Clabke.] Report on Steam Cultivation. 281 



movals !] ; but it would take three times the number to do what 

 we now do by steam." Much ot" the ground having produced 

 nothing before, except gorse, thistles, and rushes, it is impossible 

 to assign any increase of production to the steam work. 



No. 76. Mr. Vincent Gosford, of Tanylan, Holywell, Flint- 

 shire. In May, 1861, Mr. Gosford began steam cultivation with 

 a set of Howard's tackle, including a cultivator, a 3-furro\v 

 plough, with two extra bodies for deep work, a single plough 

 for very deep work, and heavy steam-harrows, driven by a 

 10-horse engine. The cost price was 672/. Wearing parts and 

 fittings have cost 25/. 10s. Qd. ; alteration of cultivator, 12^. ; 

 and small repairs, done at home, not exceeding 5Z. In 1865 a 

 new rope was supplied. 



Tlie farm comprises 414 acres arable and 100 grass, — three- 

 fourths of it a deep alluvial soil, — the rest lighter. It lies 

 perfectly level, in square inclosures averaging 20 to 30 acres 

 each, intersected by four straight water-cuts for the drainage, 

 these being very convenient for feeding the engine. 



The engine — consuming on an average half-a-ton per day, at 

 12^. Sd. per ton on the ground, with a boy supplying water by 

 a pail — ploughs 5 acres a day, or, with the deep plough, 15 

 inches deep, 3 acres; or cultivates with the o-tiner, 6 acres, and 

 with the 5-tiner, 8 acres per day. With the harrows, it does, 

 once over, about 16 acres per day. The engine-man (the farm 

 blacksmith) has 2s. Gd ; windlass-man, ploughman, and two 

 anchor-men, 2^. 2d. each ; two porter-boys. Is. each ; and the 

 water-boy, 8d. ; total wages, 13^. 10(/. per day. Four horses 

 move the tackle in 2 hours, on an average, "ready to start." 

 The engine does the farm thrashing. Mr. Gosford has diminished 

 his number of horses from 20 or more to 12 now. 



He says that the drainage is " unquestionably " improved. 

 *' After the deep ploughing the rain-water quickly disappears, 

 and the land is ready much sooner for the implements. After 

 the old shallow ploughings the small hollows silt up and hold 

 water like basins for weeks. On tliis flat soil the land, after 

 cultivatiw/, was washed down so closely that the work had fre- 

 quently to be repeated, whilst the best possible seed-bed is 

 left after the deep ploughing." The plough was not purchased 

 for the first two seasons. He has altered his rotation by much 

 enlarging the area of root-crops, " as we can now success- 

 fully grow root-crops on the strongest land." As to increased 

 productiveness, he writes, " I have no hesitation in saying that 

 the farm is in course of progressive improvement, entirely 

 attributable to steam cultivation." 



The following are a few collected particulars from farms in 

 this Division : — 



