190 Tite Injiuence of the 



acres, was cultivated before the wet Aveather set in. We should;' 

 have completely finished autumn work had we not had a breakage,, 

 which detained us until the rainy season, hence the few days' 

 work in November. The advantages of steam-tillage over 

 horse-cultivation have been more apparent from last season's wet,, 

 inasmuch as with tlie steam all my winter work was done in good 

 time, and only required little work this spring, and that with the- 

 cultivators only, so that the wet unkind soil was not brought to-, 

 the top. My root-crop is excellent ; and the only piece which 

 partly failed was one of five acres, which the horses or oxen 

 ploughed, and was what we term here in a raw state." .... 

 " Formerly I could not in a wet time get my fallows worked in> 

 the spring sufficiently early to prevent a very strong growth of 

 weeds ; I can now with steam-implements catch opportunities tO' 

 run over them all and keep the weeds down ; and I will say 

 more, and that is, that I can now prepare my land for turnips,, 

 and plant them as soon as I clioose, instead of as formerly planting 

 them as soon as I couldT 



Mr. John Roynon, of Havering Park Farm, near Romford^ 

 writes that in 1^72 the advantages of steam over horse cultiva- 

 tion were increased on land thoroughly drained, and diminished 

 on undrained land. Steam-power enabled him to get the land 

 up mostly in the dry weather, whereas if he had been dependent 

 on horses alone, there would hardly have been time, after getting- 

 the harvest in and carting out manure and lime, to have begun 

 cultivating by horses before the rain set in. 



Another correspondent, from Kent, who has for the last six 

 years been in the habit of hiring steam-power to work his land^ 

 writes : — " I have ploughed each year 600 acres, more or less,, 

 excepting in 1872, when the weather rendered it impossible to- 

 do about 150 acres, which otherwise would have been ploughed," 

 But, in spite of this inability to do all that he wished to do, he- 

 adds emphatically : — " I consider that on wet soils the great 

 rainfall of 1872 has shown the greatest advantage of steam-culti- 

 vation over horse-work." 



Similar replies in great number have been sent from different 

 parts of the southern and midland counties of England ; but as. 

 nothing would be gained by a frequent repetition of the same 

 evidence, it will be enough to take the experience of one of the 

 earliest pioneers of steam-cultivation, and then to turn northward 

 and learn more about the doings of those who may be reckoned 

 among the most recent converts to the principles that have now 

 for many years been advocated by Mr. Smith, of Woolston, with 

 indefatigable energy and perseverance. 



Mr. Smith Avrites : — "My farm consists of heavy clay, hilly, 

 and uneven land, 107 acres arable, 15 acres of poor grass land. 



