Clarke.] Report on Steam Cultivation. 217 



and anotlier third in carriage. And that the engine fully takes 

 its share oi the labour appears from the fact that it executes 1 GOO 

 acres in each year, including all the heavy tillage for fallow cr<)])s, 

 and the ploughing of more than 200 acres for wheat. In fact, 

 none of the wheat seed-furrow, excepting one piece between '23 

 and 30 acres, is ploughed by horses. 



Exact memoranda of costs and quantities have not been kept 

 since the first year ; but generalities will be sufficiently satis- 

 factory in this case. A new "long rope" and new "short 

 rope " are procured in alternate years, the cost amounting to 

 about Gd. per acre. Then the repairs (although the simple 

 breaking of a pin once let the engine run backwards into a 

 stone quarry) have been very light, not exceeding 140/. a year 

 altogether, including the rope, or about 1^. ikl. per acre. The 

 first cost, for the 14-horse engine and tackle, 4-furrow plough, 

 and 6-feet wide scarifier, was about 950Z. A set of drags has 

 been added, we do not know at what cost ; but we will allow a 

 sufficient margin in computing the interest and depreciation. 

 The engine is used for no other purpose than steam tillage, and 

 is entirely confined to this farm ; and (in consideration of the 

 drags) let us put for interest at 5 per cent. 55Z. per annum, and 

 for depreciation (deducting rope and other wearing parts, on the 

 principle adopted throughout our Report and elsewhere ex- 

 plained) say 45/. per annum. We have, then, for the whole 

 yearly cost of the machinery (z. e. interest, depreciation, and all 

 repairs and renewals) something like 240/. ; which, divided over 

 1600 acres, comes to os. per acre — say 4^. per acre on ploughing 

 or digging, and 2s. per acre on cultivating, &c. 



Labour costs as follows : — The engine-man (a blacksmith at 

 other times) has 3s. a day ; the ploughman and anchorman Is. h)d. 

 each (i, e. Is. a week over ordinary wages) ; besides which, the 

 engineman and ploughman get a " perquisite " of l^d. per acre 

 each, and the anchorman Id. per acre. There are also three boys 

 at Is. each, with a gratuity of ^d. per acre. Half these additional 

 payments when scarifying or dragging. One man and horse, with 

 a water-barrel, can cart 100 to 120 gallons of water per hour ; but 

 occasionally the distance to the wells requires two water-carts, say 

 bs. per day. Removal takes a man and three horses, besides the 

 steam-hands, occupying at the most two hours — say every third 

 day, or say 8c/. upon each working day. Coal costs 20s. a ton, 

 and nearly this quantity is burned in a day, say 18^. worth. Of 

 oil, two gallons last about nine days — say Is. 3d. per day. 



Mr. Edmonds gets out of his engine the following large 

 amounts of performance : — On stiff land it ploughs or digs 8 acres 

 a day ; or 10 acres a day (or 1 acre per hour) on light soil, and 

 with shallower work at 5 or 6 inches depth. And let it be 



