114 Report on Steam Cultivation. [Eeed. 



the smallncss of enclosures ; and 4tli, the abundance of timber. 

 As to the third and fourth objections, we refer to the report of 

 Mr. Prout's estate improvements, which show the gain that 

 woukl result to the landlord were he able and willing to remove 

 the obstacles that now impede the use of the steam-plough. The 

 second objection arises, in our opinion, out of an erroneous mode 

 of looking at the question, as we have shown elsewhere. 



No. 7. Mr. George Armstrong, Graffham, St. Neots, Sep- 

 tember 14. This farm, occupied by a spirited young man, 

 come of a race of practical farmers, lies a few miles from 

 Kimbolton, and is a portion of the Duke of Manchester's 

 estate. It consists of two homesteads and 750 acres, 170 

 acres being grass. Mr. Armstrong has held it fourteen years. 

 The soil may be termed a hungry clay on a clay subsoil, 

 difficult and expensive to work, and enough to ruin any man 

 who did not employ steam. The farm extends over an undu- 

 lating hilly district, the buildings being at one corner of it. 

 The hedges are low, divested of timber ; and the fields, well 

 supplied with good pond-water for the engine, have been enlarged 

 for steam, and now vary from 12 to 50 acres. The land is 

 under-drained 3 feet deep, the drains being from 5 to 8 yards 

 apart. The 4-course system cropping prevailing before the 

 introduction of steam — namely, 1, dead fallow ; 2, barley ; 

 3, seeds or beans ; 4, wheat — has given way to a 5-course, barley 

 being introduced after wheat, and roots substituted for dead 

 fallow. The yield by this means is very much increased. The 

 yield of wheat is now from 4|^ to 5 quarters, and roots can be fed 

 on land which aforetime would not produce them. The land 

 used to support 250 ewes ; we found there 700 sheep ; the stock 

 of sheep, the year round, is 500. In place of 25 horses, there 

 are now 16, or 2 to 72 acres, which is still a somewhat high 

 proportion. But four of these are mares breeding every year ; 

 and all are kept fresher and better at less cost. They used to 

 have 1 peck of corn a day : " From May to September this year 

 they had no corn at all." It may be affirmed that half the corn- 

 bill for the remaining sixteen is saved. Carts are used in harvest. 

 Mr. Armstrong feels assured that he could not have stood his 

 ground on this farm without steam. We were very much pleased 

 with the appearance of the farm. The abandonment of dead 

 fallow, and the quick succession of crops, which might have 

 favoured weeds, has not been allowed to do so. 



The Ajyjiaratns was bought of Mr. Smith in 1858. It consists 

 of one 3 and one 5-tined cultivator, 1400 yards of rope, windlass, 

 porters, extras, &C., 220/. ; an engine of 8-horse power, double 

 cylinder, manufactured by Clayton and Shuttleworth, 250/. 



The Work done^ and Mode oficorking, — First time oA-er from 



