300 Report on Steam Cultivation. [Claeke. 



The swedes that we saw were a remarkably fine crop, and the 

 stubbles for the most part strong and tolerably clean. We were 

 told that much better crops have been obtained " after steam," 

 particularly a better yield of wheat, from the absence of treading. 

 Wherever part of a field has been left for horses to plough (in 

 consequence of the rope failing to compass the length of some 

 of these big fields), that part can be seen for years afterwards, by 

 its cropping^being inferior to that on the steam-ploughed portion. 



The apparatus can be squared-up ready for travelling in 

 half-an-hour ; the rope-reel beneath the clip-drum, saving much 

 time in winding up the rope ; and the engine travels without any 

 trouble, the chief accident having been that the brake-wheel once 

 broke. They have broken plough-skifes with the big stones 

 during the first year's work, but do not expect this sort of thing 

 now the land-fast stones have been found and taken out. They 

 had one rope of very bad quality, for which Messrs. Fowler made 

 them a present of a new one ; this has been worn out, and the 

 present rope is in good condition and but little worn. We 

 observed that the plough-coulters are much worn and rounded 

 off at the ends, and both coulters and shares badly "set," cutting 

 furrows of unequal size ; but good work can hardly be expected 

 unless the "irons" of a steam-plough are as carefully attended to 

 as those of a horse implement. 



Two men and three (sometimes four) bovs work the tackle ; and 

 while ordinai'y wages here are 10s. a Aveek, the engine-man and 

 ploughman are paid 18.?. each : the anchor-lad, 9s. ; the porter- 

 boys, 7s. each. The engine burns about 15 cwts. of coal per day. 



These details are very scanty, but we believe that Mr, Brown 

 is satisfied with his investment, though we were unable to hear 

 from his own lips that in case the steam-plough were to take 

 sudden flight, he would certainly buy another. 



No. 84. Mr. J. Stratton, of Salthrope, Swindon, Wiltshire, 

 has a 12-horse Fowler set, purchased, we believe, in 1859 ; and 

 alterations (or modernisation) since that time, with a new plough 

 and cultivator, have cost about 300/. more than the original 

 outlay. The farms (Salthrope and Broad Hinton) include 1000 

 acres arable, (besides 700 acres of pasture and 70 acres of Down,) 

 having a very heavy adhesive soil upon a chalk subsoil ; and the 

 fields, varying from 50 to 200 acres in area, are generally level. No 

 new roads have been laid out, but the headlands have been 

 altered for the steam-engine. Mr. Stratton pays 12.9. per day to 

 the three men and three boys who Avork the apparatus ; one horse 

 and cart can fetch the water, for a distance of one mile ; removal 

 for a mile occupies 4 hours ; oil costs about Is. del., and coal 10s. 

 per day, at 20*-. per ton. The area ploughed or dug is 5 to 

 10 acres, or from 10 up to 20 acres broken up Avith the cultivator. 

 The engine is employed for 30 to 40 days in the year jn thrashing. 



