1857-06-13 Gardeners Chronicle - James Ferrabee Letter on Chiswick Trials

Mowing Machines--I have just read in your Paper of Saturday last that a trial of mowing machines was made on the lawn of the Chiswick Gardens on the Friday previous. Allow me to state, on the part of our firm, that no intimation was given us that there would be any trial, and that consequently we had no one there to work our machines. We shall be ready at any time to place them in competition with any other maker, but think it only fair play that we should have an opportunity afforded us of being present. I would just remark that I saw on Wednesday the machines that were exhibited at Chiswick, and observed that all of them follow well in the cutting part the original plan introduced by Budding, and the result of all the patents and so-called improvements has been little more than a change in the position of the wheels. James Ferrabee, Phoenix Iron Works, near Stroud.