152 EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE. 



one giant power, of comparatively modern invention, which, it is 

 thought, has not been as successfully or extensively applied in 

 agriculture as in some other departments of the arts. Every one 

 knows, at once, that I refer to the power of steam, which seems, 

 wherever introduced, to defy all competition ; and every day s ex 

 perience appears to demonstrate that its extent is yet hardly con 

 ceived, and its application only begun. The experiments, which 

 have been made in the application of steam power to the movement 

 of ploughs, have not, as far as I can learn, been attended with 

 success. It will not be safe to assert that this cannot be done to 

 advantage ; but certainly that is not the only application of steam 

 to the purposes of agriculture, which is to be looked for. 

 Indeed, besides the impossibility of an art, so intimately associ 

 ated as agriculture is with almost all the practical arts of life, 

 escaping its share of the general advantages which the com 

 munity is enjoying from this mighty agent, it has already 

 received many direct contributions from it. In the Lothians of 

 Scotland, those beautifully cultivated grain districts, which, when 

 seen in the season of their glory, with their green and their 

 golden crops, so rich and delightful as to make the heart of an 

 enthusiastic agriculturist beat as though he himself had a steam 

 engine under his waistcoat, a steam engine is to be found on 

 every principal farm, for threshing out all the grain, and for other 

 economical purposes, to which, on a great farm, these engines are 

 capable of being applied. The average size of these engines for 

 threshing is from a six to an eight horse power, and the cost, 

 which was formerly more than 120, or $ 600, is now greatly 

 reduced. 



The advantage of steam, as a motive power, must be obvious. 

 It is always available, at all seasons, and without reference to the 

 weather. Its movements are uniform, whereas horse power is, 

 to a degree, capricious and unsteady, and horses often suffer a 

 great deal, both from too constant and long-continued pulls, and 

 likewise from frequent stops and starts. The steam power never 

 tires, and its operation may be continued to any length of time 

 or quantity. These are all great advantages, especially when a 

 farmer, from any sudden advance, wishes to bring his grain at 

 once into the market. It is obvious, at the same time, what 

 advantages he has in having his horses saved from the severe 

 work of threshing, and fresh for other farm work. The saving of 



