Coleman.] Beport on Steam Cultivation. 421 



cultivated. Ploughed. 



Acres. Acres. 



In 1863-64 1250 .... 83 



„ 1864-65 750 .... 34 



„ 1865-66 28G .. .. 97 



„ 1866 175 .. ,. 70 



Total .. 2461 Total 234 



This represents 3^ years' work. The wet season of 1866 will 

 sufficiently explain the insignificant amount of work, but we are 

 at a loss to understand why on a farm of 692 acres arable, and 

 with 150 acres of fallow and 200 acres of wheat, besides beans 

 and barley, so little was done in 1865. According to Mr. 

 Pacey's estimate of work per day, all that was done would not 

 occupy 60 days. The fallow alone Avould represent 150 acres of 

 ploughing and 300 of cultivation at the very least, and yet we 

 are told that 12 horses have been put down. Our time was 

 limited, but we walked over some of the fallows and found 

 them very clean. Having no record of number of days during 

 which the apparatus was used, we abstain from calculations. 

 If 12 horses have been saved, steam has proved a great gain at 

 Garthorpe. 



No. 135. The last visit of the Committee was paid to Lord 

 Berners, Keythorpe Hall, whose tenacious soil and undulating sur- 

 face has been greatly benefited by steam ; so much so, that notwith- 

 standing much breakage and many disappointments, especially 

 in early days, Lord Berners declares he would use steam power 

 on an area of 250 acres arable : whereas, at Keythorpe, the farm 

 contains 380 acres arable, and 520 in pasture. The soil is natu- 

 rally a stiff binding clay resting on clay, but has been greatly 

 improved by drainage, subsoiling, and autumn cultivation, 

 carried on for many years. The fields are generally suitable 

 as to size — from 10 to 25 acres each ; though more or less 

 undulating, many fences have been grubbed and fields made as 

 square as possible. In 1861, at the Leeds Show, Fowler's sheaf- 

 windlass was purchased to be driven by Clayton and Shuttle- 

 worth's 10-horse-power engine ; but after a considerable trial 

 abandoned, as the breakages and stoppages were so frequent that 

 at least one-third of the time it was standing still. In 1862 an 

 exchange was effected, Fowler supplying an upright double 

 windlass driven from the engine by a connecting-rod. Four wheel- 

 travelling anchors are placed on either headland, Avhich take the 

 place of the anchors and snatch-blocks in Howard's system, 

 Howard's cultivator. Fowler's 3-furrow plough, and Smith and 

 Ashby's rotating harrows ; are employed, the total cost amounting 

 to 798/, 15^-. Id., as thus : — engine, 291Z. 15^. Qd. ; plough, 



