134 THE ADVANTAGES OF 



IV. 



THE ADVANTAGES OF STEAM CULTIVATION. 

 BY PROF. JOHN SCOTT.* 



The advantages resulting from the employment of steam- 

 power in tillage operations are now generally recognised. 

 One chief advantage is that it renders the farmer compara- 

 tively independent of labour ; at all times he has an enor- 

 mous power at his command on a moment's notice, and is thus 

 able to deal with the land when in a fit state for cultivation. 

 Another great advantage is that when the ordinary opera- 

 tions of breaking-up are done at the proper season, it will be 

 found that no mechanical pulverization is required. The 

 rapid motion of a steam-driven implement tears and breaks 

 up the land so that it remains in a loose, rough state, and 

 the atmosphere, acting upon the subsoil as well as on the 

 upper part of the staple, permanently raises the temperature, 

 pulverizes the whole by degrees, and thoroughly prepares it 

 for the reception of the seed. All injurious treading by 

 animals is avoided, and the roots of plants can easily pene- 

 trate to the subsoil. 



In estimating the expense of steam cultivation few justly 

 appreciate the great change that it effects in the character 

 of the soil, both as regards the drainage and the cost of 

 after tillage. When land has been once thoroughly broken 

 up by steam, every succeeding operation requires less power ; 

 arid the experience of those who have used steam-power 

 proves that one-half only of the usual operations is required. 



The value of steam tillage has been well exemplified from 

 another point ofviewiii drought}' autumns. In very dry 

 seasons, such as 1865, 1868, and 1870, after all harvest 

 operations were concluded, the stubbles were so hard and 

 dry that many farmers were compelled to wait for rain 

 before they could be ploughed by horses, whereas, those who 

 had the steam plough got to work at once, and had large 

 breadths of land broken up and cleaned in the most efficient 

 manner, the result of this thorough cleaning and tillage being 

 most apparent in future crops. 



There are now ploughing engines capable of exerting 100 

 indicated horse-power, and capable of putting a draught of 

 3 or 4 tons upon an implement at a rate varying between 3 



* Text Book on Farm Engineering, 1 885. 



