66 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



and much largei' pei'-centage of flesh-forming- matters 

 than linseed cake ; and it is therefore proper to give to 

 young stock and milch cows. The dung also is very 

 valuable. 4th. — lu comparison with linseed there is 

 much less mucilage and other respiratory matter in 

 cotton cake. This is compensated by the larger amount 



of oil. 3th. — The proportion of indigestible woody 

 fibre in decorticated cotton cake is very small, and not 

 larger than in the best linseed cake. Gth^ and lastly. 

 — It may be observed that the ash of cotton cake is 

 rich in bony materials, and amounts to about the same 

 quantity as is contained in other oily cakes." 



LONDON, OR CENTRAL FARMERS' CLUB. 

 STEAM POWER IN AGRICULTURE. 



The last monthly meeting of the Club for the season 

 took place on Monday evening, June 4th. — Mr. L. A. 

 Coussmaker, in the chair. There were also present 

 Messrs. Owen Wallis, B. P. Shearer, John Thomas, H. 

 Trethewy, W. Fisher Hobbs, W. Shaw, C. Howard, W. 

 Smith (Woolston), S. Skelton, E. Little, James Thomas, 

 J. A. Williams, James Howard, J. Bradshaw, C. T. 

 Brickwell, Pike, J. Parkinson, G. Wilsher, J. B. 

 Spearing, James Wood, H. Shotter, T. Congreve, R. 

 Goldhawk, T. F. Wilson, J. Cressingham, J. Wood 

 (Croydon), W. Eve, S. Sidney, Lay, Marsh, Fidler, 

 Copeland, Hooker, Palgrave, &c. 



The subject for discussion, standing in the name of 

 Mr. J. Wells, of Booth Ferry House, Howden, was : — 

 " To what extent is the Farmer benefited by the Sub- 

 stitution of Steam Power for Horse and Manual 

 Labour.'" 



The Chairman, in opening the proceedings, said 

 the subject before them was one to which public atten- 

 tion had of late been a good deal directed. They had 

 nothing to do with the question what steam power had 

 done for manufactures, or with the improvements which 

 it had made in the communications of the country by 

 sea and land. They had to consider the subject simply 

 in reference to agriculture. There could be no doubt 

 that steam power had to a certain extent benefited the 

 farmer already ; for example, as regarded thrashing, 

 chafF-cutting, and other processes of that kind ; but 

 what they wanted was to ascertain how far it was appli- 

 cable to the cultivation of the soil. Mr. Fowler, Mr. 

 Smith, and other gentlemen, had devoted considerable 

 attention to the devising of methods of applying steam 

 to that purpose ; and the subject would be introduced 

 that evening by a gentleman who had, he believed, ap- 

 plied steam power on his farm to a considerable extent, 

 and who was no doubt in a position to supply them with 

 useful information. He was happy to say that they had 

 among them on that occasion Mr. Smith, of Woolston. 

 A short time ago a deputation from this Committee 

 visited that gentleman's farm, and saw steam cultivation 

 carried out practically, and, as he trusted, profitably ; 

 and he hoped that gentleman would address them in the 

 course of the evening. The deputation did not see the 

 steam-engine at work, but they walked over the farm, 

 and found the system pursued to be most efficacious. 

 As a member of the deputation, he must say that he 

 never saw land better broken up in his life (Hear, hear). 



Mr. Wells then said : Mr. Chairman and Gentle- 

 men, in compUance with the wish expressed by some 



of the members of this Club at the close of the last ses- 

 sion, I offered to the Committee appointed for the selec- 

 tion of subjects for discussion during the present year to 

 read a paper on steam power, so far as regards " the 

 benefit the farmer has derived by its substitution for 

 manual and horse labour," and also as to " the expe- 

 diency of having any portion of such power stationary." 

 This latter part of the subject does not appear on the 

 card ; the reason why, I must leave the Secretary to ex- 

 plain, as I have long considered the part omitted was 

 per se a point of great importance. I should not have 

 alluded to the omission, but I hold it to be essential in 

 all subjects brought forward for discussion that the in- 

 troducer should, as far as lies in his power, confine his 

 arguments within the limits of the title of his paper. 

 The advantages to be derived by the use of steam in 

 agriculture have recently been so fully detailed to the 

 members of this society by Mr. Mechi, that any com. 

 ment from me on that ground alo7ie would be ii waste of 

 your time, had there not been in some portions of that 

 gentleman's able paper a little too much stress laid on 

 the theoretical, and rather too stringent a condemnation 

 of my brother-farmers for not having more generally 

 adopted the views propounded by him on that occasion. 

 I am aware, from many years' experience, that in the 

 introduction of all novel appliances the greatest difficulty 

 to combat is prejudice ; but the innovator (if I may so 

 term the spirited farmer who is determined to test fairly 

 the different systems brought forward for improved 

 agriculture) ought to be very careful that he does not 

 fall into the error he is guilty of ascribing fo others. I 

 feel convinced, and the practical assemblage I now see 

 before me will bear out my assertion, that what is an 

 improvement and a saving on some soils, and in some 

 districts, proves of little or no avail in others ; and, 

 therefore, in laying down any new system, soil, climate 

 locality, nature of tenure, buildings, &c., should be 

 taken into account before condemnation is passed upon 

 those who hesitate to adopt any of the various agricul- 

 tural opinions which of late years have been so plenti- 

 fully advanced. Steam power a few years ago was con- 

 fined in agricultural operations to thrashing out the 

 produce of the farm, cutting hay and straw, bruising 

 horse and pig corn, and sawing refuse of timber ; and 

 even in those works only very partially employed until 

 the locomotive was introduced. Where fixed machinery 

 propelled by horse power indeed now exists, we find that 

 mode of making the produce ready for market to be the 

 exception rather than the rule. This leads rae to the 



