Steam Cultivation. 677 



could not be done in all cases or in all weathers. That apparatus was 

 worked by a leather strap (A Voice : " It can be worked in many 

 ways"). At any rate that was one of the ways, and the strap could 

 not always be kept on in wet and windy weather, although in fine 

 weather no doubt the apparatus answered extremely well. He 

 mentioned that defect some time ago to Mr. Howard, who then 

 brought out a union-joint, which was fixed to the central axle of the 

 fly-wheel, and, of course, being so fixed, it retarded the pace. If any- 

 thing could be devised by Mr. Howard to make the aj^paratus work in 

 all weathers, they would have an almost perfect implement. 



Mr, BoiiFORD explained with reference to his piu-chasc of a double 

 set, that he had 600 acres of land where he lived, and 300 nine miles 

 away ; it was for the 300 acres that the second set was purchased, and 

 when not required for his o^ti purposes he intended to let it out. If 

 the 900 acres were all together, one set of tackle woidd be sufficient. 

 As soon as his crop was off he was anxious to get his land broken up. 

 The work could only be done in fine weather, and therefore the sooner 

 the better. 



Mr. BuLSTEODE, who had read with great pleasure the full and able 

 report of the Commissioners, said that the question of outlay woukl 

 always be one of primary importance to the ordinary farmers of Eng- 

 land, The trials made hitherto were in favour of the direct system, 

 in which the apparatus was the most scientific, but also the most 

 expensive ; and if farmers were to take the verdict of that Society 

 from the trials already made, they would have to purchase at a cost 

 from 800Z. to 1500L, which a great many neither would nor could do. 

 The reports, which quite coincided with his own experience, revealed 

 several startling results. In the first place, the trials of machinery 

 did not appear to have been always successful. Two machines, pur- 

 chased by Lord Berners and Lord Vernon, respectively, though they 

 took piizes at the Shows where they were exhibited, yet both proved 

 failures in practice. Again, although the stationary or roundabout 

 system had been condemned by that Society, yet hundreds of sets on 

 that system had been working successfully for years, and had yielded 

 a good profit to those using them, Mr. Smith, of Woolston, being 

 among the number. The results, though at first rather startling, 

 ceased to be so, if they considered how the trials had been made. 

 There were small regular plots of ground, the machines were of the 

 best description, and the men by whom they were managed were 

 skilled men, well up to their work. All this involved great advantage 

 over the work on an ordinary farm, and, in some degree, exjilained 

 why a system of gi'cat general utility did not appear to advantage when 

 compared with one of greater cost and special excellence. The case 

 was something like that of a short run between a thoroughbred racer 

 and a hunter. This was a matter which he thought should be specially 

 brought before the farmers of this country ; for if they found many 

 instances in which farmers having engines from 8 to 10 horse-power 

 were enabled, by making an additional outlay of from 250Z, to 300/., 

 to adopt steam- cultivation successfully, surely it was a matter well 



VOL. III.— S. S. 2 Y 



