S-lO Report oil Steam Caltivatiun. [Ci.AEKE. 



in expediting the action of his machinery. And his several 

 ingenious appliances, though apparently small in themselves, so 

 materially affect the results in the two important matters of 

 " work done per day," and " cost of repairs per acre," that they 

 are worthy the serious attention of all persons employing the 

 stationary-engine system. Perceiving that a large percentage of 

 time was lost every day in the mere delay of the implement at 

 each end of the field, he devised the "patent snatch-block 

 slings," which require no further description from us in this 

 place than an intimation of their use and purpose. Instead of 

 being knocked-off from one anchor, and, with difficulty to the 

 anchor-man, hooked-on to the next, the patent pulley slides of 

 its own accord along a strong iron bar to its place at the next 

 anchor, and does this not while the implement is waiting at the 

 end, but while the implement is in work on its way back again. 

 In our account of Messrs. Howards' farm (No, 51) we record 

 that only 7 or 8 seconds were observed by us to be spent between 

 pulling-up the cultivator and starting it again, by help of these 

 slings ; this was when worked by Messrs. Howards' skilful 

 men, Mr, Bulstrode's labourers Ave timed to be from 9 to 12 

 seconds in " turning at the ends." Mr. Bulstrode has drawn up 

 the following comparison between this and the practice with the 

 old pulleys : — 



" 1st. Nine acres can be cultivated per day, where only 8 acres 

 could be done previously ; 



Seconds. 

 Say, the average time of traversing a iield is 2!] minutes 165 

 Average stoppage at the ends was 35 



Total 200 



The average stoppage when the sling is used is 10 seconds ; and 

 the time saved at each end is 35 — 10 = 25 seconds. And as 

 25 : 200 : : 1 : 8, therefore |th of the whole time is saved. Or, 

 in other words, 9 acres are done in the same time as 8 previously, 



" 2nd. The saving in labour in the cost of porter-men — no 

 longer required to assist the anchor-men — may be fairly put at 

 2«. per day, 



" 3rd, The reduction in cost will amount to 40/. per annum 

 on a farm of average size. In this way, if the previous cost of 

 cultivating per day was 50^., the cost per day with the slings 

 will be 485. The previous number of acres per day having been 

 8, the number of acres with the slings will be 9, Hence — 



The cost per acre, without slings, is ^-^ = G o 

 The cost per acre, witli slings, is %f = 5 4 



Saving per aero 11 



