400 Report on ^tcam Cultivation. [Coleman. 



For the reasons touched on, we cannot consider this case as 

 affording fair experience of steam cultivation by the aid of a 

 Limited Liability Company. 



No. 124. Lord Hatherton's home-farm at Teddesley, near 

 Stafford, contains 400 acres of light land, sand, gravel, and peat. 

 He uses Smith's tackle driven by an 8-horse-power engine made by 

 Massey of Newport. The apparatus was purchased in the spring 

 of 1857, consequently it has been at work for 10 years. 2 cul- 

 tivators, one with 3, the other 5 tines, are employed. 3 ropes have 

 been supplied ; 1400 yards of iron-wire rope first sent soon 

 wore out, as the friction from the sand and stones is consider- 

 able. 2 steel ropes of 1000 yards each have been added, and, at 

 the present time, the ropes are much worn, though equal, with 

 care, to another year's work. The original cost of the appa- 

 ratus is not known, but we may fairly estimate it at about 500Z. 

 The land is level, the fields rectangular and generally large, 

 varying from 15 to 50 acres. The water-supply particularly 

 good, so much so that there is very little deposit in the tubes, 

 and the circumstances are generally very favourable to success, 

 the principal obstructions occurring from numerous trees which 

 dot the surface of the arable land and cause considerable delay. 

 Owing to the light nature of the soil, accidents are almost un- 

 known, and wear and tear reduced to a minimum, which may be 

 gathered from the fact that, after 10 years' use, the whole plant was 

 valued last spring at over 200/. and, according to the figures 

 which we append, it will be seen that the apparatus has already 

 paid for itself. The 4-course rotation is adopted, and steam 

 culture entirely confined to the fallow crop. The ordinary 

 operations consist of a double grubbing in the autumn, first with 

 the 3-tined implement, and afterwards, at right angles, with the 

 wider tool. These operations are not generally very deep, the 

 object being to remove the couch grass to which this land is very 

 subject. The land is then hoi'se-ploughed and left for the 

 Avinter. In spring it is twice worked with the larger implement, 

 and before ridging receives a final and deeper stirring with the 

 smaller cultivator. This gives us 500 acres as the average 

 annual work. The quantity of work done per day of 10 hours, 

 as well as we could judge, was 5 acres with the 3-tined and 7 

 acres with the 5-tined implement, and the cost, according to the 

 subjoined statement (see Expenditure per Day on next page), varies 

 from Is. lO^d. to bs. l\d. an acre. 



The annual cost of the steam cultivation amounts to about 

 167/., and we are informed that G horses have been taken off: 

 assuming that the latter, with attendants, would average on this 

 light land 45Z. per head, we have a balance of 103/. in favour of 

 steam. This is a highly satisfactory result, as we have to credit 



