THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



41 



Having thus given our opinion of the work performed, 

 in which respect we consider the trial to have been suc- 

 cessful, we have the less pleasing, but not less necessary- 

 task of stating what, according to our views, are the 

 most apparent defects of the machine. These are chiefly 

 confined to the mode of traction, which, as applied 

 when we saw it, appeared irregular and confused, ren- 

 dering the ploughs very liable to be thrown out of their 

 work. It struck us that this was chiefly owing to the 

 distance between the tractive power and the plough ; or, 

 in other words, the length of the traction -chain, which 

 increases both the difficulty of holding the plough and 

 the irregularity of its movement. In common plough- 

 ing with horses, it is considered that the nearer the 

 plough is to the motive power the steadier and more 

 regularly it works ; on the principle that the segment of 

 a small circle is under more complete control than that 

 of a large one, the gyrations of which, too, are wider 

 when a disturbance takes place. 



Another inconvenience, arising we apprehend from 

 the same cause, is the great strain upon the men holding 

 the ploughs. This on such a soil as that of Wimbish 

 Hall Farm must very soon exhaust their strength. And 

 besides, the chains approaching so near each other are 

 liable to get entangled, whilst the men find it very diffi- 

 cult to keep clear of them and avoid an accident. They 

 certainly ought to have nothing to think of but the work 

 before them, which, with a machine of such power, re- 

 quires undivided attention ; and this cannot be given with 

 the chains in such close proximity to the legs of the 

 ploughmen, as was the case on Wednesday. Possibly 

 this objection may be in some respect modified with 

 the double ploughs, which allow more space between 

 each chain. But the former objection holds equally 

 good with them as with the single plough, being at the 

 same time, of double the importance in regard to delay. 



The Endless Railway, unsightly though it be, per- 

 formed its task with perfect efficiency, and conveyed the 



eight or fen tons' weight over the land, without any 

 material indentation to mark its pressure. The steam 

 engine was of ten- horse power ; but with a pressure of 

 701bs. is equal to thirteen-horse. This allowed four ahd 

 one-third horse power to each plough ; though it was 

 the opinion of some of the farmers that it would have 

 required five or six horses to have drawn a furrow of 

 the same width and depth on the same land. The 

 engine consumes about 10 cwt. of coals per day, when 

 at full work; and the engineer calculated that it would 

 turn over eight acres of such land as that of "Wimbish 

 Hall Farm, in the same time. 



On the whole, we consider the trial to have been a 

 perfectly successful one, and that it demonstrates to a 

 certainty, the applicability of steam, as a motive power, 

 to the cultivation of the land. Boydell's machine had 

 already been tried with success at Chelmsford, Thetford, 

 and other places, upon soil both of a kinder and lighter 

 texture, and that had also been previously under proper 

 cultivation. At Thetford, as we understand, with six 

 ploughs, it turned over 20 acres per day ; and had the 

 whole power of the engine been applied, it would have 

 completed 30 acres. It only wanted a trial on such soil 

 as that at Wimbish Hall to complete the series. We 

 consider that and the Thetford soil as the two extremes 

 of light and heavy land, after cultivating which, with 

 success, no doubt can be entertained of the machine 

 working well upon soils of intermediate texture. 



Whatever defects therefore the machine may exhibit 

 in this its infancy, they may scarcely interfere with the 

 question at issue ; as they will undoubtedly be rectified 

 as experience points them out. Certainly we have ad- 

 vanced far enough already to be assured that steam- 

 ploughing is perfectly practicable. And with so many 

 mechanical heads at work on the subject, we confidently 

 expect, ere long, to see a perfect and simplified machine, 

 applicable to all soils, and at least as economical as 

 horse-power. 



THE AVAILABLE SUBSTITUTES FOR GUANO. 



What shall we do for guano ? We have endeavoured 

 to answer this question in previous articles, by reference 

 to the vast quantities of phosphates and ammonia now 

 wasted at home in the sewage of towns, while we are 

 importing those precious substances from the other side 

 of the globe ; and we have endeavoured to draw atten- 

 tion to the resources afforded in small quantities by 

 our hen-roosts, and in larger quantities by our pig- 

 geries. With reference to the former tliere is one argu- 

 ment which we omitted, and to which we beg leave to 

 refer — it is this : poultry is not kept, because it is not so 

 remunerative as sheep, oxen, and pigs. Bullocks, 

 however, are often kfpt when they are avowedly not 

 remunerative, except with reference to the manui-e they 

 make. They do not furnish drill manure. If manures 

 in that form arc essential to the present system of farm- 

 ing, might it not answer to keep a stock of poultry 

 merely for their manure 1 Turkeys are reared in large 



quantities in Norfolk. They are reared by the cottager 

 and small farmers, for there are still small farmers on 

 the clay districts of Norfolk. They are purchased just 

 before harvest by the large farmers, to consume the 

 shuck, as it is called, or shed corn, in the stubbles, 

 forwhich they are considered to make better returns than 

 pigs. At a later period of the year they are transferred 

 to what may be called the " turkey merchants," who 

 finish them for the London market. Till lately there were 

 whole fields of these turkeys to be seen at certain seasons 

 of the year near Norwich, where they were kept by a 

 dealer till they were ready for market. The stench aris- 

 ing from the guano which they made was so great, that 

 under the Health of Towns Act the turkeys have been 

 banished, as a nuisance, to a greater distance. What the 

 effect of the manure on the land was we have not heard 

 — probably it was the same as that observable on some 

 fieldsneartowns on which fairs are held — the landisover- 



