510 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



plough, some £770, would scarcely buy horses enough 

 to turn over the same extent of land per day ; and it 

 would be ruin to the farmer to feed such a team when 

 the season of work had passed over. But the steam- 

 plough, as a means of hastening our tillage during 

 proper weather, or in a catching time, brings us inde- 

 pendence, and certainly without any such accompany- 

 ing sacrifice or outlay. Upon the value of the machi- 

 nery upon a clay soil, where horses injure by tramp- 

 ling, and for performing a deeper and more fertilizing 

 order of work than is at present practised, we shall not 

 now dwell. 



We conclude with some remarks on the judgment 

 pronounced by the North British Agriculturist upon 

 Mr. Fowler's invention. 



Passing over some slight inaccuracies of description, 

 take the following : " The wear of a wire-rope coming 

 in contact with a soil on which are loose stones or flints, 

 is so great that the expense involving a I'enewal of the 

 rope may be considered as fatal to the economical ap- 

 plication of this system of steam-ploughing." But we 

 cannot so easily concur in this oflP-hand abandonment 

 of the rope-and-windlass system ; seeing that this wear 

 is confined to, at most, one-fourth the length of rope, 

 as it follows the implement " slack," and hanging down 

 between the rope-carriers, Mr. Fowler having had 

 long and extended experience of wire-rope for the 

 drainage implement, as well as the plough, considers 

 that it will last over thousands of acres, and that the 

 sum we allow for " tear and wear" includes the renewal 

 of rope ; and Mr. Smith's arrangement of tackle is also 

 being employed, without fear on this head, by many 

 well-satisfied farmers. Our contemporary comforts us 

 by declaring that, "if by any process loire ropes could 

 be formed of material on ivhick stones could not act, 

 there would be a probability, amounting almost to 

 certainty, of a partial adoption of Fowler's principle to 

 the cultivation of the soil." He tells us that "the 

 Marquis of Tweeddale's and Lord Willoughby d'Eresby's 

 experiments with stationary engines and wire-rope 

 moving the frame-plough proved the system to be in- 

 applicable, from the great tear and wear; and 

 Fowler's method is only a fuller development of the 

 principle first adopted by the Marquis of Tweeddale, 

 and afterwards by Lord Willoughby." It so happens 

 that Lord Willoughby used chain instead of rope • and 

 as for the experiments of the Marquis, we wish our 

 contemporary would favour us with a description of 

 the apparatus, and the expenses and results of workino- 

 it. We have an impression that the ploughin"- was 

 effected at less cost than by horses, but that the machi- 

 nery was defective in some of its details. Mr. Fowler's 

 " fuller development" may have just overcome all that 

 the noble Marquis failed in ; and respecting the " first 

 adoption of the principle," we suppose Mr. Heathcote 

 and Mr. Parkes were its progenitors more than 20 

 years ago. 



Our contemporary thinks that the steam-plough was 

 all very well on the alluvial flat at Stirling ; but doubts 

 its " applicability to ordinary soils and situations." 

 For the safety of the tubular boiler, the engine requires 



to move forward almost on a level ; otherwise (as our 

 contemporary expresses it), " the pipes are liable to 

 burn, generally followed by an explosion when the 

 water returns to the red-hot pipes." And if such level 

 lands are scarce, so also are fields free from " the in- 

 surmountable barrier" of loose stones. But let him 

 remember that the clays and great corn districts of 

 England, as well as tracts north of the Tweed, most in 

 need of good tillage, are precisely the levellest and 

 least stony; and besides, the engine can be adjusted to 

 travel on very considerable inclines. 



He says, " From the general applicability of the 

 situation for the exhibition, a very strong feeling in 

 favour of the plough was evinced j" naively adding, 

 " this was almost a necessary result, as the ploughing 

 was well executed, both as to regularity of depth and 

 width, straightness of furrow, &c., hei?ig what only 

 expert ploughmen with good horses could have exe- 

 cuted." The report of the judges, he expects, will bo 

 " favourable. Whether the judges will recommend 

 the awarding of a sum to Mr. Fowler for his appear- 

 ance in the trial field, or whether they will report that 

 the conditions of the premium have been fulfilled, re- 

 mains to be seen. The latter result, however, we do 

 not anticipate.'''' 



The " conditions," we suppose, are that the machi- 

 nery shall be a " successful application" of steam (or 

 water) power to ploughing or digging : our readers are 

 able to judge whether or not Mr. Fowler is entitled to 

 the prize. 



The most satisfactory commentary, however, on the 

 trial at Stirling has reached us since this paper was 

 written. Subjoined we give a letter from Mr. Hall 

 Maxwell, announcing that the conditions have been 

 fulfilled, and that the Highland "Society has awarded 

 its full premium to Fowler's plough. 



THE STEAM-PLOUGH TRIAL AT 

 STIRLING. 



Sir, — We have this afternoon resolved to award our 

 premium of £200 to Mr. Fowler for his steam plough ; 

 and as he seems to attach importance to the immediate 

 publication of this award, I have sent a short telegraphic 

 message to you communicating it. We may not hold 

 that Mr. Fowler's machine is faultless or complete ; but 

 it did its work in such a manner as to entitle him to all 

 the encouragement and reward our premium can confer. 

 The report will appear in our January Transactions. 

 Yours truly, J, Hall Maxwell. 



Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, 



6, Albyn-plaee, Edinburgh, Nov. 6, 1857. 



