Coleman.] Report on Steam Cultivation. 411 



£. s. d. 

 New cultivator, wheels, rope-porters, snatcli-blocks, &:c, 12 19 

 Repairs of vaiious bolts, anchors, beetle-hoops, &c. 



Cleaning tubes of engine 



Carpenter's work, estimated at 



Smith's cradle porters are found efficient ; not being so rigid 

 as most, tliej adapt themselves to the varied strain of the rope, 

 and are not so liable to be turned over. The windlass, made by 

 Buttlin of Northampton, is on 4 wheels, heavy to move on wet 

 land. It is worked by double gearing with reversible break, 

 carrying adjustible pressure behind : we do not think this arrange- 

 ment so perfect as the blocks in Howard's apparatus. Notwith- 

 standing the wet autumn, a good deal of the fallow land was 

 grubbed ; and we had an opportunity of comparing the condition 

 of land so stirred with that horse-ploughed, and found a great differ- 

 ence in favour of steam. It appears to us that Smith's implements 

 break up and open the soil in a manner superior to Howard's culti- 

 vator, and this may partly explain the greater advantage following 

 their use. At Crow Park Farm a stale furrow is found very 

 essential for the root-crop ; the ordinary process consists in 

 cultivating either once or twice in autumn, cleaning the surface 

 if required, and throwing the land into high ridges by horse- 

 ploughs. This, however, on a large scale, would be more effici- 

 ently and economically effected by steam. In spring, before 

 turnip-sowing, these ridges are levelled with harrows, artificial 

 manure is sown, and the land " bouted " up and drilled ; and 

 such treatment ensures a splendidly deep and fine seed-bed, in 

 which the roots are certain to strike well and grow away. 



No. 130. From Sutton the Committee proceeded to Balderton, 

 near Newark, where Mr. Grosvenor Hodgkinson, M.P., employs 

 Fowler's clip-drum apparatus on a farm of 730 acres, G80 of 

 which are arable, consisting principally of a strong lias-clay, resting 

 on limestone, with some black moory land. The investment was 

 made in August, 1862 ; the land, then recently occupied, was in 

 a very rough state, to which may be partly attributed the heavy 

 outlay for repairs. The accounts extend over the three first 

 years — viz. from August, 1862, to the end of 1865. Unfortu- 

 nately for us, Mr. Hodgkinson's parliamentary duties prevented 

 a meeting, so we were unable to obtain much information that 

 would have been interesting. The repairs, including one new 

 rope of 500 yards, amount to 282/. bs. — a new clip-drum and 

 driving-wheel having been required. A new road has been con- 

 structed right through the farm, and the engine can thus travel 

 on a firm surface — a point of material importance, though in- 

 volving an outlay which few tenants could safely undertake. We 



