IkEED.] Report on Steam Cultivation. 135 



and cuts chaff for about 100 head of stock. The steam plough 

 did special service last autumn by getting in 150 acres of wheat 

 in good time. 



The number of horses kept appeared to us excessive, but in 

 fairness we state the reasons alleged lor retaining them. 



No. 15. Mr. Alfred S. Ruston, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, 

 Sept. 12. This holding consists of six farms of all sorts of soil, 

 from a strong clay to a blowing dust, and what is termed a hot 

 dust. In extent it comprises 9^0 acres, 800 being arable. For 

 the most part the farm lies in " high land " and " low land." 

 The low is fen-land. The steam-power is generally used on the 

 high — that is to say, on about 160 acres, where the following 

 system of cropping is observed : 1, barley ; 2, beans ; 3, wheat. 

 The wheat-stubble here is broken up by steam in the autumn, 

 worked again in the spring, after which barley is sown. The 

 bean-land is broken up by steam and cleaned for wheat. The 

 established rule is to steam three times in three years, and to 

 plough with horses once. On some of the fen-lands steam is 

 used every five years. The usual course of husbandry is as 

 follows : — 1, fallow ; 2, oats ; 3, wheat ; 4, seeds ; 5, wheat. 



The object for which Mr. Ruston bought the tackle is fully 

 accomplished. This object is, on his own high lands, to get a 

 crop every year, a fallow being formerly given every fifth year, 

 and he expects by his present mode of management to keep his 

 land as clean as when fallowed once in five years. The results 

 of the two first years defrayed the whole cost of the apparatus ; 

 and now the land is as clean as it would have been under the 

 old horse-system. A great deal of use of the apparatus has been 

 made on the fen-land when nothing could be done on the high 

 lands. Deep cultivation is here an invaluable process by mixing 

 the clay and gravelly subsoil with the staple. Mr. Ruston 

 has derived much advantage from turning up the soil with 

 a plough purposely made for the work to a depth of 15 or 

 16 inches. This is only safe when the couch-grass is abolished. 

 We found the finishing-stroke being given to the harvest. The 

 crops generally fine. Mr. Ruston spoke of largely-increased 

 yields since steam had been employed — fully one quarter an 

 acre of barley and wheat. He has felt the advantage of despatch 

 — steam has thus saved his barley-crop more than once : its use 

 has frequently given him the benefit of the difference between 

 putting the seed in well and badly. His horse-power was 26 ; 

 it is now 20 — 2 horses to 80 acres. Mr. Ruston testifies also to 

 the increased efficiency of the drainage effected by the intro- 

 duction of steam. This we found to be no fancy ; for, notwith- 

 standing the heavy and continuous rainfall, the fields felt firm 

 and dry under foot. On some of his own land he takes corn- 



