254 Report on Steam Cultivation. [Claeke. 



consist in having strained the "slanting shaft" belonging to the 

 " road-gear " on the engine ; and this twice over. But a much 

 stronger shaft being since put in its place, the engine travels up 

 or down hill, over jolty or deep soft roads, without any difficulty 

 or casualty. The other accident occurred to a 450-yards' length 

 of rope, from the men improperly unwinding the new coil. This 

 should have been done (as all steam-plough men are aware) by 

 laying a cart-wheel down upon the ground, fixing a stake upright 

 through the hob, laying the coil of rope on the wheel, and then 

 another cart-wheel over the coil, inclosing it like cotton between 

 the two flanges of a reel, the whole running round like a swivel 

 when the rope is led off. By ignorantly " undoing " the new 

 coil without thus holding it down, and by attempting to unwind 

 it without making it rotate, the men necessarily gave it a twist 

 for each coil taken off; the rope flew into curls, got "kanked," 

 and consequently at each " kank " the wires were injured, and 

 soon wore through in crossing over the rollers of the rope-porters. 

 Of course spoiling a rope in this way ought not to be heard 

 of among steam-ploughing risks and casualties. 



No. 61. Mr. F. Eddison, of North Laiths, Ollerton, Not- 

 tinghamshire, has a Fowler "double-set," consisting of two 10- 

 horse engines, with winding-drums, working a 4-furrow plough, 

 7-tined cultivator, and harrow. The purchase was made only in 

 March, 1866. The farm is partly of red clay, and partly of 

 strong soil, with stony gravel bottom ; 306 acres arable, with 

 108 acres grass ; half the surface hilly, and in fields averaging 

 15 acres apiece. The cultivator does about 16 or 17 acres in a 

 day of 10 hours; the coals burned being 5 or 6 cwts. by each 

 engine, or 10 to 12 cwts. per day, at \bs. per ton. Water is 

 fetched by horse and cart from a stream. The hands include 

 three men and two boys ; wages, 20s., 18s., 15s., 10s,, and Qs. 

 each per week. In removal, of course, the engines are inde- 

 pendent of assistance ; and one is moving, and the other ready to 

 move, as the last bout is finished. The apparatus worked on 

 seven other farms, within the first spring and summer, cultivating 

 about 200 acres, at 8s. 6</. to 12s. an acre — the farmers finding 

 coal, porter-boys, and board and lodging for the men. The 

 former force of 16 horses is reduced to 8 now. 



No. 62. Mr. Henry Hemsley, of Harlaxton, near Grantham, 

 Lincolnshire, occupies 332 acres of arable (besides 154 acres of 

 pasture) ; 114 acres being a white heavy clay, and 218 acres a 

 deep " creech " or oolite soil, upon blue lias. The clay part is 

 in fields of about 14 acres each ; the turnip-land in 30-acre 

 pieces, having been enlarged, and many old crooked fences 

 grubbed, and others planted straight, for facilitating steam culti- 

 vation. He used to keep 1 2 horses, now 8 ; thus saving (on our 



