THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



siJeratiou. The quality of the work done is a secondary 

 matter, because it must depend on the implement used, with- 

 out reference to the system adopted. For simplicity — which 

 is a matter of great importance in machinery exposed to rough 

 weather and rough hands — the palm must certainly be assigned 

 to Mr. Smith, whether we look at the engine itself or the 

 auchoraie ; and he also possesses great superiority, from the 

 fact of his engine being generally stationary : for the pro;?re39 

 of Fowhr's eugiue and anchorage tackle must be a fearful ob- 

 jection in very stony, hilly, and wet clay lands. As a general 

 rule, the nearer we approach to the stationary system in heavy 

 machinery on farms the better, as regards wear and tear and 

 absorption of power. Let us leave the locomotives for dead 

 levels and Ilalkett rails. In small fields and among crooked 

 fences, I should prefer Smith's, as being more easily fixed and 

 shifted. Where a field is very uneven, there would be objec- 

 tions to each from which the other would be exempt ; but 

 probably Smith's would admit of coaxing, to adapt itself to 

 the fields more easily than Fowler's. 



When we contemplate the great advantages offered to us 

 by the ingenious inventions and skilful adaptations of Mr. 

 Fowler and Mr. Smith, we cannot help regretting that they 

 are unable to meet in a friendly spirit and combine the great 

 advantages possessed by each, and thus reap a well-earned 

 reward for their mental labours and great outlay by the ex- 

 tensive sale of their apparatus. The very jealousies of inventors 

 are beneficial, perhaps, to the public in the long run, by ex- 

 citing enterprising minds to devise means to avoid the in- 

 fringement of patents, and thus to discover unexplored regions 

 — but they are ruinous to themselves. 



I have put forward these remarks in the hope that they 

 may tend to produce practical results, instead of paper wars. 

 My own impression is that Fowler's system is more economi- 

 cal and better aiapted than Smith's to farms consisting of 

 large, square, well-arranged fields, but that that the latter is 

 to be preferred for farms of average size, shape, and arrange- 

 ment. I am, sir, your obedient servant, 



W. B. 



STEAM CULTIVATION. 



Sir, -la my last I went a little out of my way for 

 the purpose of noting the method in which Smith's 

 steam cultivating apparatus was handled by one of our 

 mechanical farmers. 



I found steam up, and doing good work with a large 

 cultivator drawn through a piece of land which had been 

 ploughed the last time for mangolds. The cultivator 

 was an old-fashioned one, fitted with the " turning bow." 

 It took a great breadth, and scarified 13 acres in fine 

 style during that day. 



I passed over some splendid work done by the No. 3 

 implement a few days before, about which the owner 

 expressed the utmost satisfaction. He seems wonder- 

 fully pleased with the '* tackle," and very sanguine as 

 to its success. It has enabled him to take another tract 

 of land without adding to his stock of horses. 



One great improvement I noticed was, that there were 

 no stoppages on the headlands of the work. This sav- 

 ing of time was effected by an arrangement of two snatch 

 blocks and anchors at each turning point. The new 

 porters were used, which raise the rope entirely from 

 the ground, and reduce the wear of the strands in a 

 surprising manner. Thr se rope porters should certainly 

 supersede those that were at first employed. 



I was amused to find that a pair of large drag- 

 harrows had been drawn by the rope, and that an old 

 clod-crusher had been rung in the nose and lugged un- 

 willingly over the great clods. 



The steel-rope wears remarkably well. A long reach 

 of chain intervenes between the eyes of the rope and 

 the turning bow, to avoid the wear which was found 

 inseparable from its contact with the implement. 



I had a good deal of conversation with the owner of 

 this apparatus as to the future of steam cultivation, and 

 I found him prepared to introduce several improvemen'^s 

 in the details. And it is only as this machinery comes 

 into the hands of such men that it will become fitted for 

 general use. Every-day work will soon show its weak 



points. Field days are never very satisfactory : there is 

 always so much to allow for, owing to this circumstance 

 and the other, that conclusions founded upon special 

 trials must be carefully received. He condemned very 

 strongly the acrimony which the inventors of the different 

 systems throw into the discussion of their merits. And 

 it is sad that men who are avowedly seeking to elicit 

 the truth, cannot give each other credit for purity of 

 conduct, but must ever impute the basest motives 

 possible to their actions. We have no reason to think 

 that Mr. Smith, or Mr. Fowler, or Mr. Hall, or Mr. 

 Anybody-else are so bad as they make each other out to 

 be. They sometimes forget that there is such a thing 

 as proving too much. As is usual, however, some good 

 may generally be extracted from every evil ; and so it is, 

 that out of these personal recriminations most profitable 

 disclosures are made to the public. It is the worst 

 policy possible for two of a trade to quarrel ; for 

 then it is that the tricks of the trade are sure to be 

 divulged. 



Whether we are to plough or to cultivate, let us no *■ 

 fight about it. Reason must calmly decide. Depend 

 upon it, the farmers of England will not make it a party 

 question. That apparatus which performs the best and 

 most economical work is sure to secure the greatest 

 sale, be the other Fowler's or Smith's, or whose it 

 may. And we cannot judge on this point until we 

 know better the wear-and-tear of Mr. Fowler's ma- 

 chinery and rope. We have already formed a pretty 

 correct notion of what the wear-and-tear of Mr. Smith's 

 tackle is, because the public has given it a longer and 

 more general trial. We must wait a bit for results from 

 the other eide, and then strike the balance. 



How many a man has made up his mind as to these 

 two systems, but is still waiting for some great im- 

 provements ! These improvements will not be made, 

 let me say, unless the farmers help to bring them about. 

 They are mainly improvements in detail, which must 



