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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



produced by them, and because if one of the ploughs meets 

 an obstruction too obstinate to yiekl, the power of the en- 

 gine must generally bo sufficient to break the plough, or 

 what is more common, the rope. The breaking of a plough 

 must involve, at least, the necessity of a delay sufficient to 

 detach it, and substitute another, and such a delay of so 

 large and expensive a force as we shall presently see is 

 employed, must be of considerable importance. The break- 

 ing of the rope, which I was informed by the workmen was 

 of frequent occurrence, is soon remedied by splicing it; 

 but is probably a constant source of annoyance. As, hovv^- 

 ever, it is impossible to foresee all obstructions, and the 

 engine must exert great power, it is, perhaps, best to make 

 the rope the weakest part of the machinei-y, as it is the most 

 easily repaired. The force employed in this operation, as 

 I witnessed it, besides the engine, consisted of five men and 

 a boy, viz., the engineer, who remained behind the engine ; 

 a boy to carry coal, one man upon the plough to manage it, 

 another man, who rode part of the time on the plough, 

 and who ran along before it to remove puUeys or rollers, 

 over which the rope traversed, to keep it from friction on 

 the ground ; anotlier man to tend the windlass and anchor, 

 and the other to keep the rope in place with a crowbar, that 

 it might wind properly rouiul the drums of the engine. In 

 estimating the value of such an implement as this, there 

 are certain elements always to enter into oui' calculations, 

 Pirst — the amount of labour performed. A pair of horses 

 and a plougliman would in England, as a regular day's 

 work, plough one acre of such land as that under experi- 

 ment. They would work six hours without feeding, and 

 in that time complete the day's work. This is the practice, 

 I think, in most parts of England as to working horses. Six 

 ploughmen and twelve horses would for six hours perform 

 the same work as the five men and boy, and the engine 

 and all the machinery. But the engine would not then be 

 fatigued, but might labour on, while the horses must rest. 

 Still taking into account the liabihty of complicated ma- 

 chinery, and of so great a length of rope to accident, which 

 must cause delay, perhaps the steam-plough could hardly 

 he expected to be actually at work nine hours per day any 

 more than the horses. Secondly — The expense and time 

 employed in moving the engine and plough and anchor to 

 the fields of operation, and placing them in position. I 

 did not see the engine or machinery moved with horses} 

 hut this item is worth a place in our estimate, both as to 

 expense and time. Thirdly — The cost of working. This 

 has beenakeady considered ; but there is to be added to the 

 cost of the labour already named, the expense of supplying 

 the engine with fuel. Both tlie coal and water are of heavy 

 freight, and must be conveyed to the engine by horses and 

 men. Their cost at the field must depend so miich on the 

 locality, that it is useless to attempt an estimate. Proba- 

 bly an additional pair of horses and a man would be 

 usually employed to supply the meat and drink of the 

 steam-giant. Fourthly — The cost of machinery and of 

 repairs upon it. It was said that this engine and plougli 

 could be furnished ready for use at £500 or 2,500 dollars. 

 It would reqmre an engineer to estimate the cost of repais 

 Unless the machine could be kept in constant use 

 the interest on the cost would be a heavy item, and in all 

 cases must be a constant element to he regarded. 

 The engine would be adapted to other farm 

 labour, such as tlu-ashing, grinding, and the Hke. 

 Such engines are in constant and extensive use 

 for thrashing through England on large fai-ms. The in- 

 tentov of this steam plough had taken a large contract to 



plough for several proprietors — a practice which, perhaps, 

 should be kept in view in this discussion, though the 

 difficulty of moving the engine from farm to farm in this 

 country would be far greater than in England, because 

 our roads are not so well made. Upon the best estimate 

 that I have been able to make, it seems to me that Fowler's 

 steam plough can never be made an instrument of general 

 practical utility, either in this or in any other country. 

 Perhaps a more competent person with such data as has 

 been furnished may form an estimate more favourable. 

 Simplicity is iisually economy, in agriculture especially ; 

 and there does not seem upon the theory of this machine 

 any such promise of performance as to compensate for the 

 great expenditure in its structure and the numerous 

 obstacles to its practical operation. Since 1857 Fowler's 

 plough has been extensively used in England, and may be 

 said to be fairly introduced there ; but it may be infen-ed 

 from the tone of agricultural writers and speakers, as 

 gathered from newspapers, that it is quite doubtful yet 

 whether it is really a valuable acquisition to agriculture. 

 Subsequent experiments seem to indicate that my own 

 estimate of the performance of the plough was too large. 

 A recent writer in the Mark Lane Express states that at 

 one trial which he witnessed the plough turned seven 

 acres iu twelve hours ; and another account gives ninety- 

 six square rods per hour as the result of its labour. Of 

 Boydell's traction engine, Mr. French, after giving a 

 general description of the arrangements and working, 

 says : " Many of the objections the stationary engine are 

 obviated by this invention. No horses are required to 

 move it from place to place, or draw its supply of food and 

 water. The cumbrous anchor with the long ropes are dis- 

 pensed with; and if the adjustment of the ploughs, as 

 used by Fowler, is found most convenient, there is nothing 

 to prevent its adoption and the drawing of his ploughs 

 with this locomotive engine." Of course Mr. Fi'ench can- 

 not dismiss the subject without some observations upon 

 Smith's cultivator, with regard to which he says : " In the 

 j)rogress of all arts and sciences it is observed how prin- 

 ciples at one time deemed most ^^.tal come afterwards to 

 be regarded as of secondary importance ; and, still later, 

 again assert their original claim to attention. Pulveriza- 

 tion of the soil was more than a century ago advocated by 

 Jethro TuU as the one essential to good husbandry, and 

 he even regarded manure as valuable only as assisting to 

 pulverize the soil by fermentation. In later years 

 chemistry assumed a conspicuous position in agriculture, 

 and many have been inclined to regard more the con- 

 stituent elements of plants and of artificial manure 

 than the mechanical condition of the soil ; like 

 quack doctors, whose attentions are so much oc- 

 cupied by their specifics that they entirely over- 

 look the condition of their patients. But now, after 

 the practical failure of the theories of some distinguished 

 chemists, agriculturists are again disposed to regard the 

 physical condition of the soil as of primary importance ; 

 and the operations of draining, subsoiling, and otherwise 

 opening a greater depth of soil to the action of the atmo- 

 sphere and to the roots of the plant, engage the attention 

 of the farmer. As land becomes more valuable, it is 

 found more convenient to add another seed-bed to the 

 field, by preparing it under the shallow furrow turned by 

 our fathers, rather than by annexing our neighbours' 

 farm, in the covetous desire to possess all the land 

 that adjoins our own ; and so we are looking for more 

 power, to work oitr laud deeper, and to pulverize it more 



