104 Re2)ort on Steam Cultivation. [Eeed. 



drainage-works; but an obstacle presents itself to deep drainage 

 in the defective outfall which is regulated by the cill of the sluice 

 in the river-bank, which is only 5 feet down. Drainage, how- 

 ever, in Mr. Harvey's opinion, does not do away with the neces- 

 sity for stitches and water-furrows. The course of ciopping in 

 the neighbourhood is as follows : — clean fallow, mustard, wheat,, 

 clover, wheat, beans, wheat. By means of steam Mr. Harvey 

 now produces roots, and gets a tare-crop between the wheat- 

 stubble and turnip-crop. 



The Apparatus, manufactured by Messrs. Fowler, was bought 

 in the autumn of 1862. It consists of an engine of 14-horse 

 power, double cylinder, traction, a 4-furrow plough, fitted 

 as a cultivator, 800 yards of rope, an anchor, porters, «Scc. ; price 

 900^. 



Repairs, Reneivah, Wear and Tear. — During the first year the 

 repairs are said to have been " frightful :" every conceivable acci- 

 dent occurred ; never a day passed without a smash, or a breakage, 

 or without serious delay. But Mr. Harvey stuck to the machine 

 through all adverse circumstances, trained himself and his men 

 to use it, and has outlived the jeers of those who are always ready 

 to depreciate the efforts of men of progress. Breaks and delays 

 are now never known. No account of repairs has been kept. 

 We were presented with a rough estimate — 100/. in two years. 

 The great loss has been with the travelling parts of the engine, 

 especially the clip-drum. Rope in a soil which has no pebbles 

 does not wear much. Of new rope only 250 yards have been, 

 required. 



Work done, its Cost, and 3Iode of doing it. — During a day of 

 ten hours about 8 or 9 acres are ploughed, not including stoppages 

 or removals. The mode of preparing for the green and root crops 

 is as follows : — wheat-stubble, broken up and crossed by steam,, 

 horse-ploughed, sown with tares, tares fed off with sheep, tare- 

 stubble scarified and ploughed 15 inches deep by steam. This 

 produces a far better seed-bed for seeded mustard than can be 

 gained by those who depend simply on horse-power, and allows of 

 the extra crop. Work can be usually prosecuted from Maj^ till 

 October. The apparatus was not bought for his own farm merely, 

 but to work on neighbouring farms, like the thrashing-machines, 

 of which he owns several. He lias been doing a little contract- 

 ploughing, at 12^. an acre, 9 to 10 inches deep ; but is dis- 

 appointed in the demand, even at this low rate. From what has 

 been said it may fairly be supposed that enterprise is a rather 

 rare quality on Foulness Island. Mr. Harvey expressed a desire 

 for the 2-engine system, so that he might dispense v/ith the 

 anchors, gain a direct pull on the implement, and move from 



