346 Report on Steam Cultivation. [Clakke. 



been 179/. 35. Qd. per year, but will be much less for the future. 

 Excluding the first year, the number of days' work done on the 

 four farms is as follows: — May, 1863, to May, 1864, 157 days; 

 May, 1864, to May, 1865, 12U days; May, 1865, to May, 1866, 

 112-2- days ; a total of 391 days ; or an average of 130 days in a 

 year. It will be observed that this is a gradual decrease of time, 

 and, upon the last year, a saving of 25 per cent, from the second. 

 The time lost by stoppages from accidents or bad yveather has 

 not been booked, the men going to farm-labour as soon as they 

 cease yvorking. Ordinary labourers here have houses, coals led 

 for them, potatoes, 6:c., making, with their yvages, about 18,s. per 

 week. The steam-hands are paid thus : — engine-men, 23s. ; 

 ploughmen, 18^. per vveek for the first year, 205. for the second 

 year; and the anchor-men, I65. per week; the two porter-lads 

 and water-leader, 9^. to ] 25. each. No gratuities are allowed ; 

 and paying by the acre is objected to, seeing that the men would 

 drive too fast, and this would not answer among so many land- 

 fast stones. The leading of 350 to 400 gallons of water is done 

 by one horse, the distance rarely exceeding 30 chains. The 

 apparatus can be taken up and "re-set" in an adjoining field in 

 two hours by help of 2 horses, but each man must know his 

 business well to get it done in that time. 



Coal, costing 75. a ton at the pit, and with leading home, say 

 145. per ton, is burned at the rate of 8 to 10 cwts. per day, say 

 65. Qd. worth per day. The annual expenditure may be summed 

 up thus : — 



£. s. d. 



Labour, 130 days x 14s. 8c? 30 fi 8 



AVater-cart horse, 130 days X 2s. (jc? 10 .5 



Eenioval-horses, 130 days X M 350 



Coal, 130 days X 6s. G(/ 42 5 



Repairs, renewals, rope, oil, &c., 130 days X 27s. i\ld. 179 3 fi 



Interest, 1000?., at 5 per cent. .. ". 50 



Depreciation, say 800/., at 5 per cent 40 



Total, 130 days, at 55s. 63c? 361 5 2 



The engine is occasionally used for thrashing ; but no allow- 

 ance is made for this in the above statement. Mr. Rowlandson, 

 who has carefully kept all the accounts, and who has large expe- 

 rience of mining machinery, agrees with us that, after full repairs 

 are charged, 10 per cent, would be an excessive allowance for 

 " depreciation." 



The immediate return from a yearly outlay of 361/. 55. appears 

 in the saving of 12 to 15 horses on the four farms, — though one of 

 the four partners has not yet reduced his team-force at all. The 

 sum saved is thus 528/. to 660/. per annum ; and deducting 



