366 Report on Steam Cultivation, [Clakke. 



£. s. d. 



1864. — January to June 89 6 7 



July to December 80 6 7 



169 13 2 



1865. — January to June 166 8 5 



July to December 104 4 2^ 



270 12 71 

 1866.-January to June 212 7 7 



The great repairs from Messrs. Fowler since the Company 

 started have been : — 



£. 



In 1864. — One new rope 84 



Repairs to engines .... 36 



120 



And in 1866, say 70/, for both items. 



The Directors whom we met appeared to think that, in calcu- 

 lating for a "reserve fund," 10 per cent, should be charged for 

 " depreciation," in addition to which there is 5 per cent, inte- 

 rest on capital invested. Steam Cultivating Companies, they 

 say, should be on a large scale, that they may afford to pay a good 

 manager to ride about after several different " sets." The only 

 other alternative for introducing steam tillage to small farms, is 

 for several occupiers to join in the ownership of an apparatus. 



All considered that the double-engine winding-drum system 

 is the only one practicable for letting-out purposes, and that the 

 " twin " system will not answer in irregular and small inclo- 

 sures, even if the men could be sufficiently well drilled and 

 watchful enough to work it. 



Mr, Bennett, one of the gentlemen present, had reduced his 

 horses from 11 to 9, in consequence of being able to avail them- 

 selves of this machinery. Mr, Moore and Mr. Wilton had also 

 made reductions. 



Conclusion. 



r Our Report might be expected to close with a Summary of 

 points believed to be established by the foregoing body of evi- 

 dence. But as we have, for the most part, avoided tabular 

 synopses of averages, so we feel that a string of pat "conclu- 

 sions " would be more likely to mislead than to convey a sound 

 impression ; and that the reader who will not take pains to 

 refer to the cases where information is given upon special 

 topics of inquiry would not be fairly treated even were we to 

 oblige him with a number of easy generalities, A schedule of 

 "inferences,'' appropriate enough had we been conducting a 



