THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



303 



cwt. ; so that the draught due to the four furrows 

 would appear to bo some 24 cwt., or that of twelve 

 horses. But it must bo borne in mind that a com- 

 parison between an iron swing-plough and ono of the 

 ploughs in this machine cannot bo on equal terms. In 

 experiments with iron ploughs, we have found the 

 draught of the implement along an open furrow (with- 

 out doing any work), and due merely to the weight 

 sledging on the sole, to be frequently 1^ cwt. ; four 

 ploughs thus requiring cwt. to pull them " empty." 

 We once tested the draught of Mr. Fowler's imple- 

 ment, running empty on the land, and found it 3 cwt. : 

 consequently, we deduct 3 cwt. from the 24, on account 

 of the lighter travelling of the implement compared 

 with horse ploughs. Then, it is considered that when a 

 number of plough-bodies are set together in a frame, 

 less power is needed to pull them than to pull as many 

 separate ploughs. This is seen in using the two-furrow 

 plough with three horses, when four horses would be 

 required for two separate ploughs. And Mr. Williams 

 found from some trials of his ploughing-machine, that 

 he saved one horse out of six by doing three furrows 

 at once. AVe will, however, allow, say 1 cwt. more for 

 this advantage : making altogether 20 cwt., or 10 horse 

 draught for Mr. Fowler's implement. The average 

 speed, including the turnings (but neither with this nor 

 with Messrs. Howard's implement, reckoning stoppages 

 for altering, &c.), was at the rate of 3,088 yards per 

 hour. For the sake of comparison, the same pace must 

 be taken in both cases; and 20 cwt., at 3,088 yards 

 per hour, is the same thing as 17 cwt. at 3, GOO yards per 

 hour. Messrs. Howard drew 12 cwt., and Mr. Fowler 

 17 cwt. at the same speed : the former using an 8-horse, 

 the iBtter a lO-horse engine. What then is the 

 cost per day in each case for every cwt. draught of the 

 implement worked ? Messrs. Howard's expenses were 

 estimated by the judges at 46s. 9d. a-day,' being 3s. 

 lOfd. per cwt. We will take the prime cost of Mr. 

 Fowler's machinery at ^"'753, instead of ^650, bring- 

 ing the judge's estimate up to 48s. a-day : being 

 2s. 9fd. per cwt. That is, Mr. Fowler hauled more 

 cheaply than Messrs. Howard by as much as 28 

 per cent. To please Mr. Smith, we will now allow 

 20 per cent, wear and tear on Mr. Fowler's as well as 

 on Messrs. Howard's apparatus: the daily expenses 

 being then 51s. 9d., and the cost per cwt. 3s. Ojd., or 

 22 per cent, lower than Messrs. Howard's. But not 

 choosing to take upon ourselves to impugn the judges' 

 valuation of the relative wear and tear of the two ma- 

 chines, one with a short rope, large grooved-drums, and 

 one pulley, the other with more rope, coiling-drums, 

 and four smaller pulleys, we prefer the former statement 

 of 28 per cent, advantage in Fowler's working. 



Our calculation shows the cost of the potver applied 

 to any implement worked in the same way, by both 

 sets of machinery ; the money value of the tillage 

 done will, of course, depend upon the effectual or im- 

 perfect use which the implement employed may make 

 of the power conveyed to it — that is, the comi>arative 

 excellence of the form of tool, or of the particular pro- 

 cess performed by it. Whatever value was put upon 



Messrs. Howard's work, it is clear that, with a suitable 

 scarifier, Mr. Fowler might have done work worth pre- 

 cisely as much per acre; but, applying the power more 

 economically, he would have accomplished it at 28 per 

 cent, less cost. And on the other hand, Messrs. Howard 

 could have drawn a frame of ploughs, doing work like 

 Mr. Fowler's, only it would have been at greater expense. 

 Now, we have no wish whatever to disparage Mr. 

 Smith's apparatus — very far from it, indeed. It is 

 particularly ingenious, and so valuable — from its 

 simplicity, cheapness, portability, and several other 

 important facilities and advantages — that many 

 farmers are adopting it in various counties ; and 

 there is no doubt that sets of this tackle will be sold by 

 hundreds. But we object to any claim set up for more 

 than is its due. It certainly is to be regretted that the 

 judges at Chester should have been carried off to the 

 thrashing machines just when they were getting into the 

 merits of the steam-plough trials ; and more extended 

 operations might have been conducted, with a view to 

 ascertaining the capability of each machine in three 

 distinct processes — the breaking up of foul land for 

 cleaning, the preparation of lea ground or other clean 

 land for sowing, and deep-working for winter exposure. 

 But as far as the work was done, there is no doubt that 

 the relative importance of these various uses of the im- 

 plements, as well as the economy in working, were duly 

 considered by the judges. And the principle of con- 

 struction may also have had some influence in their 

 adjudication, though of course a minor point compared 

 with economy and effectiveness in actual work. Look 

 for a moment at this matter. Mr. Smith's system of 

 hauling implements appears to have received most of 

 the improvements of which it was originally capable, 

 and we do not see that the expenses of working can be 

 much reduced. The windlass, anchors, implements, &c., 

 are already so simple in construction, that but little 

 reduction seems possible in the prime cost ; but the 

 labour, amounting to 16s. out of the 46s. 9d. per day, 

 may perhaps be diminished 28. 6d. by doing without the 

 windlass-man — thus making the lowest cost per cwt. 

 draught attainable by the system, say 3s. 8d. Mr. 

 Fowler's system we regard as being open to a great 

 diminution in the cost price — as shown by the simpler 

 form of winding-gear attached to an engine fire-box 

 which appeared at Chester, though only tried for a short 

 time in the field ; indeed, the principle of grooved 

 drums connected with an engine self-shifting along the 

 headland is susceptible of innumerable practical appli- 

 cations, and different manufacturers will reproduce it 

 in various forms of machinery. We have no doubt 

 that, with an eight-horse engine, the apparatus will be 

 purchasable for £200 less money than the Chester trial 

 machine, with all its appurtenances, is said to cost. 

 The daily expenses will then be 44s., instead of 48s. ; 

 and as one man at 3s. may also be deducted from the 

 ju.'^Cb' c..ti:nate of labour (excepting in diflScult ground 

 with the largest-sized plough), the cost per cwt. 

 draught would be only 2s. 5d. ; but less work being 

 done by an eight-horse than by a ten-horse engine, we 

 must reckon the cost at somewhat more. Invaluable 



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