392 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



Instead of having five tines, it has however only two, 

 these being at the end of the frame near the stilts ; the 

 two front ones and the central tine are removed, and a 

 share with a double mould-board substituted ; a 

 coulter is fixed in the frame, and precedes the mould, 

 boards, as in the ordinary ploughs. The arrangement 

 stands thus ; 



A« ©B 



c 



a h the two tines, c d the double mould-board ploughs 

 e the coulter. The ends of the framing near the stilts 

 support two pedestals or plummet blocks ; these carry a 

 cross shaft, worked by a lever handle (a) at its outer 

 extremity. Outside the pedestals two levers fd c) are 

 keyed on to the cross shafts these carrying wheels 

 at their outer extremities. These wheels are used to 

 raise the plough off the ground at the end of the bout. 

 The lever handle faj being raised towards the attendant, 

 this depresses the outer end of the levers (d cj, and 

 brings the wheels connected with them in contact with 

 the ground, raising the plough, and making it rest upon 

 them. This steam-plough is stated to be a useful im- 

 plement for autumn cultivation. The tines Ca h) are 

 set to penetrate the soil some four or five inches deeper 

 than the share (c d) which precedes them. The opera- 

 tion of the plough trenches the land, subsoils it, and 

 lays it up dry for the winter. 



The subsoil plough used by Mr. Smith consists of a 

 strong iron beam, with guide wheel in front, and two 

 stilts or handles at equal angles at the other end ; near 

 the handles a central tioe is fixed in the beam, and which 

 is capable of entering the soil to a depth of twenty- 

 two inches. It is used in conjunction with the plough 

 described above, this forming the trenches, and the sub- 

 soil plough subsoiliiig between the ridges. It is also 

 adapted to " cut the land ia slices fifteen or twenty 

 inches wide, to admit the air and let off the water to the 

 drains, on land that has been trodden by sheep when 

 eating off turnips." 



Mr. Smith gives an estimate of the cost of breaking 

 up thirty acres, three fields of bean and pea-stubbles, 

 as follows : 



£ s. D. 



2 men at 38. 6d. per day (6 days) 2 2 



4 men at 23. 6d. per day (6 days) 3 



1 boy at 1 8. per d»y (C days) G 



1 boy at Gi. per day (G days). 3 



Coala,45cwt 118 3 



Od 5 9 



£7 15 

 being at the rate of ."is. 2d. per acre. The judges of 

 the trials at Chester give, in their Report to the Council, 

 the following estimate of the 



DAILY WORKING EXPENSES. 



£ S. D. 



Engineer 5 



Four men iu field 10 



Boy 10 



Water-cart 5 



Removal 4 



Coals.lOcwt 10 



Oil, &c 1 



luterest 5 per cent., wear and tear 20 per cent."] 



on first cost (£430) ; taking 200 as chc num- I 10 9 



ber of working days per year J 



£2 6 9 



The operation at the trial field on Mr. Smith's plan 

 was two-fold — first going over the land with the 

 three-tined cultivator which we have described in this 

 article ; penetrating the soil to a depth of six to seven 

 inches, tearinff it up, yet leaving the surface in some- 

 what its normal position ; then crossing this with a five- 

 tined cultivator — already described — which reverses the 

 top soil, leaving the surface rough and irregular, to 

 be exposed to atmospheric action. The amount of 

 work completed by the two operations was equal to 

 about five acres, this taking 15 hours, or at the rate of 

 3o acres per day. Taking the estimate of daily ex- 

 penses as above stated, this gives the cost per acre at 

 14s. The same done by horse-power — which would 

 involve three distinct operations— would cost not less 

 than 18s. fid. per acre. 



It now remains, under this department of our papers, 

 to notice the fourth plan which was entered to compete 

 for the steam-culture prize, this being the "rotary 

 cultivator" of jNIr. Rickett, of Castle Foundry, Buck- 

 ingham. This invention consists of two principal parts — 

 the revolving cultivating-implement, and the locomotive- 

 engine which drives it ; the direction of motion of the 

 cultivator being the same as that of the engine, as it tra- 

 verses the land to be cultivated. 



The " cultivator" consists of a long horizontal shaft 

 (a), revolving in bearings at the ends of radial links, the 

 other extremities of which are connected with the engine. 

 The shaft («), when in use, works nearly in contact with 

 the ground, the distance being regulated by an adjusting 

 screw and link, worked by small bevil gearing within 

 easy reach of the engine-driver. The tines (i) are ar- 

 ranged round the shaft {n) in such a manner that they 

 enter the soil in succession as the shaft revolves, the 

 wliole presenting the appearance of twisted beads or 

 screws. The form of the cutters varies according to the 

 nature of the work required to be performed. The 

 direction of motion of the cutters, and the progressive 

 motion of the engine across the field, being the same, 

 the cutter enters the soil from below, working upwards 

 to the surface. The outer edge of each cutter enters the 

 soil at a point behind the axis of motion ; and in conse- 

 quence of the onward motion of the shaft — through the 

 medium of the engine — it rises out of the soil at a point 

 considerably in advance of it. This arrangement enables 

 the cutters to remove a considerable portion of the soil 

 to be moved, by a tearing-asundor motion, rather tlian 

 by compression, as usually adopted in plans for rotary 

 cultivation. 



Tiie shaft («) receives motion by means of !i chain 



