AGRICULTURAL LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3357, 11 January 1879, Page 4

AGRICULTURAL LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE.

{The Agricultural and Pastoral Aquation's trial of reapers aud binders, which lms been arranged to take place on Thursday next, on Mr Boag's farm at Avonhead, "will have an added feature of interest from the fact that one of Aveling and Porter's celebrated agricultural locomotive engines -will then be exhibited in operation. This engine has been iaiported by Mr John Anderson, of the Canterbury foundry, who has undortnken the New Zealand agency, and it is now being iitled up at his works, where we have had au opportunity of inspecting it. 'Xheso engines, ■which have received the first prize at the jßojal Agricultural Society of England, hare been designed expressly for si cam cultivation, threshing, sawing, pumping, and removing agricultural produce. Air Anderson is introducing them in this Colony with the ticw of their being utilised for threshing, for couyeving grain to the various railway stations, or for any of the work for which v portable engine is adapted. Such an engine can, with the utmost ease, move a threshing machine from place to place, at the same time transporting the elevator, water tanks, and a specially designed house for the workmen. Taking into consideration tho general ercunesa oi the ground en the Canter"bury plains and elsewhere, tlie good average condition of the roads, and tho high state of perfection to which these tiaction engines linre now been brought, no insuperable difficulty could be experienced by our furmcrs in using these wore modern labour-saving appliances. It is more than possible that Taiuny of our leading farmers have been much prejudiced against tlio use of traction engines, owing to tlie various imperfections hitherto onaiufeet in their construction. It is, liowevcr, to be borne in mind that Messrs Aveliug and Porter have had t\ Tat experience iv these mutters, Hint Air Aveling is an admittedly high authority upon questions of agricultural mechanism, that their newer engines are masterpieces of mechanical ingenuity and skill, and that they have on all sides beon awarded the highest possible praise by practical men. We have not the remotest desire or intention to say a single word about these engines that could be construed into a meaningless puff, our object being simply to give aucli information us may bo of value to our agricultural readers. On next Thursday the farmers of this district, will have au admirable opportunity of examining and judging for themselves, since Mr Anderson intends to exhibit the engino in any manner that may be deemed desirable. The boiler of the Aveling and Porter engine is unusually large, and ia tested up to v pressure of 2001 bon tho square inch. It bus a single steam-jacketed cylinder mounted on tho fore end of the boiler, to prevent priming and economiso fuel ; but one of the most important feuturea in the construction is that the bearings of the crank shaft, counter shaft, and driving axle are curried by the sidc-pluteu of tho firebox, extended upwards ami backwards in one piece for this purpose. It ib pointed out in tho prospectus that this patented arrangement eaves the boiler from tho rain otherwise put upon it by the working parts, and minimises the risk from strained bolt-holes. This, has in many portable engines been a source ol constant annoyance, the leakages from the Wt-holcs producing a corresponding degree of corrosion, and a consequent rapid depreciation in value So highly lias the patent bracket' been appreciated, that s > eminent a firm as that oi ihe Messrs Fowler, whose steam cultivating machinery has been noticed in our columns, has boon paying a royalty to Messrs Aveling and I'orter for the use of the patent. Of tho various agricultural implements dcoignoil by Messrs Aveling and Porter for use •with their locomotive engines, there ia no necessity to speak now, Bave to refer to one or

two of the more novel features. 'Ihe waggons for hitching to the engino for the transportation of grain and produce will bo manufactured at the Canterbury Foundry, and in their general design they will not fco unlike a light railway goods-truck, •nuvnhmrr—et ■ .itilCh, IC will t)l< lrt«ineUilorcd, have been built by Mr Anderson for tho General Government. To accompany a Bet of steam ploughing taokle working on hiro, or at places at a distance from the homos of

the workmen, a neat travelling sleeping van lias been designed. It is entered by a door at the rear, and lighted by four windows so constructed as to bo available for ventilation, for •which purpose loin res in tho door and roof are also used. Tho van is divided into day mid night compartments, with accommodation for six men. In the first division are a cooking etove, cupboards for food and crockery, tables, table scats, and a vice bench. In the »ccoud division are arranged the sleeping Ibi'i-ths, back to back, in tiers on cither sine of * central partition, with passaged between tliem and tlio sidoa of tho van. Beneath the lower berth of each tier are lockers for clothes. Underneath the van itself is a lockup box for extra shares and requisite duplicate parts of tho tackle, while a rack in front liold* tho waterproof covors, &c , of the engine wliifH they have been removed for working. For work in the harvest field Mr Aveling lunples to one of his steam crane traction «igines a CroeskiU reaping machine, which is ©t" the old Bell type, modified and improved. U'he knife reciprocates at the foot of an in«Jined platform, a crank under tho platform communicating motion to it. The machine is earned on lour wheels, twosmall onosin front «nd two much larger, of wood, behind. 'Ihe rom ib carried off the platform as cut, to the nght or left, according to the position of a tlutch which pluys into bovel wheels ; it is earned by endiess band* traversing the platform, and is laid in a awathc ready for binding. The machine is coupled iv front of the engine by two angle iron bara or shafts, which l>ivot on the sides of tho smoke box, and the vrhole can bo attached to or removed from the engine in a few minutes. The system of working is as follows :— The machine being ilxed to tho engine, tho crano is sa in motion, »ud the reaping machine is lifted off the ground, the shafts turning on the centres in the smoke box. The crane brake is now made I<i9t, and, the road gear being put in motion, tho engine proceeds to the field of corn to bo cut. The brako being released, tho machine is dropped on to the ground. The engine is thon started, and as it travels forward cuts a track of about 11 feet wide at the rate of nearly three miles an hour, the reaping anochine being driven by a pitch chain at" the *ide. When tho end of tho field has been reached tho driver stops the engine and picks up the niachino, which is thon hi»h above the corn. The engino can then bo turned round in about its own length, and tho machine being again dropped another length is cut, and co on.

In the summary of a critical account of a trial, the conclusions arrived at arc that an engine and reaper of this capacity will be of great value in many districts, aud that — especially when the dilHculties presented bj the labour question ure considered— there are lew seasons when it cannot be most profitably utilised. Such unfavourable- seasons would, of coutso, bo those in which drenching rain anight be prevalent. In full work tho cuts an acre for cvory three-fourths vi a mile it travels, and it easily mores and works efficiently at tho rate of two and a hall miles per hour, 'lids gives an area of tlnvj and a lialf acres cut per hour, or cay HO acres ior a day of ton hours. Thus, ifc would seem probable that in buying locomotives henceforth for funn work, this adaptation of v tranc for using tho 12ft reaping machine will l>e taken into consideration and often adopted.