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IMPLEMENTS OF HUSBANDRY

threshing-machine now in general use was borrowed from it.It is evident, however, that this is a very great mistake ; forit is positively affirmed, by those gentlemen who had full ac-cess to know the truth, that Mr Meikle, the inventor of thatapproved implement, never saw or heard any thing of MrOxley’s machine, till a long time after it was taken down.Indeed, every person acquainted with practical mechanics, isnow convinced, that the principles of the two machines werealtogether different; and it seems, that in practice, the ope-rations of each were as different as in their principles.

Having thus detailed several of the laudable, though un-successful attempts, to construct a machine capable of thresh-ing corn in a satisfactory manner, it may be proper to nar-rate some of the circumstances, which led to the constructionof that valuable machine now in general use. That everyformer attempt had failed, does not require a proof. Theformer machines are generally laid aside, and the merit of theinvention of a completely effective machine, certainly belongsto the individual to be afterwards mentioned.

The late Sir Francis Kinloch , who, it is well-known, pos-sessed a’large stock of mechanical knowledge, and had paidgreat attention to country affairs, in one of his tours throughNorthumberland happened to see two machines which hadbeen erected by Mr Ilderton at Alnwick , and Mr Smart atWark, for threshing corn, and ordered models of them to bemade for his own use, upon which he afterwards made severalimprovements As he had no opportunity of trying a largemodel which he caused to be made, it was sent by him toMr Andrew Meikle, civil engineer at Houston Mill, nearHaddington, in order that its effects might be ascertainedby means of the water-wheel of Mr Meikle ’s barley-mill.The trial was accordingly made, but in a few minutes the mo-del was torn in pieces ; and the like fate befel a machine offull size, which Sir Francis erected for one of his tenants afew years afterwards.