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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



maining four-horse power represents the force absorbed 

 ia overcoming the friction and resistance of the moving 

 parts in the engine and winding apparatus, in shifting 

 forward the anchorage, etc. 



As to the extent of land ploughed per hour, no satis- 

 factory data could be obtained, owing to the frequent 

 stoppages incidental to first trials of machinery. Thus, 

 in 2J hours, more than 40 minutes were entirely lost. 

 Time was also wasted in reversing the gear of the wind- 

 lass, partly from a misarrangement of one of the move- 

 ments, partly from the novelty of the machine to the 

 workmen, and partly from the hindrance of bystanders. 

 The average time of 22 " changings at the ends" was 

 H minutes, but was sometimes effected in 1 minute, 

 thus making a loss of 11 minutes. Again, the engine 

 and windlass were not shifted forward whilst the 

 plough was in motion (as might very well have been 

 done) ; and there were 5 shiftings, taking up 4 minutes 

 each time, or 3 minutes longer than the simple revers- 

 ing of gear required ; thus losing 15 minutes more. 

 Thus we have, in 2 hours 46 minutes, no less than 66 

 minutes which may be considered as unnecessarily 

 wasted. In the 1 hour 40 minutes really necessary to 

 be occupied in the work, the area ploughed was only 3 

 roods 28 perches, or 5j acres per day of 10 hours. 

 Had the ploughs been sharp and in good order, a con- 

 siderably greater breadth would have been turned over. 



The foregoing figures cannot be regarded as more 

 than approximations to correctness ; but, in the ab- 

 sence of proper large dynamometers (which the 

 R.A.S.E. might, but do not seem inclined to, use in 

 testing steam cultivators), they are the best obtainable 

 on the occasion, and are useful items of information, as 

 far as they go. The expenses we will not enter upon 

 until a better trial gives us another opportunity for 

 investigation. 



There were many hundreds of persons present to 

 view the operations (a charge for admission to the field 

 being made by the Society, to defray the heavy ex- 

 penses) ; and the universal opinion appeared to be that, 

 when this new machinery got into right working, land 

 would be well and economically ploughed on this prin- 

 ciple. 



Hansom's patent revolving potato-digger gave great 

 satisfaction, also a wheat and general crop horse-hoe, 

 with a movement for instantaneously altering the dip 

 of the hoe-shares ; and a set of iron seed-harrows, in- 

 vented and manufactured by Mr. Garner, of Spalding ; 

 a ten-horse engine, by Ruston, Proctor, and Co., of 

 Lincoln; an eight-horse engine, by Tuxford and Sons, 

 of Boston; Coleman's cultivator; Ransome's pony- 

 plough, of exceedingly light draught; Thornsby's 

 drill, etc., etc., attracted considerable notice ; these and 

 other implements being all exhibited at work. 



The ploughing match was unusually large ; and there 

 was good competition in most of the numerous 

 "classes" for premiums to labourers. 



The dinner took place at the Bull lun, Long Sutton. 

 George Preat, Esq., of Sutton Bridge, took the chair, sup- 

 ported by A. Wilson, Esq., M.P. ; W. Skelton, Esq., Sutton 



Bridge; K. Rausome, Esq., Ip-iwicli; Kev. H. Lee Bennetr, 

 Lutton; R. Caparn, Esq., Holbeach; J. Algernon Clarke, 

 Esq., Long Sutton ; Mr. Fowler, &c. Thos. Peel, Esq., of 

 Long Sutton, presided at the second table. Mr. John Clarke 

 and Mr. John Swain officiated as vice-chairmen. 



After the usual toasts, Mr. J. A. Clarice rose to 

 propose " Success to Steam Cultivation aud Mr. John 

 Fowler." He said they must all feel in these times that 

 there was a great demand for something new. The minds 

 of men, as well as their physical energies, were taxed to 

 produce something new. Now that day they had had it. 

 Hejdid not allude to the dinner — that was nothing new; 

 but he alluded of course to the steam plough. They had 

 a gentlemau there on that occasion — Mr. John Fowler — of 

 whom he should say more if he were not present, but who, he 

 was sorry to [add, would be obliged to leave them in a very 

 few minutes ; and he was sure they must all wish to hear 

 from that gentleman's own lips some of the results of his en- 

 terprise and exertions in bringing steam-power to bear upon 

 the cultivation of the soil. Before sitting down, however, he 

 (Mr. Clarke), as one of the judges, might be permitted to say 

 that the experiments they had made that day in regard to 

 weighing coal, measuring land, taking the time of work, &c., 

 in connection with the steam-plough, had been impeded by the 

 novelty of the apparatus. That being the first day of the 

 trial of the machine, the observations of the judges were so 

 obstructed that he did not feel called upon to state the results 

 at which they arrived ; in fact, those results were valueless. 

 But they had all observed that the plough advanced at the 

 rate of two-and-a-half miles per hour ; that it had taken three 

 10-iiich furrows, and could have taken four if the machinery 

 had been in proper order; and that it had gone 6 or 6^ inches 

 deep. He could not say that the work had bien done well; 

 but at the same time they must all see that had the implement 

 been in proper order, there was great power aud capability iu 

 it. And he was sure they would all believe him when he said 

 that at Uppingham last week he saw ploughing done by steam 

 in the most beautiful manner, aud it was done at the rate of 

 one acre in one hour. It was not the same implement that 

 was used on that occasion, but one upon the same priuciple. 

 As Mr. Fowler had only a minute or two to stay, he gladly 

 sat down to make way for him. The toast was drunk with 

 great enthusiasm. 



Mr. Fowler said it gave him great pleasure to have to 

 respond to the toast last given. He believed it was the first 

 time such a toast had been proposed at any agricultural meet- 

 ing. " Success to Ploughing" had often been proposed ; " Suc- 

 cess to Agriculture" was a common toast ; but " Success to 

 Steam Cultivation " was a recognition of the principle of steam 

 cultivation. It gave him additional pleasure to respond to the 

 toast because he felt that it was not by any means personal. 

 He had done something, and he hoped considerable, towards 

 solving this great problem ; but he had many co-workers and 

 assistants iu that direction. There were some whom many 

 would consider rivals, but he regarded them as co-workers, 

 who were equally interested in the toast with himself—Mr. 

 Boydell, Messrs. Crosskill, and others. Three or four of them 

 were all endeavouring, to the best of their ability, each in his 

 own way, to solve this great problem. That its solutiou was 

 close at hand he had no hesitation in saying was his full belief. 

 The result of that day's trial was pretty much the same as if 

 they were to take a new engine of the best principle, and set it 

 on the first day it left the workshop to run an express train 

 from London to Manchester; the train would be sure to be late 

 at its destination. So it had been with the steam-plough that 

 day. The machine had been made within a fortnight, and it 



