Steam Cultivation. 671 



also what is the average of the capacities of the men who would have 

 to conduct the operations, then I think you will perceive that if our 

 reporters had attempted to deal with the question of averages at all, 

 they would have been brought into great difficulties in their calcula- 

 tions, and would in the end have produced a result of no practical 

 value. Consequently, I think they have exercised a ■wise discretion in 

 discarding all averages, and merely tabulating the results of their 

 inquiries, side by side, for the convenience of the reader in search of 

 special and comparative information. 



Then we come to the second jjoint I mentioned, tlie kind of machinery 

 to he adopted. 



There are strong reasons why the name of any individual maker 

 shoidd, if possible, not be brought forward in a report of this kind ; 

 and the only reason which would be sufficient to warrant the adoption 

 of such a course would be the existence of so many makers, and so 

 large a variety of apparatus, that it would be a positive benefit to an in- 

 tending steam cultivator, bewildered in his choice, to be guided by 

 the experience of gentlemen who, like our reporters, have had the 

 opportunity of seeing many implements, and judging of their various 

 capabilities. In the early days of steam cultivation there were a gi-eat 

 number of inventors and makers. Dui'ing the last five or six years, 

 however, many of these implements have been found unable to stand 

 the test of every-day wear and tear ; the consequence is, that a few 

 implement makers have gathered up the best of the inventions, 

 and at the present time the number of those who stand as recog- 

 nised manufacturers of steam cultivators is so small that if a pur- 

 chaser cannot, after an exhibition of the implements at work, and 

 a perusal of the descriptions furnished of their different merits and 

 capabilities by those who have worked them, decide which maker he 

 should go to, and which system he should adopt, he is, depend upon 

 it, not in a position to begin to cultivate by steam, and had better post- 

 pone altogether the introduction of a steam implement upon his farm. 



The third question I have heard raised is as to the lest mode of 

 applying steam power, the system of husbandry which hest brings out the 

 full pjower of steam upton certain farms. 



It has been said that our reporters should have gone into those 

 questions. Now, I do think that here, as in the other points, they 

 have exercised a very soimd discretion, and so far from feeling any 

 disappointment myself that we have not made greater progress in 

 BettHng a definite code of steam cultivation, I think we shall, if we 

 look fairly at it, feel very grateful that so much has been accomplished. 

 Of the answers returned in reply to questions sent out by the Society, 

 178 came from owners and employers of steam apparatus ; and out of 

 those 178, only one had had his apparatus at work for more than ten 

 years ; and only 33 have been working a steam apparatus more than 

 five years. Some, perhaps, may say that a man who has been at work 

 60 long ought to have been able to make some progress towards esta- 

 blishing a definite system of cultivation adapted for steam ; but it must 

 be borne in mind that even so short a time as eight or ten years ago the 



