THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



531 



niiiy bo worked by tho same frame. Any ordinary 

 portable engine can work the windlass (when on its 

 own wheels) without any alteration of the engine. 

 The cost of working is now considerably reduced; 

 there are no snatch-blocks ; the engine-windlass and 

 anchorage all move in corresponding unison along 

 their respective headlands; the wire-rope only passes 

 around one large pulley, thus requiring a much less 

 quantity of rope; and the working jiarts are fewer and 

 simpler, being the result of careful experiments. With 

 all these advantageous additions, I have no doubt they 

 will be able to perform most of the heaviest and hardest 

 field-labour with greater care and usefulness, and 

 cheaper than by horse-power. Tho deep-trenching 

 or subsoiling, for instance, performed by Fowler's 

 ploughs, cannot bo done by horses in the effective way 

 he does it — tearing up, without let or hindrance, the 

 most tenacious soil, and throwing it on the top, from a 

 depth of from ten to fifteen inches. Horses are of no 

 use, comiiaratively, to this work. Recollect the snatch- 

 ing and jibbing and trouble— tho breakage of gearing, 

 whippletrces, and ploughs— we witnessed at the Lincoln 

 meeting in trying the heavy-hand ploughs. The steady 

 draught of the engine is admirable for this kind of work, 

 and the uniform depth and precision is such as no 

 horse can achieve. Take again tho working of rough, 

 exceedingly rough fallows, at many times and seasons 

 known to every i'armer, when his horses cannot travel 

 over the soil without danger. The engine can drag his 

 scarifier's, grubbers, drag-harrows— yes, field-rollers, 

 and the like, with perfect ease ; and if employed in 

 drainage purposes, it is pre-eminently successful. Be- 

 sides, it never tires ; so that with relays of men, much 

 work can be accomjilished, precisely in the time and 

 way most desirable ; so that no season is lost, nor crop 

 endangered. However, it is not my intention nov/ to 

 •peak of the general advantages of steam-power in agri- 

 culture; but one can scarcely look into the subject in 

 any way but these collateral benefits will show them- 

 selves. I hail the power, and I give all honour to Mr. 

 Fowler for having done so much to promote it, and hope 

 he will reap a rich reward. In my next I will be more 

 brief, and just notice the other great inventions for pro- 

 moting improvements in agriculture by the aid of 

 steam. 



No. III.— BOYDELL'S AND OTHER STEAM- 

 PLOUGHS. 



Boydell's Traction Engine is the uni- 

 versally-known steam-horse, which walks along upon 

 his numerous feet (or " shoes," as they are more appro- 

 priately called, and constituting an " endless railway," 

 as it is also called ; but for why I cannot see, as they are 

 simply large shoes, made of wood and iron, and affixed 

 to th3 rim of the wheels) ; and as each comes to the 

 ground, he steps forward upon it, and is so kept out of 

 the soft earth and mud ; and consequently travels along 

 with great ease. This enables him to drag, with facility, 

 great weights ; and as these immense feet (which are 

 about three feet in length) do not readily press into the 



soil, he is enabled to drag after him a set of ploughs, or 

 any other agricultural implement. This horse, when in 

 full work, weighs about fourteen tons ; his fore-legs (or 

 wheels) are about 4i- feet diameter, and his bind legs 

 (or wheels) 6 feet in diameter, and altogether he 

 is near 30 feet in length. He is so formed that 

 he can turn, with ease, in a small space ; and can 

 be accurately guided, in work. His internal con- 

 struction is such that the boiler and tubes can be 

 adjusted to suit the gradient he is required to traverse. 

 I saw him ascend the hill at Salisbury at a gradient of 

 one foot in seven, drawing his water-tank, ploughs, &c., 

 weighing seven tons. He soon got into work, and it 

 did not appear to be a hard task or trial for him to pull 

 three two-furrov/ ploughs, working six inches in depth, 

 at the rate of two miles per hour. I made some ob- 

 jection to his great size and weight. Mr, B. assured me 

 that, taking the ground he covered, it was not equal to 

 the tread of a good cart-horse ; and that he would rather 

 make him heavier than reduce his weight. I saw him 

 attached to Coleman's extraordinary cultivator, made 

 expressly for his use, having eleven tines. He dragged 

 it with comparative ease, taking 8 feet 6 inches in width, 

 and six to seven inches in depth, making excellent work, 

 stirring at that depth the whole surface without leaving 

 undue marks of pressure. Here then is a motive 

 power of great usefulness and ready adaptation. 

 The price, however, is high — £GZO. The ploughs 

 were held by ordinary ploughmen, not in frame. 

 Mr, B, is entitled to the thanks and patronage of 

 his countrymen for having effected an improvement 

 so great, being, in fact, a substitute for a whole 

 double team of cart-horses. I highly approve it, 



Mr. CoUinson Hall's traction engine is upon a similar 

 principle, having the endless railway very compact, and 

 of much less weight, not exceeding seven tons, in- 

 cluding its supply of water. It appears to possess two 

 boilers, one above the other : this is not the case, the 

 upper one being in fact little more than the steam-chest, 

 attached to the one below by an upright cylinder, con- 

 taining the fire-box ; and the steam is admitted into it 

 by upright pipes from the boiler. There is no possi- 

 bility of the tubes which are in the lower boiler becom- 

 ing overheated by being left uncovered, as the water- 

 level is sufficiently high to rise into the steam-chest. 

 It is driven from both travelling-wheels, so as to ensure 

 the greatest bite, otherwise this light engine v/ould be 

 defective in power. Although it is so light, yet it is 

 worked up to 50-horse power by the enormous pressure 

 employed, i.e., 300 to 3201bs. per square inch. Of 

 course the whole engine is made of corresponding 

 strength to permit this strain, and to avoid accidents. 

 The consumption of coal is very small. The mode of 

 working it is singular, that is, by alternately pulling and 

 pushing the plough-frame, thus saving the necessity of 

 turning at the headlands. It was at Salisbury 

 that I saw this engine ; it there just ex- 

 hibited its remarkable motive powers in its small 

 space, but nothing more. I should have been pleased 

 to have seen a more extended performance, as my doubts 

 were respecting its real draft power. A powerful blood 



