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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE 



dug ill the form of an inverted cone ; tlms in most 

 soils a tank of this kind can be built at very small 

 expense ; but in the fev/ instances where this cheap 

 method will not succeed, they can be built at more 

 expense with brick, stone, or wood, and perhaps 

 more cheaply by Fowler's plan of using lime and 

 gravel. 



The plan of building cellars underneath barns is 

 a good one, and we find it is now generally adopted, 

 even where they are intended to be used for no 

 other purpose than keeping manure. When this 

 is done, ample arrangements should be made to 

 allow the ingress and egress of the horses and 

 wagon, so as to be put to no inconvenience about 



removing the dung at any time. When cellars 

 are not provided, sheds can be put up in different 

 parts of the yard where they will be most con- 

 venient. These may be simply built by putting 

 posts in the ground and roofing them with boards, 

 over the joints of which can be nailed a narrow 

 strip or batten : plans for more expensive sheds 

 can be easily procured ; but a still cheaper way to 

 answer the same purpose, is to put crotch posts in 

 the ground, which can be covered with rails, on 

 the upper side of which refuse straw or salt hay 

 can be placed, forming a complete barrier against 

 both sun and rain. Geo, T. Hammond. 



Farmingdule, N. Y. 



A PLAIN FARMER'S VIEWS OF THE NEW THINGS IN AGRICULTURE. 



No. II.— FOWLER'S STEAM PLOUGH. 



To Mr. Fowler undoubtedly belongs the honour of 

 applying effectually the aid of steam as a draught-power 

 in agriculture. The first time I had the pleasure to 

 witness the beneficial application of it, was at the 

 Meeting of the Royal English Agricultural Society at 

 Lincoln, in 1854. There Mr. Fowler had one of Clay- 

 ton and Shuttleworth's six-horse power engines, sta- 

 tioned upon the hill-side near the top of the field. 

 V\'ith this light power he was executing drainage- 

 work, in the lower end of the field, requiring the 

 nnited strength of 180 horses; the clay being so 

 tenacious, and the dejith so great (4| ft.), as to require 

 nearly all tliis power to drag along his far-famed 

 draining-plough at a pace not exceeding eight yards 

 per minute. I am speaking from recollection only, 

 liaving no data before me but this : I remember that 

 Mr. Fowler himself gave me this information. From 

 this splendid exhibition of power originated the 

 modern idea of cultivation by steam-power, by the aid 

 of wire-ropes and anchorages. Boydell's endless rail- 

 way engine, or steam-horse, speedily followed. 



I shall, in this paper, confine myself to Fowler's steam 

 plough, as exhibited on a late occasion. The engine is 

 of eight-horse power, and is placed on the headland : 

 to it is attached the windlass, j ust as a horse is attached 

 to a cart by a pair of shafts. The engine is between 

 the shafts, and, by an anchorage and wire-rope fixed 

 a-head, the whole is drawn or propelled forward as the 

 ploughing proceeds. On the corresponding headland, 

 on the opposite side of the field, is placed one of 

 Worby's patent anchorages, which also, by a clever 

 arrangement, moves forward as the work goes on. 

 Between these two the ploughing proceeds, being 

 drawn by a wirc-ropo attached to the windlass and 

 anchorage respectively and borne up by small rollers 

 on wheels, to prevent or lessen friction. The plough 

 itself consists of a long frame of wood, upon which are 

 affixed two sets of plough-bodies, complete for work, 

 and contrived to plough upon the turnwrest principle; 

 the shares pointing opposite ways, and balanced upon a 



pair of rather large wheels, which carries one set up 

 above the soil while the other is in work. Upon 

 reaching the end of the furrow the plough is partly 

 shunted towards the next breadth of plough-work, the 

 other set of plough bodies are let down, the correspond- 

 ing set taken up ; the plough is then guided into the 

 work as the draught again commences. The ploughman 

 who rides upon the frame directly brings the shares to 

 their proper place, and guides them into and in regular 

 work with great accuracy, by a wheel attached to a 

 screw, which alters the '•' lock" of the travelling wheels. 

 The whole of the furrow-slices lie one way, and in 

 general are very straight and of proper inclination. 

 The pace travelled is considerably faster than by horses 

 (about 3 J miles per hour), consequently the work looks 

 a little rough and is more broken, in fact is partially 

 pulverized; but, notwithstanding, it is very creditably 

 performed, "business-like," and of great and uniform 

 depth, such as is seldom i-eached and left by the com- 

 mon plough, and therefore is in a better state for the 

 subsequent tillage or harrowing, and also for the pro- 

 duction of heavier crops, either of corn or roots. Mr. 

 F. has made great advances since his first commence- 

 ment. The independent shifting of the engine along 

 the headland, the arrangement for carrying the wind- 

 lass along with it, the position of the wire ropes, and the 

 simplicity and perfection of the anchorages being pro- 

 minent improvements. The anchorage is a clever and 

 simple contrivance, consisting of a little waggon run- 

 ning upon large wheel coulters, similar to those used 

 in the fen countries; these cut deeply into the soil, and 

 prevent its turning over or making any movement 

 toward the engine from the strain. The pulley, or rope 

 wheel, is fixed beneath; and the wheel gearing above, 

 woi'kcd by this pulley, causes the anchorage to pass 

 along the headland. To give it additional firmness it 

 is generally loaded with soils, stones, &c. Mr. Fowler 

 has also made the highly important addition of 

 scarifier tines. The mould-boards can be removed, 

 and these tines attached ; or the whole ploughing 

 apparatus may be removed, and any other implement 



