, and will sustain a weight of about lOShs. The next stage in process of manufacture is to wind the prepared material on bobbinß, after which the process is the same as in making common rope. This method is used to prodace a round belt ; but where a wide flat belt is to be made, a loom is employed, and ihe five strands are woven together as in ribbon manufacture The flat belts are made of any size, the round of sizes varying from l-16th inch up to 1£ iuch in diameter. The round belle are made either in the form of a smooth cord, or as ropes, with from three to five large strands. The f-inch rope is said to stand a strain of 7 tons, and is guaranteed to last ten years. Hemp rope will last ou an average not ' over three years. Three-eighthß round cord, containing 150 strands, will endure a strain ot about four tons.