Clarke.] Report on Steam Cultivation. 333 



acie thus coming to 85. Crf. And allowing for heavy re- 

 pairs, Ave cannot see how the total outlay can exceed \0s. an 

 acre, or 200Z. a year, — unless it bo through unusual breakages 

 and queer accidents. Besides, we have made no allowance lor 

 the use of the engine in thrashing ; and, though we did not make 

 a note of this point, we believe that it is so employed for a con- 

 siderable part of the year. Setting off this annual cost of steam 

 tillage, against the saving by displacement of teams, we have a 

 clear gain of (564/. — 200/.) oi'Al. per annum. This precisely 

 agrees with what Mr. Newton affirmed to be his '^ impression " 

 (for book-accounts, and a balance-sheet for comparison, have not 

 been kept), that the steam work has been cheaper than the 

 former horse work. It is : and our reckoning would lead to the 

 conclusion that, after squaiing all its own working and other 

 yearly expenses, the tackle is paying for itself over and over 

 again about every two years. 



It is remai'kable that an apparatus of low capability, " culti- 

 vating " onh', and doing the small proportion of but 400 acres 

 a year upon a joint area of 1250 acres arable, should have been 

 able to displace one-third of the old force of draft animals, — 

 that one 10-horse portable should have proved its ability to 

 make better tillage and bring heavier crops than could be got 

 by the use of 6 horses and 20 bullocks. Readers will perceive 

 that the nature of the farms has a good deal to do with it : the 

 land is of such a medium character that autumn-cleaning and 

 enough other work can be well done by a form of apparatus not 

 so well adapted as the regular " Leeds set " for economizing 

 motive-power ; so that the yearly sum sunk in interest and depre- 

 ciation is not particularly heavy. Then further, the husbandry 

 pursued under (what is still more important) a thoroughly busi- 

 ness-like and energetic management of both teams and labourers, 

 has enabled these farmers to part with a large percentage of 

 their former, force of draft-animals, notwithstanding that much 

 less steam work is done here than on many other farms where 

 the engine ploughs and digs, besides grubbing : this example 

 teaching that many followers of steam tillage retain more horses 

 than they actually need. But particular attention should be 

 directed to the circumstance here exemplified, — the difference 

 between a banishment of draft-animals by a set of steam-tackle, 

 and the same displacement (as here) hy only half a set. For 

 had Mr. Newton and Mr. Taylor bought a "set" each, they 

 could have sold off no more horses ; and just the same amount 

 of yearly saving on each farm Avould have been counterbalanced 

 by double the present burden of interest, &c., upon first invest- 

 ment. The very favourable balance on the side of steam 

 culture, in this case, has mainly resulted from the circumstance 



