Olarke.] Report on Steam Cultivation. 249 



ably clean, excepting only one " close," a little grassy, and this is 

 a wheat-stubble, the seed-bed for the wheat having been ploughed 

 5 inches deep by steam-power, after one year's rye-grass. On 

 the four fields of clay soil green crops have been a gain entirely 

 due to steam cultivation — taking the place of bare fallow in a 

 4-coui'se rotation, which brings beans and clover every eighth 

 year. Mr. VVallis has not greatly reduced his stock of farm- 

 horses, the 14 he used to work being now lessened by 2 or 3. 



The drainage of the farm was formerly accomplished by bundles 

 of wood tied up and buried some 18 inches deep, and this sort of 

 Avork stood (in some places) for 2b years. All is now well drained 

 with pipes at an average depth of 4 feet, that is, varying from 3^^ 

 to Ah feet ; the old broad high ridges have been gradually lowered, 

 and now " the water sinks away better " after the steam-work than 

 after horse-ploughing. 



No. 59. Mr. John White Pell, of Manor Farm, Stanion, 

 Thrapston, Northamptonshire, occupies 500 acres of arable and 

 225 acres of pasture, principally a strong clay soil upon a subsoil 

 of limestone and clay. The surface is generally level, in fields of 

 about 20 acres each, a little altered to suit steam cultivation. 

 His apparatus, consisting of a 10-horse portable engine, by 

 Bultin, of Northampton, and a set of Howard's tackle, with a 

 3-tined and a 5-tined cultivator, cost 470/. in the year 1861 ; the 

 " additions " since have been one new rope, at 60/., and the repairs 

 very light, Mr. Pell having met with "no bad accidents" so as 

 to require anything more than ordinary replacement of wearing 

 parts. The machinery is worked about 55 days in a year, a 

 small part of its time being spent upon three neighbouring farms, 

 doing a few days' contract work. This has amounted to only 

 30 acres worked twice over (that is, 60 acres of grubbing alto- 

 gether), at a charge of 22^. per acre. The engine is used for 

 thrashing, grinding, cutting chaff, and pulping roots. 



The hands required are 5 men and 3 boys, at 15s. per day ; 

 and these, when not cultivating, are employed at ordinary work 

 upon the farm. The water is supplied by a water-cart and one 

 horse ; the oil costs Is. and the coal (at 16i\ per ton) costs 12^. 

 per day. Moving the tackle and setting down to work again is 

 accomplished in 2^ hours, by the aid of 9 horses and 5 men. 

 The average work done per day amounts to 7 acres of deep 

 grubbing. Having been unable to visit Mr. Pell and make our 

 own inquiries, we can form only a very rough estimate of the 

 outlay and return in his case. Fifty-five days' working expenses 

 (including removals) appear to be something like 116/. a year; 

 interest and depi-eciation, at 10 per cent, on the whole prime cost, 

 470/., would be 47/. The engine (which cost 270/. out of the 

 whole 470/.) does so much other work, that we shall not favour 



