214 Report on Steam Cultivation. [Clarke. 



hundred acres are not cultivated for nothing — it may be 6s. to 85. 

 per acre. Yet the outlay of perhaps 100/. to 150Z. a year, in addi- 

 tion to all the horse labour as before, is considered by a keen and 

 clever man of business to pay well by its results in the cropping. 

 This is worthy the attention of those persons who are fond of 

 judging- the value of steam-husbandry by its cost per acre, in 

 comparison with horse work. 



No. 39. Mr. John Sowerby, junior, of Beelsby, Grimsby, 

 Lincolnshire, has two farms under steam culture, embracing 

 1200 acres arable, and 300 pasture ; partly strong soil upon clay, 

 and partly light, easy, pair-horse land, upon marl. Most of the 

 arable is level, but a small proportion is light Wold soil on the 

 hills, and worked chiefly by horses. The fields are of 35 to 40 

 acres each. In the summer of 1864, Mr. Sowerby purchased a 

 set of Howard tackle, for 250/., being induced to do so by the 

 success of a similar set in the hands of his uncle Mr. Francis 

 Sowerby; and in the spring of 1866, a double-cylinder 10- 

 horse engine for 270/., before which time an 8-horse engine 

 had been used and found too weak. No repairs of consequence 

 have been needed, the rope has broken a few times, two or 

 three snatch-block pulleys have been fractured by the engine- 

 man not stopping in time ; and the rope-porters worn have 

 been repaired by a blacksmith. The engine is used for thrashing 

 out the grain off 250 acres, but the apparatus is not let out on 

 hire. The cultivator does from 5 to 8 acres a day, the hands 

 being paid 3^. an acre when working the " 3-tiner," and 2^. 3c/. 

 an acre when working the 5-tiner ; the force being five men 

 and two boys, besides the water-boy ; removal takes 10 horses 

 and occupies three hours. The water carted is about 1300 

 gallons, the oil costs Is. od., and half a ton of coal burned costs 

 75., besides carriage 7 miles. 



About 57 days' work were done in the autumn of 1865 and 

 spring of 1866, and the "days put off by bad weather or by 

 breakages " have been few. Of course, it is too soon yet to 

 judge of effects upon cropping. The stronger soil drains better, 

 and Mr. Sowerby has disposed of 6 out of his former force of 40 

 horses. 



Division 2. — West. 



No. 40. Mr. C. Sturge,' of Bewdley, Worcestershire, works a 

 set of Fowler's " roundabout " tackle (that is with a stationary 

 windlass), purchased in the spring of 1864, for 230/., and costing 

 15/. more for additions. The engine is a Tuxford's 7-horse power 

 portable. The implement is a balance-plough, carrying either 

 2 or 3 skifes, and this apparatus ploughs about 4 acres, or culti- 

 vates 6 acres in a day, upon soil varying from light sand to 



