296 Report on Steam Cultivation. [Clat?ke. 



is g'iven in the very last Part of the ' Journal ' (New Series, 

 vol. ii., 1866). 



We could not forbear a diversion from our direct " steam " 

 track to get a glimpse of the Manor Farm at Braydon, — lying in 

 a low tract of poor clay-land, furze, water, and deep founderous 

 lanes and " slogs," with pastures of " hardhead, rest-harrow, and 

 devils'-scabious," a " water-table " only a few inches below the 

 surface wherever it is not on the surface, and the unenviable 

 notoriety that it " would rot a goose." Steam mole-draining 3 

 feet deep at every 2 yards, assisted by cross-drains at intervals 

 of 4 chains, with only a few pipes at the outlets, and costing a 

 little over 16s. an acre ; lime-composting, liberal artificial ma- 

 nuring, and heavy sheep-folding on the grass have amazingly 

 altered the nature of the herbage, and probably more than doubled 

 the rental value of the land in four years. Mr. Ruck's very clever 

 arrangement and economical construction of feeding and barn 

 premises (particularly his faggot-roofing, his contrivances for 

 Avatering the cattle in their boxes, and for distributing prepared 

 food to about 50 bullocks by one man in less than five minutes), 

 Avere matters of great interest to us ; but for full information con- 

 cerning this really extraordinary example of land improvement, 

 we must refer readers to the above-named description in the 

 ' Journal.' 



Mr. Ruck's address to the Weekly Council, May 15tb, 1863, 

 relates how he purchased his 14-horse-power set of Fowler tackle 

 in 1859, and at once sold off seven 4-ox teams: how he removed 

 liedgerows and made sound headland roads : how he used 

 Fowler's steam-draining plough without pipes : how his steam- 

 ploughing (with drag attached), at the rate of 8 acres a day, cost 

 him 5s. per acre ; and scarifying (with drag attached), at the 

 rate of 16 acres per day, cost him 2s. Qd. per acre : how the said 

 ploughing was worth, by horses, 15s. ; and the scarifying worth, 

 by horses, 7s. 6(:Z. an acre — the steam-work thus being executed at 

 one-third the cost by horses : how a 14-horse engine does in one 

 day the work of 30 horses : how heavy land drains much better 

 and dries quicker after steam culture : how artificial manures 

 operate more effectually, owing to the finer tilth produced : that 

 digging by the steam-plough, at 5s. an acre, is really worth as 

 much as spade-work done at 40s. an acre : that by autumn culti- 

 vation vetches and rye are grown and fed off in spring, in time 

 for a root-crop to follow, by which the flock of sheep is greatly 

 enlarged : that the harvest comes a week or ten days earlier : 

 that the samples both of wheat and barley are better and heavier: 

 that the seeds are Avonderfully better : that clover can be grown 

 after steam tillage every three or four years : that 8 horses are 

 found sufficient to cart the corn on 600 acres arable : that the 



