Clakke.] Report on Steam Cultivation. 215 



strong clay. The fields average only about 15 acres each, 

 although a considerable number of old hedgerows have been 

 grubbed up and new ones planted, and the farm is steep in parts, 

 and also stony. 



The working expenses per day are, engine-man, 3s. ; windlass- 

 man, ploughman, and two anchor-men, 2s. fir/, each ; water-carrier 

 (who generally fetches the water, about 400 gallons, in buckets, 

 from a pump or pool), 2s. ; and a couple of porter-boys. Is. to Is. Qd. 

 each. Oil costs about 9d. ; and 7 or 8 cwts. of coal at 10s. per 

 ton, cost ds. Qd. to 4^. Moving takes 3 horses and the steam-gang 

 for half a day. The repairs at present have been but little ; 

 Mr. VV. Hardwick (the agent) " thinks the whole not more than 

 bl." — consisting in the renewal of a few skifes broken by the 

 stones and roots, and mostly of porter-wheels and pulleys. There 

 are two farms, two miles apart, with a bad, hilly road between; 

 hence, more horses are required, and the tackle is chiefly used 

 on the home-farm, having only 100 acres arable : the two com- 

 prise only 180 acres arable, with 250 of pasture ; but the engine 

 is employed in grinding corn for the farm, in sawing up rails, 

 pale-fencing, &c,, thrashing the farm corn, and also goes out for 

 hire. 



The tackle has worked eighteen days in a year ; and though 

 it has been stopped a few times by bad weather, there has never 

 been a day's delay from breakage. The farm has been in hand 

 only two years ; but by steam culture Mr. Sturge gets more 

 ground planted with roots than he otherwise could ; he does with 

 less horses by three than he would have required (the saving of 

 over two horses would more than equal what his total "steam" 

 outlay can amount to) and Mr. Hardwick says " undoubtedly 

 our produce has been greater on account of steam cultivation." * 



No. 41. Mr. Richard Pullen, of Shackerley, Albrighton, 

 Shropshire, works a Howard cultivating tackle, with a double- 

 cylinder, 8-horse portable engine, on a farm of about 240 acres 

 arable and 110 grass, consisting of sandy soil upon sandstone 

 rock. His average performance in level fields, made from 10 

 into 20 acre pieces, is 8 acres a day ; burning half a ton of coal, at 

 10s. per ton, using 2s. dd. worth of oil, and evaporating 500 gallons 

 of water, carted by one horse. Two of the men are paid 2s. Qd. 

 each, three men 2s. each, and two boys Sd. each per day. A 

 shift takes 8 horses for five hours. The engine does thrashing 

 and other work, and also cultivates for neighbours at a charge of 



* The steam-tackle has just been turned to good account for getting in 12 acres 

 of spring wheat after turnips sheep-fed. Early this month the field was well 

 cultivated in two days, and drilled on the third day by a Suffolk drill with harrows 

 attached; the land has not been in working order for a single day since; even 

 then its condition was such that the trampling of horses in doing the necessary 

 tillage must have spoilt the seed-bed. — W.H. (March 26th.; 



