Eeed.] licjjort on Steam Cultivation. 117 



of stock as large as that of Mr. Cranfield is kept, the land must 

 be in such a high condition as to render 2 white straws in 

 succession the only safe course to be followed. The size of the 

 farm was at first 570 acres ; horses were kept ; on the addition 

 of the steam tackle 175 acres were bought, and still another 50 

 acres were subsequently put to the farm without adding to the 

 horse power. A little later 201 acres were united to the fore- 

 going, and 4 horses more were found necessary. ]Mr. Cranfield 

 notes no difference in feeding or in work, does a great deal of 

 scuffling with horses, which is heavy work. Harvest, he says, 

 he could get through with 20 horses — he carries his crops 

 on carts. 



The Apparatus was bought of Mr. Smith, in 1858, at the 

 Chester Meeting. 



The engine of 10-horse power, double cylinder, portable, was 

 made by Batlin, and bought in 1861. The first engine of 

 8-horse power was worked 3 years, and with the addition of 

 100/. was then exchanged for the present one. The culti- 

 vator, windlass, rope, and porters, were bought second-hand for 

 IGO/. 



Repairs, Renewals, Wear and Tear. — There have been 4 ropes. 

 The first 2 were defective. The 4th is the best, it has lasted 2 

 seasons. The engine was repaired in March last, the tubes only 

 were drawn, and the boiler patched. The cost is about 10/. 

 a year, the half of which must be debited to thrashing, grinding, 

 &c. The total wear and tear, exclusive of interest, upon the 

 entire apparatus, is 4^. Qd. per acre. 



Work done and- Mode of doing it. — The first operation, 8 to 9 

 inches deep, removals included, 6 acres per day. About 230 

 acres (1st operation) are broken up by steam every year. This 

 work is done in and after harvest. The preparation for roots is 

 as follows : — the stubbles, having been manured, are broken up at 

 one operation, 8 to 9 inches deep, in the autumn. When spring 

 comes horses do the cross cultivation. The roots are generally 

 grown with 2J cwts. of superphosphate and 1 of guano, but of no 

 dung. The drill is used to put in wheat after beans, and 

 barley after roots, Mr, Cranfield does not play with his appa- 

 vatus. He uses it to break the neck of his work. He contents 

 himself with doing merely the first operation, and leaves the 

 second to be done by horses, under the strong conviction that they 

 do this work much cheaper. The cross cultivation is inva- 

 riably done by horse power. To v.ork the farm as he now 

 does he would require 40 horses if unaided by steam. Were 

 one-fourth of the farm a dead fallow every year, he would keep 

 fewer horses ; but the fact is that he does much more than he 

 did. The drill (Smith's) works admirably. 



