422 Report, on Steam Cultivation. [Coleman. 



windlass, anchors, &c., 448/. 55, Wd. ; cultivator, 21 Z. 155. 9f/. ; 

 harrows, 12/. I85. ; water-cart, 24/. We saw the work going- on 

 in a liillj field, the engine being placed at the bottom. The 

 gearing of the windlasses is effected by a strong spring and 

 clutches, this arrangement caused more vibration than was 

 desirable, and we much prefer the simpler mechanism of Howard's 

 windlass. The ploughing was well done. We do not consider 

 Fowler's anchors a desirable or necessary addition ; they are 

 costly, difficult to move about, and must naturally increase the 

 time and labour of moving, whereas the claw-anchors and snatch- 

 blocks are thrown into a cart and taken away at once. It was 

 said that they would not hold, and were constantly dragging, 

 but this is not general experience ; and as the engine is only 

 10-horse power, we feel satisfied that no force which it is capable 

 of exerting would cause the anchors to drag if carefully looked 

 after. 



Since the present plan has been adopted — 5 years — the repairs 

 have averaged about 50/. per annum ; this sum includes 

 2 new ropes, bought in 1865 and 1866. Ashby's rotating 

 harrows are highly spoken of, being attached to and follow- 

 ing the cultivator ; this is a matter of very simple arrange- 

 ment, —a strong iron bar is fastened across the middle of the 

 cultivator at right angles, 4 ft. from centre on each side, at each 

 end is a large iron ring, to which is attached, by a sufficiently 

 long chain, the harrows ; before the cultivator turns at the end 

 the driver or a lad pulls each harrow sufficiently aside to allow 

 the cultivator to return without contact, the harrows settling at 

 once in their place. Lord Berners spoke of the harrows col- 

 lecting the weeds and leaving them in heaps in a manner that 

 was highly satisfactory. The greatest advantage gained by 

 the possession of steam-power was in 1863, when some 80 acres 

 of miserably neglected land came into occupation, and was 

 thoroughly knocked about and cleaned between Aug. 3 and Oct. 2. 

 The work done may be gathered from the following details : — 



A. K. 



ill 3 cultivated 4 times over, 8 inches deep. 

 12 

 9 „ 2 „ n „ 



7 „ 8 „ 2 „ 4i „ 



10 „ 20 „ 2 „ 2 



3 „ 10 dug once 7 to 8 inches deep. 



3 „ 6 cultivated I3 time. 



1 „ 9^ steam harrowed. 



These operations, performed at a time v/hen most beneficial, yet 

 when with horse labour the work could not have been under- 

 taken, are great facts in favour of steam culture. 



The following figures, referring to certain work performed 



