130 Report on Steam Cultivation. [Keed. 



Repairs, Reneicals, Wear and Tear. — No precise data as to 

 repairs of engine, which is used for thrashing, and looks in very 

 good cue. Mr. Impey's experience leads him to charge the work 

 done with \s. ^d. per acre on account of the rope, 2s. per acre on 

 account of the implements, engine, &c., and Id. per acre on 

 account of wearing parts. The boiler is cleared of deposit once 

 a month, and the tubes are drawn every second year. 



Work done with the Cultivator in a day of 10 hours, exclusive 

 of removals, which occupy 4 hours and require 8 horses, nearly 

 6 acres. With the 4-furrow plough from 8 to 10 inches, (J acres. 

 •Since the commencement about 2000 acres have been worked. 

 Very little work is done for hire. There is little or no time for 

 it. The engine power is found to be quite sufficient. Much 

 use is made of Fowler's plough. It is frequently used without 

 breasts, and thus fitted, a " single operation with it is equal to 

 two with the simple cultivator."' The possession of the plough, 

 too, is found to be of great advantage when cultivation cannot be 

 done. Two anchors coupled are found competent to bear the 



strain. 



Cost of Working. 



Manual and Horse-trork : — £. s. <.L 



Engine-man 03 6 



Ploughman .. 2 6 



W'indlass-man 02 6 



2 boys 2 6 



Horse for water-cart occasionally . . . . 10 



2 anchor-men 40 



16 



Coals 13 



Oil 10 



Total cost per day .. .. 1 10 

 N.B. — Id. extra per acre to each man, and id. to each boy while working, 

 by way of stimulus. Coal—'' Seaborne," price 21s, 8c^. per ton home, 

 consumes 12 cwts. per day of 10 hours. 



Mr. Bott occupies adjoining farms, which consist of 490 acres 

 (30 pasture) of better land than Mr. Impey's, but he is less advan- 

 tageously situated for steam, the fields being many of them small 

 irregular enclosures, which straggle away into other properties 

 in such a way that nothing save a give-and-take arrangement 

 amongst the neighbouring landowners could set right. Nothing 

 but the roundabout system would, in his opinion, do here. The 

 removals are very frequent, and in comparing the cultivation of 

 his small fields with Mr. Impey's, he finds that in the long run 

 he does about 1 acre a day less. Whereas the cost of coal to 

 Mr. Impcy is 2 cwts. per acre, to Mr. Bott it is 2| cwts. He 

 nevertheless persevered, from his high estimate of the value ot 



