Clarke.] Report on Steam Cultivation. 323 



mile from the last, within one hour and five minutes from 

 leaving off work in the latter. Mr. Coates, the bailiff, informed 

 us that from April 14th to October 18th, 1866, the work done 

 was 210 acres of digging and ploughing in 29 days — i.e., 1^ 

 acres per day ; 520 acres of cultivating in 48 days — i.e., nearly 

 11 acres per day ; and 391 acres harrowed in 25 days — i.e., over 

 15^ acres per day ; and this harrowing was done twice in a 

 place, the harrow " overlapping half." The engines thrash, and 

 have steam-cultivated 273 acres on 8 farms, at a charge of \0s. 

 to 12s. per acre, though they will have plenty of work to do 

 without being much let out. Lord Vernon kindly sent us an 

 elaborate statistical summary of costs and quantities, of work 

 done between March, 1865, and October, 1866 ; but as the 

 8-horse "twins" were engaged during an unspecified portion 

 of the time, and as the hands employed for several months were 

 "special" men, who did not work on the farm, and received 

 their full wages whether they were steaming or not, the cal- 

 culations would hardly present fair results. The totals, 

 however, are 524^ acres of digging, 8 to 11 inches deep, in 

 101^ days, at a total cost of lbs. 2d. per acre; "repairs" being 

 42/. 75. ; and " interest on plant," 126/. 5^. Of ploughing, 

 7 to 10 inches deep, 194 acres were done in 30 days, at a total 

 cost of 13^. 2d. per acre; "repairs" being 15/. 18^.; and 

 " interest on plant," 39/. 17^. Of cultivating, 827 acres were 

 done in 93^ days, at a total cost of 9^. od. per acre; "repairs" 

 being 48/, 18^.; and " intei-est on plant," 127/. \0s. And of 

 harrowing, 415 acres were done in 30 days, at a total cost of 

 5s. IfZ. per acre; "repairs" being 11/. 14s.; and "interest on 

 plant," 34/. 4s. The grand totals are 1960|^ acres of steam 

 tillage in 255 days (i.e., 7f acres per day) ; labour costing, 

 432/. 66'. M. ; coals, 71/. 19s. Qd. ; water, 15/. ; oil, 41/. 8s. 4rf. ; 

 repairs, 118/. 18s. bd. ; incidentals, 9/. 16s. 3rf. ; interest on 

 plant, 327/. 17s. 4^/. ; altogether, 1017/. 6s. Id., or 10s. M. per 

 acre. Lord Vernon's agent, Mr. J. G. Grey, of Milfield, 

 Wooler, has been at great pains to make out the figures ; but, as 

 we have said, they cannot be a fair guide for the performances of 

 the present 10-horse tackle in the labourers' hands. We learn 

 from him that, from the 11th of June to the 1st of September in 

 1866, these latter men accomplished as follows : — 49 acres dug, 

 10 inches deep, in 7^ days ; 278 acres cultivated, 10 inches deep, 

 in Z'l^ davs {i.e., 8|^ acres per day) ; and 232 acres harrowed in 

 17 days. For these 57 days of actual work, 12 days were lost 

 by wet weather, 1 day in repairing, and 1 day in washing out 

 the boilers. The total expenses upon 559 acres of steam tillage 

 were, for labour, 63/. ^s. Qd. ; coals, 19/. 8s. (Jd. ; water, 11. 2s. 6d. ; 

 oil, 61. 10s. 8d. ; repairs, 16/, 14s. ; interest on plant, 50/, Ss. 9d.; 



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