232 Report on Steam Cultivation. [Claeke. 



(wliicli has not been well clone in every part of the farm) is 

 decidedly more effectual from the deep stirring- of the steam- 

 cultivator. The old high-backed lands are levelled, and yet 

 water does not stand anywhere, even in the present wet time. On 

 the greater productiveness of his cropping generally, Mr. Bignell 

 says, " I speak somewhat diffidently in replying to this question, 

 having- introduced steam the second year of my occupation ; but, 

 as far as I can gather from others, no previous occupier ever 

 obtained so much produce as myself. Judging from my first 

 year, I think the advantage of steam culture has been very con- 

 siderable." 



No. 49. Mr. John S. Crawley, of Farley, Luton, Bedford- 

 shire, works a set of Chandler and Oliver's tackle, substituted 

 for Smith's — the peculiarity of the former consisting in the two 

 winding-drums being hung upon the hind carriage-wheel axle- 

 tree of the engine, one on each side of the boiler — the engine 

 and windlass being thus combined. The cost of the 8-horse 

 power engine, made by Robey and Co., with Smith's windlass, 

 two cultivators, of 2 feet 4 inch and 5 feet 2 inch width 

 respectively, was 590/.* Mr. Crawley has kept no distinct 

 account of the repairs. He pays his engine-driver 2s. Qd. ; 

 ploughmen, windlass-men, and two anchor-men. Is. lOd. each ; 

 two porter-lads. Is. od. each ; and two boys 9d. each per day ; 

 with Is. allowed for beer. Carting tiOO gallons of water costs 

 4^. ; oil b^d. per day ; and coal at 20^. a ton costs 8^. Sd. per 

 day. As the engine helps to move itself, and there is no wind- 

 lass, only two horses are required in shifting, and this takes a 

 correspondingly shorter time than when a separate windlass has 

 to be taken up, conveyed, and set down again in position ; the 

 interval occupied here being about li hour. 



On a strong clay soil, resting on a chalk subsoil, and in 

 tolerably level fields averaging 30 acres each, now that trees and 

 supernumerary fences have been stocked-up, the average perform- 

 ance is 5 acres per day with the small cultivator, or 7 acres with 

 the larger one. 



On a farm of 300 acres arable, with about as much grass, Mr. 

 Crawley has diminished his former number of 16 horses down 

 to 12. His remarks upon the "results" are, that the drainage 

 acts better, and the land is more porous, though it does not admit 

 of roots being fed-off' in the winter. He has neither altered his 

 old rotation nor enlarged his breadth of root-crop ; but he says, 

 " the crops generally are more productive and of better quality, 

 attributable partly to draining, and partly to steam cultivation." 



No. 50. Mr. John Horrell, of the Stevington Lodge Farm, 



* We have abandoned the use of the axle windlass, as we found it too much 

 for one man to attend to both engine and windlass. — T. T. 



