^44 Report on Steam Cultivation. [CT;AT1KE. 



and the six hands employed (for the set is Avell manned) are paid 

 24^., 20^., 12^., and Is. each per week. When not cultivating, 

 the men are employed on the several farms. We should add that 

 the partners here have the advantage of first-class management, 

 their machinery being under the care and enei'getic direction of 

 Mr. J. Smith, of Alford-road, Louth, whom we shall presently 

 refer to as a proprietor of apparatus working by contract. 



The regulations governing the joint use of the engines appear 

 to be these : — At harvest-time the first partner who gets a stubble 

 clear of corn is entitled to the first turn ; he is allowed to do 

 60 acres, which may be about three days' work, and then the 

 engines are at liberty if wanted by another partner. The four 

 farmers charge themselves 6.s\ per acre for cultivating and 95. for 

 ploughing or digging, finding coal and water during work and 

 on the journey away. Two outlying farms, belonging to two of 

 the partners, 4 or 5 miles away from the nearest of the four farms, 

 and nearly 20 miles from the furthest of these farms, are charged 

 at the full tariff of prices, just as in general work done on con- 

 tract. 



We have not learned the precise principle on which the fund 

 raised from the four farms is apportioned for repairs, interest, and 

 depreciation ; but this point will be considered in the report of 

 our next case of co-operative working. 



No. 104. Mr. Richard Kay, of Forcett Valley Farm, near 

 Stanwick, Darlington ; Mr. Samuel Rowlandson, of Newton 

 Morrell, Darlington ; Mr. Luke Seymour, of Aldborough, Dar- 

 lington ; and Mr. Smurthwait, of Holme House, Darlington ; 

 all in the North Riding of Yorkshire, are partners in a " set" of 

 Fowler's tackle, consisting of a 12-horse engine and anchorage, 

 4-furrow plough, and a 7-feet-wide cultivator, fitted with " points" 

 of 4 to lOg inches breadth. Ten farmers had agreed to unite in 

 the purchase ; but, upon consideration that too much time would 

 be wasted in long journeys from one to another, and also that 

 reduction of horses (one of the chief aims) would be in a great 

 measure prevented when only a small share of work on each farm 

 fell to the engine, the number of partners was reduced to four, 

 occupying in the aggregate over 1200 acres arable and 500 grass. 

 And there is no doubt that, while a special personal interest is 

 taken in the well-being of the apparatus (each one of the four 

 partners desiring to get the most he can out of it), this plan 

 works far better than an association of many co-proprietors, 

 among whom might be several who were inattentive to the 

 details of their steam-operations. And we should say that, in 

 general, tvtO partners would be more likely to work steam-tackle 

 well. 



