6 72 Abstract Report of AgricuUural Discussions. 



steam apparatus itself was by no means in the perfect state it is now. 

 It required'grcat and constant improvement ; there were heavy expenses 

 of wear and tear, and constant outlay for renewals. So I cannot see 

 how those who have been at work five or six years only can be expected 

 to have made much progress in fixing a definite code of steam cultiva- 

 tion. We must remember, too, that all this time they have had to 

 prepare their farms for the introduction of steam, to instruct their men 

 in the use of machinery, and to inform themselves, in many cases, 

 as to the best mode both of working and applying the new power. In 

 fact, it amoimts to this, that they had not only to adapt agriculture 

 to steam, but to adapt steam to agriculture at the same time. If that 

 be so, we are undoubtedly much indebted to those pioneers of progress, 

 who have thrown themselves heartily into this question, and have 

 spared neither time nor money in their determination to make the 

 cultivation of land by steam a great and signal success. 



Having dealt with the objections which I have heard stated, and 

 which I hold have no foundation, I would next ask your opinion and 

 invite discussion upon certain questions which I will very briefly 

 indicate. 



One question I put before you is : What in your opinion is the 

 most useful and practical feature .'of these rejjorts? I have been asked 

 that question myself; an answer can never be better supplied than 

 by such a meeting as this, and I have thought it would not be a bad 

 way of treating this discussion to repeat to you some of the ques- 

 tions put to me by gentlemen interested in steam cultivation. 



As to the question, " Which is the most prominent practical feature 

 of the reports ? " I have no hesitation in saying, that I should 

 assign the chief prominence to the fact that the reports are a faith- 

 ful record of numerous cases where steam has been aj)plied to the 

 cultivation of farms imder a great variety of circumstances, such as 

 soil, climate, position, and other special conditions. These descrip- 

 tions of so many difierent farms, and the faithful accounts of steam 

 operations in a large number of instances, will furnish reliable 

 data to almost every one who, finding himself in a difficulty, may 

 wish to profit by the experience of others ; he will be almost sure to 

 find in these reports some case similar in many resjiects to his own. 

 If the water he is obliged to use be bad, he will find instances in 

 which a few pennyworths of Frank's fluid have been found sufiicient 

 to destroy its injurious character, and save the boiler. If in a wet 

 season, that he should be in danger of losing his seed-time, he may 

 read that others have got out of their difficulty by purchasing a steam 

 plough in addition to a steam cultivator. Indeed, there is hardly any 

 difficulty which can occur to a man using a steam apjiaratus which is 

 not here described, and resjiecting which he will not find advice 

 founded on experience to assist him out of it. Even in those few 

 instances, where an inquirer fails to meet with the information he 

 is in search of, the reports will tell him where he may apply for 

 information to men who have probably gone through the same diffi- 

 culties as himself. 



