408 Report on Steam Caltivatiun. [CoLK:\rAN. 



Such appears to be the cost of a day's work, for which we have 

 6 to 7 acres ploughed, 10 to 12 acres cultivated on land, so light 

 that it can be worked at any season, and on which a pair of 

 active horses would plough 1^- acre in a day. Favourable as 

 this result is, it might have been improved upon had the engine 

 been more suitable. In May, 186G, in reply to questions asked 

 by the Highland and Agricultural Society, it was stated that 

 accidents had occasioned, on the average, delays of 3 months 

 annually, often at the time when work was most pressing. Since 

 May, 1S6G, 420 acres were ploughed and 390 cultivated, not- 

 withstanding the wet season. We found the machinery in ope- 

 ration ploughing after a' root crop eaten on. The furrows were 

 laid with great regularity, and barring the breaking of a rope 

 which caused a delay of half an hour, the progress was satis- 

 factory. 



No. 128. From Carburton we proceeded to RufTord, near Oiler-- 

 ton, to inspect another case of light-land cultivation, Mr. Somer- 

 ville, on behalf of Captain Saville, purchased Fowler's 14-horse- 

 power engine and anchor, with 4-furrow plough and 7-tined 

 cultivator, September, 1864.* The farm contains 1421 acres, of 

 which 699 are arable, principally a light sand resting on sand- 

 stone-rock. The fields are generally suitable, ranging from 10 to 

 50 acres. Some of the land is rather heavy, and in such cases 

 difficulty has been experienced in travelling the engine on the 

 headlands ; to obviate which it is intended to make roads where 

 necessary. Mr. Somerville expressed a strong conviction that the 

 diameter of the wheels should be increased 2 feet, believing 

 that this would greatly lessen the risk of sticking in the mud. 

 The results, up to the end of 1866, are as follows : — 



From September, 1864, to November 10, 1865 : — 

 801 acres cultivated. 

 60 ,, ploughed. 

 Cost of above for labour, coals, &c., os. bd. per acre. 



From November 10, 1865, to December 31, 1866 : — 

 311 acres cultivated. 

 1 63 „ ploughed. 



The small proportion cultivated in 1866 is due to the fact that, in 

 consequence of the wet autumn, no work was done, as it was found 

 impossible to clean the land. The repairs have been extremely 

 small, with the exception of 10/. on a driving-wheel, caused by a 

 sinking of the engine in a sand-road, and the breakage of clip- 

 drum-bush through not being fluted to admit oil. Nothing has 

 been required but shares and porter-pullies, and Mr. Somerville 



* This was the set shown at the Newcastle Meeting of the IJoyal Agricultural 

 Society of England. 



