196 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



of what he bad seen of rotary cultivators, he believed that they 

 would occupy a prominent position in a few years, and no 

 pains should be spared to bring this about. There was one 

 point which bore materially upon steam cultivation. The mo- 

 ment they were prepared to do all the cultivation on a farm by 

 means of machinery more advantageously than by horse-power, 

 horses themselves would only be required for the carting, and 

 would have to stand idle a large portion of the week. This 

 showed the importance of bringing about a perfect system of 

 steam traction. Mr. Boydell had gone far to develop that. 

 He (Mr. Fowler) believed that a smaller class of that descrip- 

 tion of engine — say, of four-horse power — could be used for the 

 work of a farm more economically than horses. He thought 

 it ought to be fairly tried. Who was to try all those experi- 

 ments ? Were the inventors to hear the whole brunt of that 

 which was in fact a national benefit ? The landlords hitherto 

 bad done little. The Royal Agricultural Society had given no 

 help. He could only state that the trial of his system at Salis- 

 bury was appointed to take place on a steep hill, resembling 

 the roof of a house, snd the decision arrived at was, that the 

 steam plough would not answer. Notwithstanding all this, he 

 was prepared to prove that he could plough at half the cost of 

 horse power. It was plain they would get no assistance from 

 the public or from the lauded proprietors, who would, after all, 

 derive the greatest benefits in the improved rental of their 

 estates. As far as steam ploughing was concerned, he con- 

 sidered his task was done ; but it was for such men as Messrs. 

 Homaine and Boydell to carry their experiments further in 

 another direction, and he was strongly of opinion that the pub- 

 lic at large ought to help them in their work. 



Mr. Smith (of Woolston) avowed his determination not to 

 receive any assistance from any society or any individual. He 

 would state his reasons for not using the combined plough lor 

 the inversion of the soil. In January, 1856,* he stated before 

 this Society what he had done in the way of steam tillage up 

 to that period, and he would now state what he done further 

 since that period. He would not speak of his own plough, but 

 would refer to the machinery employed for laying out the land, 

 and the mode in which he effected it, as upon that he consi- 

 dered the success of his system of tillage mainly depended. In 

 the two experiments referred to by Mr. Clarke in his paper, 

 one at Chelmsford and the other at Woolston, he (Mr, Smith) 

 had not space enough to show properly how he set out his 

 work. Mr. Smith proceeded to explain the details of his plan, 

 particularly describing the mode of setting out his machinery 

 and tackle. (This, however, would be unintelligible without 

 the plans and sketches to which he referred.) Mr. Smith went 

 on to remark, with reference to steam culture, that all farmers 

 would admit that the first month after harvest was worth all 

 the other months of the year put together. There were, in fact, 

 only two months which were really valuable to the farmer for 

 ploughing. Those were Sept. and October. The engine which 

 he recommended was the common eight-horse engine, but he 

 had found a seven-horse engine sufficient for all his work, 

 upon a farm of about 200 acres, 110 of which were arable ; 

 and the engine could do all the thrashing, grinding, cutting, 

 &c. The tackle to be attached to it, he contended, was 

 paid for in the first season it was used. He had found in 

 his own experience and that of his brother-farmers, that a 

 quarter per acre more in the yield of the crops resulted 

 from his system. Mr. Smith next proceeded to contrast 

 the system of anchorage and rope traction adopted by Mr. 

 Fowler with his own plan, and pointed out the important 

 reduction he had made in the number of horses he had em- 

 ployed previously to the introduction of his system of 

 steam cultivation. In the first year he steam-ploughed a 

 field twice over ; and the yield was 41 bushels of peas per 

 acre. The succeeding crop was barley ; and the yield of 

 that was 7 qrs. 1 busliel per acre, from land which formerly 

 only gave a yield of 5 qrs. per acre. Upon an average, he 

 employed his steam machinery in culture 39 days in the 

 year, consuming 14^ tons of coal, at a cost of £14 10s. The 

 only additional cost was in increased labour; for during 

 that period he had allowed his men sixpence a day extra. 

 Mr. Smith then read letters from Mr. Randell, of Chad- 

 burjr,near Evesham; Mr. Bright, of Teddesley ; Mr. J. 

 Whiting, of Stoke Goldington ; and Mr. George Taylor, of 

 Mentmore, speaking of the successful working of Mr. 



Smith's system of steam cultivation ou land in tlieir occu- 

 pation or under their management. 



The Chairman regretted that the time had arrived for 

 closing this discussion, more especially as he saw present 

 several other inventors— amongst them Mr. Halkett — 

 from whom he had hoped to hear some observations on this 

 highly important subject. They would, however, all 

 agree that Mr. Clarke was entitled to their best thanks for 

 his able paper. 



A vote of thanks was then passed to Mr. Clarke. 



* See Journal, vol. iv, p. 175. 



MR. HALL MAXWELL AND THE AGRI- 

 CULTURAL STATISTICS OF SCOTLAND. 



At Inverury, and within the Kintore Arms Inn there, the 

 sixth day of February, Eighteen Hundred and Fifty-Eight ; 

 at a numerously attended meeting of Enumerators and mem- 

 bers of committee connected with the Statistical Inquiry for 

 the Counties of Aberdeen, Banff, and Moray : 



On the motion of Mr. Copeland, Haddo House, Mr. 

 Geddes, Orbliston, enumerator for Morayshire, was called to 

 the chair ; and Mr. Murdoch Huntley was requested to act as 

 clerk to the meeting. 



The following resolutions were moved by Mr. Harvey, of 

 Tillygreig, seconded by Mr. Jopp Seggat, and unani- 

 mously agreed to, viz. : 



"1. That the enumerators and members of committee pre- 

 sent were induced to take charge of the Statistical Inquiry in 

 their several districts and parishes, from a firm conviction that 

 it would confer a great benefit not only on agriculturists, but 

 on the community at large, and they had the more confidence 

 in doing so from the fact that it was conducted under the 

 auspices of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scot- 

 land." 



" 2. That the meeting having had ample opportunities of 

 admiring the great tact, zeal, and ability displayed in con- 

 ducting the inquiry by Mr. Hall Maxwell, the secretary of the 

 society, to whose indefatigable exertions the success which has 

 hitherto attended it is mainly due, have observed with much 

 regret that the requirements of Government from that gentle- 

 man have been such as to render the withdrawal of his services, 

 and the consequent dissolution of the Highland and Agricul- 

 tural Society's connection with the statistical inquiry neces- 

 sary. " 



" 3. That the meeting, referring to the growing interest 

 taken in the agricultural reports, are satisfied that the measures 

 adopted by Mr. Hall Maxwell for collecting the statistics — 

 embracing as they do popularity, correctness, and economy- 

 have obtained the greatest confidence among all classes con- 

 nected with the inquiry, and produced a mass of such accurate 

 and valuable information as could not otherwise have been 

 readily procured." 



" 4. That the meeting having felt the utmost satisfaction in 

 co-operating with Mr. Hall Maxwell in preparing the statistics 

 during the last four years, though the employment as enu- 

 merators and members of committee was altogether unsoli- 

 cited on their part, trust that matters may yet be arranged so 

 as not to deprive the country of a system so thoroughly or- 

 ganized, and which, though apparently of an inquisitorial 

 nature, has never been felt as such." 



" 5. That the Chairman be instructed to forward these reso- 

 lutions to the Highland and Agricultural Society, and to send 

 copies thereof to the Lords-lieutenant of Aberdeen, Banff, and 

 Morayshires, to the Members of Parliament for these counties 

 and burghs' connected therewith, to the Right Honourable 

 Lord Kinnaird, and to Sir James H. D. Elphinstone, of Logie 

 Elphinstone, M.P." Jas. Geddes, Chairman. 



NORFOLK AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.— lu conse- 

 quence of the decision arrived at by the late annual meeting 

 with regard to the reserved fund, the premiums in all classes 

 have been augmented to the extent of about £40. The classes 

 of pigs are to be divided into the large and small breed. A 

 new prize is to be offered for the best dairy cow of any breed, 

 not being a Shorthorn, Devon, or polled cost. The money 

 prizes for implements are to be given to collections instead of 

 single implements. And medals will be awarded to newly- 

 invented or recently-improved implements. The annual exhi- 

 bition will, it is expected, be held at Norwich, Friday, June 18. 



