IFet Season of 1872 07i Steam-Cultivation. 191 



with a set of new buildings upon it, arranged about the middle 

 of the arable land ; and of mixed gravel and clay in the valley ,, 

 105 acres of good grassland, with 73 acres of aral^le, all good. 

 Total 300 acres. There is a separate set of buildings in the 

 valley land. The system of cropping on the heavy clay land is 

 beans, wheat, and barley, without any fallow whatever. Under 

 horse-cultivation this land was farmed upon the three-crop and 

 one-year fallow system, and its average produce, including the 

 fallow, was not over 20 bushels per acre a year. The good land 

 in the valley is farmed upon a six-crop system, ?". e. roots, barley, 

 clover, wheat, beans, and wheat. The whole of my arable land 

 in the valley, excepting No. 6, roots, being fed on the land, is 

 now (January 12th) ready for planting with its 19th crop, undei^^ 

 steam-cultivation. A portion of my heavy clay land is also read}- 

 for its 19th crop, under steam-power cultivation ; the other portion 

 I bought in 18G9, and is now going in for its 5th crop, under 

 steam, particulars of which will be given further on. The 

 implements with which I work my land by steam-power are a 

 cultivator and a combined ridger and subsoiler, worked upon the 

 roundabout plan. The cultivator takes the bean-stubbles for 

 wheat only, while the ridger and subsoiler takes all the heavy 

 work on my farm. 



The following returns of work done are extracted from Mr. 

 Smith's Diary : — 



1870. 

 rinished harvest August 27. 



September 12. Started the smasher on Xo. 4, heavy land, a pea and bean 

 stubble, 24 acres ; on the 13th worked only a quarter of a day, stopped 

 through rain. The 14th was wet again, worked only half a day. The 15th 

 was a fine day, on which we finished the 24 acres, at 4.50 p.m., when we 

 shifted tlie tackle to No. 3, heavy land, 29 acres bean stubble. September 16,. 

 started the smasher and worked regularly on till September 20, when at 10*45 

 .A.M. we finished the 29 acres. Consumption of coal for the 53 acres, 4 toa 

 13 cwt., at 12s. The cost of this work stands thus : — 



£ s. d. 



Men at 16s. per day, for 63 days 5 8 



Coal, 4 ton 15 cwt, at 12s 2 17 



Oil at 9d per day 4 10 



Wear and tear at Is. 6d per acre 3 19 6 



Total 12 9 4 



Or an average of 4s. S^cZ. per acre.* 



September 26. Started the ridger and subsoiler on No. 2, heavy land, a 

 wheat stubble for beans, 22f acres ; worked on regularly till 3.10 p.m. on 

 September 29, when Ave finished this field, and then shifted the tackle to 

 Ko. 1, heavy land, 16i acres, which we finished on October 3, at 1.30 p.m. 

 Then shifted the tackle to No. 6, light land, 14 acres, barley stubble, for barley, 

 which we finished on October 6, at 9.30 a.m. Then shifted the tackle to No. 4, 



* In this calculation no charge is made for interest on capital or for annual 

 depreciation in the value of the machinery. 



