THE FARMER'S MAGAZIiNE. 



67 



first consideration of tliis clay's discussion, whether fixed 

 or locomotive engines are most desirable ; and, having 

 been in the habit of using both for several years, I will 

 as briefly as possible lay my experience before you. In 

 the year 1840 I commenced farming an area of about 

 30O acres, land subsequently increased to 450 acres. 

 The steading principally required rebuilding, which I 

 arranged as conveniently as possible for machinery, to be 

 worked by a six-horse wheel, capable of propelling 

 thrashing-machine, linseed- crusher, a pair of stones, 

 chaff-cutter, and cake-breaker, the cost being i;iG5. 



No. I. 

 Cost or Work Pekfokmkd— Thrashing. 



£ s. d. 



By 3 pair of horses, at 53 15 



4 mta aud 2 boys Oil 



Ditto half a day dressing', aud blowing 



twice over, and carrying away ...... 6 3 



£1 12 .3 

 Quantity per day 18 qvj. ; or, manual labour Is. perqr. ; 

 horse labour lOd. ditto. 



Chopping 9 tons Hay and Straw per day. 



2 pair of horses, at 53 £0 10 



Manual labour, 2 meu and 2 boys . . 6 



£0 16 

 Or Is. 9fd. per tou. 

 Bruising Oats, &c. 



2 pair of horses £0 10 



Manual labour, 1 man aud 1 boy . . 3 



£0 13 

 Or 8Jd. per qr. 2 qrs. per hour. 



Total Cost or Work performed during the Year 

 BY Horse Power on the Farm. 

 400 acres arable land, producing — 



100 acres wheat, at 4^ qrs. per acre .. 450 qrs. 

 80 acres spring corn, equal to 450 ,, 



900 „ 



£ 8. d. 



900 qrs, at Is. lOd. perqr 82 10 



180 tons hay and straw chopped, at Is. 9^d. per ton 16 6 3 



Bruising 400 qrs. oats and barley, at 8J{d. per qr. 14 3 4 

 Depreciation in wear and tear of machinery, at 



lOpercent 16 10 



Total annual cost by horse power .... £129 9 7 

 In 1846 I succeeded to another farm of similar area 

 and quality of land. The inconvenience I had suffered 

 during the spring and autumn in having to break off 

 from sowing corn, planting and lifting potatoes, to 

 thrash and chop, convinced me that the substitution of 

 steam for horse-power to carry out these operations 

 would be ultimately advantageous, if even no saving in 

 a pecuniary point of view was effected. The proprietor 

 gave me materials for altering the barn, building the 

 engine-house, chimney, &c., on the understanding that I 

 discharged the labour connected therewith. The outlay 

 stood thus : 

 Labour Bill for building engine-house, chimney,"] 



alteration of barn aad chop-house, aud adding ^ £100 

 mill house. J 



Engine lO-iu. cyliudtr, 12iu. crank, 2-ft. stroke"] 



at SOlbs. pressure, T-horse power boiler, and I nin 

 shafting, all fixed complete, but safe to use at f 

 eOlbs. J 



Thrashing machine and chopper, pair stones, cake 1 ■■ „(- 

 breaker, linseed crusher, aud saw table. J 



Total outlay £495 



WORK performed. 



I find the most economical plan is to thrash one-half 

 of the day ; the other half to chop, grind or crush 

 horse-corn, aud break cake. By adopting this principle, 



if the weather is suitable, it gives the farmer the oppor- 

 tunity of having his horses at work at the same time : 

 the only loss sustained is the engine driver's time, half 

 a day. morning's work 



From 6 a.m. to 12 thrashing. 



8. d. 

 Five men 1 Os. 6d„ one boy Is., eugine driver 23. 6d., 



half a day 7 



Coals 6 cwt. 2a. e^d., oil 6d 3 



10 

 Work performed 17 quarters— dressed, weighed, &ii\ ready 

 for market, being 



Manual labour 5d. per qr. 



Fuel aud grease , 2d. „ 



Total 7d. per qr. 



I have thrashed 70 loads, or 26| qrs. within the time 

 named above j but in making the above calculation I have 

 taken an average of years, some seasons the yield being 

 so much greater than others, in proportion to the straw : 

 and I never like the corn to be put too rapidly through 

 the machine, as I find by so doing the straw is not so 

 clean thrashed, and consequently the saving of labour 

 is not true economy. I ought not to omit mentioning 

 that on the warp land districts the quantity of straw in 

 proportion to yield of corn is much greater than the 

 average growth of most other soils. 



afternoon's work, 

 From 1 p.m. to 6 p m., one hour stopping. 



Half a day. s. d. 

 Chopping 2 tons per hour — 2 men 43., 1 boy Is."] 

 Grinding horse corn 2 qrs. per h. r 1 man 28. 6d. I g q 



Or cake-breaking 2 tons per h. | j"f^g°/ gs. 6d. J 



Fuel and grease ^ 



Total 8 



s. d. 



8 tons hay, at 9d 6 



8 qrs. corn, at 3d. 2 



Manual labour at 6d. pet ton cutting, fuel at 3d. per ton 



cutting— total 9d. per ton. 

 Griuding at Hd. per qr., fuel at l^d. per qr.— total 3d. 

 per qr. 



No. II. 

 total cost of work performed by^ fixed steam- 

 power on the farm. 



£ B. d, 



900 qrs. grain at 7d. per qr. fuel aud labour 26 5 

 100 tons hay and 80 tons straw at 9j. do,, 6 15 

 400 qrs. oata and barley bruising at 3d. do.. . 5 



£38 

 Wear and tear of engine on £210 



at five per cent. .. .. 10 10 

 But the actual cost of repairs of 



engine and boiler for 7 years 



vras only £6 5s. per annum, or 



about 3 per cent., as follows : — 

 £ a. d. 



1853-4.. 7 4 9-1 



1855.... 7 5 4 



1856.... 6 2 6l ..(. c 



1857.... 2 10 6 f *■" 



1858.... 2 4 4 



1859.... 12 1 9J 

 Wear and tear of machinery on 



£185, at ten per cent. .. 18 10 



' 29 



Total cost by steam power, exclusive of 



interest on outlay calculated below . . £67 

 Total cost of same work by horse-power, ex- 

 clusive of interest on outlay, calculated 

 below 129 9 7 



Saving effected by fixed tteam power 



.. £62 9 7 

 F 2 



