134 Report on Steam Cultivation. [Keed. 



No. 14. Mr. Chambers, Colkirk, Fakenbam, Norfolk, Sep- 

 tember lltb. Arriving in the midst of heavy rain we were 

 unable to make any acquaintance with tbe farm. Our visit was 

 prompted chiefly by an expectation of seeing a set of tackle, the 

 parts of which had either been invented by Mr. Chambers or 

 adapted from other systems. In 1860 he adopted the round- 

 about system of working. The Engine, single cylinder, 8-horse 

 power, is of Messrs. Garrett's manufacture. The rope, 1400 

 yards, was bad, and has just been increased by 700 yards. 

 The Windlass is home-made. Different from most windlasses, 

 the speed can be checked without checking the engine. The 

 Ploxujh is made by himself, mainly in wood, on the model of 

 Howard's old balance 3-furrow plough, and is said to work well. 

 The Cultivator is a converted " Bentall," with a seat for steers- 

 man on the hales, and a turning bow like that described as used 

 by Mr. Cooper. It has 5 legs armed with shares or points, with 

 2 cutting-wheels in front. A square harrow carrying 7 feet, 

 with a seat for the rider, is also a feature. This iinplement by 

 working at speed does its duty well, and gets over about 

 15 acres a day. 



Of Work done Mr. Chambers has no statistics. His culti- 

 vator breaks up from 6 to 7 acres ; his plough ploughs from 5 to 

 fj acres a day. 



£. s. d. 



Labour and water-carting come to 14 



Coals 5s. 4fZ., oil 8cZ. .'J 6 



Interest on capital, wear and tear 12 6 



Eemovals 30 



Total cost per day ... 1 15 6 



s. d. s. d. 



5 acres jioviglied, costs 4 per acre, or with interest, &c. 7 1 



6 „ „ 3 4 „ „ 5 11 



7 „ „ 2 10 „ „ 5 1 



8 „ „ 2 6 „ „ 4 5 



The outlay has, of course, been small upon the apparatus, and 

 the engine has not sufficient power. 



The farm consists of 597 acres of arable land and 110 acres of 

 pasture. Part of the arable has been recently broken up from 

 grass, and so cropped as to require more than the average amount 

 of horse labour. 20 horses are now kept; and as a reaper is 

 kept at work, and the corn is carted to the homestead, Mr. 

 Chambers considers that he requires that number in harvest with 

 a hilly farm, and, perhaps, a wet season. Steam has brought no 

 general increase to the turnip-crop, but much of the land had 

 been previously subsoil-ploughed, and some acres even trench- 

 ploughed by horses previously. The engine thrashes, grinds, 



