208 Report on Steam Cultivation. [Clarke. 



year, making- As. 2d. per acre. That is, the total cost of steain 

 tilhij^e may be safely stated at 2s. to 125. per acre. It is probably 

 less; for the earnings of the eno:ine must be 'much more than 

 sufficient to cover the light " repairs." 



Mr. Edwards has not ridged up land for wintering, or in pre- 

 paration for green crops ; but he has hauled harrows by the rope, 

 both before and after a drill. And he has v/orked a steerage- 

 drill in wheat-sowing, when the ground was too wet for the 

 trampling of horses. This, however, he says is " not a paying 

 job ; " it is too light a task for a ponderous tackle to undertake, 

 but was nevertheless an advantage in a dreadfully wet time. 

 The principal operation has been breaking-up stubbles in autumn 

 to lie rough all winter for a fallow crop, and again stirring the 

 same ground in spring. Mr. Edwards has completed the tillage 

 of fields by steam-grubbing the headlands ; but as a general 

 rule, he does not delay more important work for this purpose ; 

 he finishes by horses. But we notice that the headlands about 

 8 yards in breadth, are by no means so well cleaned as the rest 

 of the land. 



The benefits of steam culture on this farm are easily summed 

 up. In the first place, 13 horses used to be kept upon 240 acres 

 arable ; and now GO acres more have been brought under the 

 plough, the force of horse-flesh due to the 300 acres arable is 

 (at the same rate) about 16. But 9 horses only are now found 

 sufficient for the work left undone by the engine. The food 

 and depreciation in value of a horse, his cost in blacksmiths', 

 saddlers', and farriers' bills, the annual wear and tear of the imple- 

 inents he works, and a part of the wages of the team-inen who 

 drive him, we take at 44/. per annum (see our Introduction to this 

 Report) : and the seven horses displaced thus represent a saving 

 of 308/. a year. The total outlay for a year's steam cultivation 

 may be approximately stated at (200 acres x about 12^.) 

 about 120/.; leaving a clear gain of about 188/. a year from 

 employing steam in place of horse power. 



No diffei-ence has been made in the manual-labour bill of the 

 farm. It is worthy of note that, while the men's wages for 

 executing the steam-work come to about 20/. a year, the cost of 

 the men who formerly worked the nine banished horses was 

 about 130/. a year. Hence, both steam and horse work alike 

 costing some 2^. per acre, we see that fewer acres are now tilled 

 in a year, — the engine doing at a stroke what formerly required 

 a series of operations. 



Mr. Edwards' testimony is that " the work is better done, the 

 land is more forward, not so starved ; and the crops are better." 

 The greatest advantage is found upon his strongest land ; the 

 badly-drained ground is now the best. The texture of the soil 



