Clarke.] Report on Steam Cultivation. 263 



explanation. Before tlie engine came, 25 horses were kept ; of 

 which 20 may be considered the working-team. But now there 

 are only 8 working horses, the remainder of the old number, 25, 

 being made up of mares in-foal, or " with foals at foot," and 

 young working colts. These colts are able to do a portion of the 

 lighter work now required from horses, and instead of being 

 quickly used up, as the farm-horses used to be, are always of 

 marketable value, and improved till sold. It appears that Mr. 

 Holland's steam-plough has really displaced 10 or 12 horses from 

 his former team, the rest of the present horses being kept as 

 ordinary breeding and feeding stock, instead of horned cattle. 

 Hence the annual return by saving in draft-labour may be taken 

 as 10 horses at 44Z. = 440/., or 12 horses at 44/. = 528/. So that 

 Mr. Holland is well paid for his outlay of 251/. in steam tillage. 

 The manual-labour bill, he informed us, is not at all curtailed. 

 Steam culture has enlarged the breadth of root-crops, the land 

 having been previously too stiff to grow them. When wheat is 

 to follow, it is found better to draw and cart off the roots, than to 

 feed them on the ground by sheep. Then the acreage of wheat 

 has been increased by steam culture, wheat being now grown 

 every other year, which never could be done under the horse- 

 management. The alternating crops are beans, peas, mangold, 

 and cabbage. As to greater yields, Mr. Holland says that the 

 average weight of roots per acre is not much more than it was ; 

 but with regard to grain-crops (to quote his own words), " by my 

 own experience, and by comparing notes with other steam-power 

 employers in this locality, I think it may be said that the increase 

 per acre attributable to steam cultivation may be put at 8 bushels 

 per acre." 



This is remarkable evidence : the steam-plough appears to 

 gain Mr. Holland from 190/. to 270/. a year by saving in tillage- 

 labour ; it gains him a quarter of wheat, say 2/. 10s. per acre, 

 over half his farm, or 450/. ; which together amounts to 640/. or 

 720/. a year ; equivalent to nearly 2/. per acre on all the arable 

 land ! Then, beyond this, a further profit must accrue from the 

 extra quantity of roots which feed more live stock. 



We may remark that the root and pulse-crops are highly 

 manured with long dung from yards, stalls, and boxes ; and this 

 management, with deep and thorough drainage, and the applica- 

 tion of burnt clay (as well as the deep steam tillage), have all 

 had their improving effect upon the soil. Mr. Holland's corn- 

 crops are evidently very superior, judging both from his stubbles 

 and the splendid show of stacks, which extending over more 

 ground in an enlarged rick-yard, give palpable evidence of the 

 results of steam-ploughing. We would here add that farm en- 

 gineers may take important hints from sundry arrangements pecu- 



