262 Report on Steam Cultivation. [Clarke. 



repetition over the same fields, the proportion of the farm steam- 

 tilled having' been 220 acres. The whole time engaged was 79 

 days, making the average daily performance a trifle under 

 5 acres, but then it is very deep. From this we can compute the 

 cost of rope and repairs to have averaged Ws. 9d. per day, or 

 25. 5d. per acre ; out of which the cost of rope would probably 

 not exceed 10c?. an acre, as one rope lasted four years. The 

 outlay for other " repairs " ,has thus been Is. Id. per acre. But 

 from the fact that Mr. Holland was obliged to part with the 

 10-horse engine, which was too weak for his purpose, we may 

 conclude that the same average yearly expense is no longer 

 applicable to the steatn-working at Dumbleton, and that the 

 more powerful and also more perfected apparatus will reduce the 

 item of repairs for the next seven years. 



Five years ago, Mr. Holland began paying his steam hands by 

 the piece, giving them 45. 6c?. an acre for ploughing, and 2s. 3d. 

 for cultivating ; the force consisting of 4 men (men being em- 

 ployed instead of lads to shift the porters) and one boy with the 

 water-cart. A full day's work gets over 5 to 7 acres of plough- 

 ing, or 7 up to 10 acres of cultivating, 10 to 12 inches deep. 

 The consumption of coal is 10 to 12 cwts. a day, at 125. to 135. 

 per ton. The oil costs I5. 6^., the water-cart horse, 3s., and for 

 removal, with the help of 2 horses, we may put perhaps 6d. upon 

 each working day. 



The apparatus is not let on hire, but the engine is occasionally 

 used for sawing and thrashing, though only for a small part of 

 the thrashing of the whole farm ; so, making an allowance for 

 this, we may reckon the 5 per cent, of interest on say 730Z., and 

 the 5 per cent, of depreciation on say 600/. Collecting all these 

 data, we arrive at the following expenditure for one year : — 



Labour :— «• '^' ^- «• ^- ^- '• ^• 



151 acres, at 4 6 = 33 19 6) ^n tc\ Q 



325 acres, at 2 3 = 36 11 3) " •• '^ ^^ '^ 



Water-cart horse, 97 days, at 3s 14 11 



Eemovals .. 97 daj's, at G(7 2 8 6 



Coal .. .. 97 days, at 6s. lOc? 33 2 10 



Oil .. .. 97 days, at Is. 6(^ 7 5 6 



Eepairs, and rope 57 



Interest 36 10 



Depreciation 30 



Total yearly cost of steam cultivation . . 251 8 7 



The average per day is 21, lis. 10c?., and per acre, IO5. Id. 



What return does Mr. Holland obtain for his 251/. expended 

 in steam cultivation ? It so happens that, unlike most employers 

 of steam-tackle, he has not reduced the head of horses on his 

 farm. But then this fact is susceptible of a very satisfactory 



