278 Report on Steam Cultivation. [Clakke. 



three times as much tillage per week when wanted, saving of 

 time being an extraordinary benefit at such an elevation as this, 

 where the weather is almost always wet (so much so that, during 

 the whole month of September, 1866, there occurred but one day 

 without rain, and the fall amounted to about 8^^ inches. A 

 peculiarity in the culture here is that the clover-lea, when 

 ploughed, is crossed either by horse-drags or by the steam- 

 cultivator, the fuller's-earth being so unkind. The steam-ploughing 

 on this clay is done 4, 6, and for some purposes, 9 inches deep, 

 and is found greatly to improve the drainage and drying of the 

 land. 



No. 71. Mr. J. Higginbottom, of Pensax Court, Tenbury, 

 Worcestershire, has a Howard's tackle, with 5-feet cultivator and 

 steam-harrows, driven by a Robey and Co.'s 10-horse engine. 

 The whole was bought, in 1863, for 900/. ; and the repairs since 

 have cost about 90/., inclusive of 40/. for rope. With more 

 care in working, the repairs would be less. The farm, prin- 

 cipally stiff land resting on clay, but partly light soil with sandy 

 subsoil, includes 420 acres arable and 680 pasture and orchard. 

 The fields are of only 12 acres average size, and very hilly. 

 The grubber does about 6 acres a day ; the engine consuming 

 half a ton of coal, at 85. per ton ; coals being found on the estate 

 and fetched by the horse that carts the 5 or 7 hogsheads of water 

 for the engine. Five men and four boys work the tackle ; total 

 wages I65. per day. A shift occupies three horses for five hours. 

 The engine is used for driving a saw-mill, grinding-mill, and 

 chaff-cutter. Mr. Higginbottom observes an improvement in 

 the drainage ; he has increased his area of root-crops, and his 

 crops generally have been made more productive.* There are 

 now only 9 horses kept upon the farm. 



No. 72. Mr. John E. Stanier, of Uppington, Wellington, 

 Shropshire. In the vale overlooked by the Wrekin, Mr. Stanier 

 occupies 220 acres of arable, and 60 acres of pasture ; all 

 tolerably level, and in fields of 25 acres each (two being of 50 

 acres each) made by grubbing up 2J miles' length of fences. 

 The soil is a strong loam and part clay, chiefly upon a clay 

 subsoil. On this comparatively small occupation he has ventured 

 to adopt steam cultivation ; in March, 1S64, he purchased a 

 Howard tackle, with 3 and 5-tine cultivator and 3-furrow plough, 

 and a 10-horse portable engine by Barrows and Carmichael, for 

 a total of 690/. Additions have cost 5/. ; and repairs 20/., with 



* A good portion of the land was turned up in the autumn and afterwards 

 thrown up into ridges, the ridging-body being fixed upon one side of the cultivator 

 and the subsoiler ou the other ; so that from the top of the ridge to the bottom of 

 the subsoiler the land was stirred to a depth of 18 inches. The result is, that ver)- 

 stiff land is a fine tilth, and with one good stirring, fit to receive the barley-seed. 

 — J. H. 



