182 The Influence of the 



steam power is of greater use in dry seasons than wet, it should 

 not be lost sight of that when the weather is suitable you have 

 a power which will do you a great quantity of work in a short 

 time." 



A third report of a somewhat similar character is given by Mr. 

 W. Bulstrode from Mount Farm, Cookham Dean, Maidenhead, 

 where the soil is " partly a sharp gravel, and partly a stiff loam, 

 with portions of an intermediate description." " In the autumn 

 of 1872 I did not use the cultivator at all on account of the wet 

 state of the land. I ploughed all with horses, and stirred as 

 much as possible in the spring of 1873. There can be no doubt 

 that steam tillage was greatly retarded by the wet autumn of 

 1872, and that horse-ploughing was preferable under the excep- 

 tional circumstances. The open weather fortunately enabled all 

 to be ploughed, even with the diminished horse-strength, and 

 the dry though late spring weather of 1873 was invaluable in 

 enabling us to make up arrears with the steam-cultivator." Lest 

 his abandonment of steam power in this one season should 

 be supposed to imply any dissatisfaction on his part with steam 

 cultivation generally, Mr. Bulstrode adds, " I think you will 

 agree with me that too much stress is often laid on a compa- 

 rison between the cost of individual ojjerations by horse and 

 steam-power. They must be compared as systems, and either 

 the one or the other systematically adopted. I do not believe 

 that any one who has taken up steam cultivation in a practical 

 and intelligent manner can have a shadow of doubt as to its 

 economical advantages." Mr. J. Darlington, of New Buildings 

 Farm, Stafford, and Mr. F. Ball, manager of the Avon Vale 

 Steam-Ploughing Company, both report briefly that the wet 

 season of 1872 diminished the advantages of steam over horse- 

 power cultivation. And a still more decided opinion to the 

 same effect is expressed by Mr. J. L. Bolden, Secretary to the 

 Durham and North Yorkshire Steam-Cultivation Company, 

 who says that the advantages were " very much diminished ; " 

 adding, " this Company did much work during the wet seasons 

 of 1871 and 1872, which so disgusted the farmers that they 

 took a strong prejudice to steam-cultivation altogether." Mr. 

 Bolden is the last on the list of witnesses to a diminution of 

 advantages, and the importance of the Company which he re- 

 presents makes his evidence of so much value that his report 

 may be taken in full as an admirable expression of this view 

 of the subject. Mr. Bolden says : — " As this Company only 

 started early in 1871 it is somewhat premature to give a positive 

 opinion as to the effect of steam-cultivation so far as we are 

 concerned, for, of course, the wet season of 1872 (and to some 

 extent of 1871 too) put everything wrong. When this Com- 



