412 Report on Steam Cultivation. [Coleman. 



found the engine working on a headland by the side of this road, 

 an unnecessarily high fence preventing the use of the road. This 

 might easily be lowered without materially reducing its utility. 



The horse-labour has been reduced from 23 to 15. The land 

 is managed principally on the 4-course rotation, and the average 

 annual work, as nearly as we can calculate, consists in 330 acres 

 cultivated and 380 acres ploughed. The amount of work per 

 day, including removals, has been 5 acres ploughing and digging, 

 and 9 acres cultivated : — - 



£. s. c?. 



*Lal)oiu- 13 10 



Water-cart horse t) 3 



Coals, 17 cwts 13 7 



Eepairs (calculated for 3 first years) 94/. Is. 3'/.( p. -in n 



per annum over 113 clays j 



Wear and tear, at 7=} per cent, on 9G01 12 9 



Interest of money, at 5 per cent 8 G 



Total day's work ^ 3 8 3 



Total annual cost, 385/'. 12s. ocl. ; less 20/. for use of engine thrashing 

 40 days = 365/. 12s. 3cZ. 



The cost of 8 horses with attendants displaced by steam cannot be 

 estimated on such strong land under 100/. a pair ; consequently we 

 may fairly credit the account with 400/., which results in a trifling 

 balance in favour of the apparatus — with an ordinary amount of 

 breakage, this would have been a good case. The new road must 

 be regarded as a permanent improvement, for which the tenant 

 would willingly pay 5 per cent. The wheat appeared healthy, 

 the ground covered with rough clots, the land generally very 

 clean ; drainage is believed to be much improved from the deeper 

 condition of the surface-soil. The land is kept flat, and no water 

 can be seen lying on the top. Bare fallows are replaced by 

 roots, and consequently a heavier stock can be maintained. 



No. 131. At Orston, Elton, Notts., Mr. Fisher shows what can 

 be done on the strongest description of lias-clay ; not so much in 

 the Avay of reducing horse-power, as in allowing an alteration of 

 cropping with a view to an increased sheep stock. Before steam 

 cultivation, root-crops were unknown ; the bare fallow prevailed, 

 and the sheep were wintered out : now mangolds and cabbage are 

 largely grown and consumed by the sheep in yards, whilst spring 

 vetches occupy a considerable breadth of the fallows, and are 

 eaten off early in autumn, in time for a bastard fallow. The 

 farm contains 700 acres, ha,lf of which is arable. The apparatus 

 consists of 10-horse-power engine, by Clayton and Shuttleworth, 

 and Howard's windlass and 5-tined cultivator, &c., costing 550Z. 



* Engineer, .3s. 4c7. ; ploughman, 2s. 10(/. ; anchor-niau, 2s. 6(7. ; 2 bojs, 2s. Sd. ; 

 1 witli water-cart, 2s. Gd. 



