Clarke.] Rejwrt on Steam Cultivation. 2(;9 



as respects the number of operations, in the manure applied, and 

 in the time of sowing — and the roots after "steam" were much 

 better than those on the horse-ploughed part. This crop 

 followed rye-grass, and the sward being hollow after the ploughing, 

 the roots did badly, suffering from drought. 



"The grand thing in steam culture," said Mr. Randall, "is 

 being able to take advantage of favourable weather for tillage, 

 and more particularly in the autumn culture for roots and cab- 

 bage." And the fact that the land is generally "stirred only 

 once " for a green crop will account for the comparatively small 

 amount of tillage requiring to be accomplished in the course of 

 a year. This clay soil, it should be remembered, is not very 

 prone to mat itself with couch, or so difficult to clean when foul, 

 as some moist light lands are; it is principally subject to that 

 noxious weed called the "onion twitch." 



A few of Mr. Randell's practical deductions are these — steam- 

 grubbing is essentially a dry-weather operation, and though, in 

 general, it is the fundamental process in his tillage management, 

 he could make little use of it during the wet season of 186(3, and 

 consequently recommends the turnover-plough as the implement 

 to be resorted to in such a time. He likes the Woolston 3-tined 

 cultivator better than the Bedford 3-tiner, because the former 

 always works with a single tine preceding the other two, whereas 

 the Bedford does this only one way — in every other journev the 

 2-tines go first, sometimes lifting the soil in one unbroken mass. 

 But this backward -and -forward implement is admirable for 

 crossing. He cultivates straight up as well as down very steep 

 and lofty hills, as sidelong working would not do ; and he does 

 this with ease, where horses were always obliged to plough down, 

 and go up " empty." He does not trench-up land for winter, and 

 has not tried the steam-drill. There has been no difficulty what- 

 ever in moving the engine about. To get over a great breadth 

 of ground in the most precious season, the men make 7 days in a 

 week by working 2 hours extra every day. Mr. Randell once 

 tried paying by the acre, but he lost by the experiment — the 

 work was scamped. 



The drainage is rendered more effectual by the steam tillage ; 

 Smith's grubber tearing up masses of clay much deeper than the 

 tool is set. On one field, hollow in the middle, water used to lie 

 for 24 hours after a heavy downfall ; but this has not been the 

 case, since the engine broke up the ground below the old staple. 

 More roots can be advantageously eaten by sheep on the land, 

 because the preparation of autumn-culture gets them sooner 

 ready for stocking; still, the ground does not bear treading in 

 wet weather any better than before. 



Mr. Randell does not believe in parallel drains for clav land ; 



