140 Report on Steam Cultivation. [Reed. 



Repairs, Renewals, Wear and Tear : 6d. per acre for tines 

 and shares ; 6d. per acre for wear of rope. No other repairs at 

 present. 



JVork done, and Mode of doing it. — During a day of 10 hours, 

 with steam-pressure from 60 lbs. to 80 lbs. per square inch, in- 

 cluding removals ; ploughing 5 to 9 acres — in some cases 1 acre 

 per hour, 10 inches deep ; digging more. Cultivating 10 to 

 16 acres 12 inches deep. 500 acres were broken up from 

 Christmas 1865 to 30th June last. 



The time required to take up and set down and run a distance 

 of a quarter of a mile is about one hour, no horses being needed. 

 To prepare for roots, the system is to turn up the stubbles, in 

 autumn, 10 inches deep, run the cultivator across in April, and 

 then work with horses ; steam can also be used with great advan- 

 tage to break up the turnip ground for barley in spring. 



Cost of Work. 



Manual and Horse-labour : — £. s. d. 



2 eugiue-men 07 



Ploughman 3 



2 porter-boys 020 



1 man and horse 5 



17 



Coals 19 



Oil and grease 2 



1 18 



N.B. — The day is IO.t liours. Xo extra pay is given except for overtime. 

 Coals—" Hard," 19s. per ton home ; consumption, 2 a ton to each engine. 



This set of tackle is sent out on hire, and does — 



s. s. 

 Ploughing .. .. 10 inches deep at .. .. 15 to 20 per acre. 

 Cultivating .... 12 „ .... 10 to 14 



The fields in the neighbourhood vary from 9 to 30 acres. Just 

 one-third more Avork is done in a given time where the fields are 

 of 30 acres than where they are of 9 acres. It is discovered that 

 a furrow from 350 to 400 yards can be ploughed with most 

 economy. A double engine set of tackle might, in Mr. Ham- 

 mond's opinion, work with advantage upon a GOO or an 800-acre 

 farm. There are two thrashing-machines and portable mills 

 belonging to the co mpany. Such an appliance could be well 

 employed where the holding was in two farms, seeing that the 

 two engines could be located at the several homesteads. The 

 double set consumes, in the same space of time, about 35 per 

 cent, more coal than the single set. Care has been taken to 

 se lect good engine-drivers : one is a mechanic froin Fowler's 



