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MONTHLY JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE. 



duly appreciated and early adopted. However, 

 it may be said that, in general, the impelling 

 power is strictly confined to driving the tliresh- 

 iug-machine and connections of it. Indeed, un- 

 less the steam-engine has ample power, it would 

 be useless attempting to work more than the 

 mill at one time; but we see, if the power is ju- 

 diciously arranged, that even a stcam-engiue of 

 only six-hor.se power can be made of powerful 

 avail to the farmer. 



It seems singular that the farmer of the pres- 

 ent day does not turn more attention to these 

 useful applications of ingenuity so advantage- 

 ous to himself, of which I have given so striking 

 an example; for, when we turn to the century 

 that is past, which we are so apt to deride for 

 its want of mechanical contrivances, and think 

 BO much behind the present age, w^e shall find 

 much to admire if we have the patience to in- 

 vestigate. If we turn to the works of Dr. Ste- 

 phen Hales. F. R. S., and other writers, farmers 

 will find much curious and useful information. 

 His plan of keeping com sweet in sacks was 

 considered of great benefit to farmers. A hol- 

 low reed or cane, perforated with 200 holes, was 

 placed in the sack, and the nose of a common 

 kitchen beUows placed into a wooden faucet at- 

 tached to a leathern pipe ten inches long, dis- 

 tended by a spiral wire fixed to the top of the 

 stick. Each stroke of the bellows would dis- 

 charge a quart of air, sixty-four strokes per 

 minute would convey a quantity of air equal to 

 the capacity of a four-bushel sack. With the 

 steam-power at command at the farm to drive a 

 blowing-fan. such a scheme as this could be ea- 

 sily adopted by the farmer, and still exceed the 

 plan of preserving com by ventilation, which 

 was much thought of at the time, although ven- 

 tilators of a much simpler construction can now 

 be readily applied for the purpose. It is stated 

 (in the Gentlemen' s Magazine, 1749) that the 

 ventilators contrived by Dr. Hales for preserving 

 com were so much esteemed in France that M. 

 de Humet de Monceau, a Member of the Royal 

 Academy of Sciences, preserved a large heap of 

 com free from weevils for two years, without 

 turning it, merely bj- blo7cing air up through it. 

 He likewse procured a large granary to pre- 

 serve, in the same manner, with ventilators 

 worked by a wind mill, quantities of corn, with 

 a view of making it a general practice in France. 

 Dr. Hales also applied his ventilators very use- 

 fully for sweetening milk when ill-tasted, also for 

 water, by blowing showers of air through it. 

 His ventilators in dairies would be found advan- 

 tageous. If such was the knowledge of these 

 matters in the last century, it seems singular 

 how little has been really done to follow out the 

 experience they acquired ; yet it is not the less 

 curious to observe the coincidence that so often 

 happens between past and present inventions ; 

 for the plan I have described, as applied for 

 drying grain in East Lothian, is a counterpart of 

 the very plan recommended by Dr. Hales for 

 drying malt, hops, <5cc. only the latter had the 

 advantage in recommending blowing fresh air 

 upward through wooden bars, " or large laths, 

 nailed to the fioor, and haircloth to be laid on 

 them." 



W hile, therefore, improving the present in- 

 ventions, do not let us overlook the past, and 

 claim, as new ideas and inventions, what may 

 have been known and applied centuries before. 

 Let the infonnation and appliances of the pa.st 

 be acknowledged as so much experience gained, 

 and incorporated with the superior advantages 



- (inci 



in mechanical construction of the present times. 



In applying the steam-engine power to sub- 

 ordinate purposes, and mixed machinery at new^ 

 farm offices, there is more scope for the exercise 

 of skill and judicious arrangement on the part of 

 the farm-architect and engineer than vi'hen 

 steam is made use of at old Airni buildings. The 

 method of connecting the first power to the ma- 

 chines, likewise admits of difference of opinion. 

 It is sometimes done by belts and sometimes by 

 cogged and beveled wheels. Although there is 

 more friction by wheels, they are generally pre- 

 ferred by engineers, as belts are apt to slip, and 

 cannot be durable, instances being found where 

 in places in bams, or places infested with rats, 

 they are even destroyed hy these vermin. All 

 main .shafts or axles are invariably preferred to be 

 connected with wheels, and likewise in connect- 

 ing subsidiary or minor shafts to the first mover, 

 wheels are made use of, although, in many in- 

 stances, belts must be had recourse to, and, by 

 having several shafts to lock and unlock to the 

 main crank shaft, or to go easily in or oat of 

 gear, a variety of useful machines may be driven 

 by steam-power at every farm at which steam 

 is made use of. 



At new farm buildings, in addition to driving 

 the threshing-machine, the whole an'ay of the 

 minor implements or machines of the bam, and 

 machines for preparing food for cattle and 

 horses, machines for working the dairy uten- 

 sils, machines for preparing artificial manures, 

 machines for pumping or irrigation, by means 

 of hose, machines for preparing grain for food, 

 and machines for giving warmth and ventilation, 

 might all be attainable, and easily made appli- 

 cable at every farm, by means of steam-power. 



Although such machinery may at first view 

 appear complicated, yet in reality it is not so, 

 and might be made of verj' easy management. 

 I need not enter into any minute description of 

 the metliods of applying such subordinate ma- 

 chines as may be thus adopted. The details 

 must be left to individual skill to execute. It is 

 sufficient here that I suggest and point out the 

 practicability of easily following out the sugges- 

 tions made. With this view, the germ of such 

 an arrangement of subordinate machines, appli- 

 cable to the various purposes above noticed, I 

 shall briefly describe. 



A steam-engine of ample power (suppose six, 

 or eight, or ten-horse power, for farms varj-ing 

 from 250 acres and upward) is erected, in the 

 first instance, to drive the threshing machine, 

 and is supposed to be in daily use, as the ex- 

 tended application of steam-power implies that 

 the farmer will find it to his advantige to make 

 use of the engine almost constantly, or, at all 

 events, in v^-inter, to have the fire on the boiler. 

 To be of real utility, the power must be gener- 

 ally available or at command, at least more fre- 

 quently in u.se than presently doie, where the 

 engine and boiler remain a dead letter except 

 when threshing is going forward ; and where 

 the refuse of coal or culm can bj readily ob- 

 tained, as in coal di-stricts, there can be little 

 apology wanted for not having the boiler regu- 

 larly in u.«e, which should be constructed on the 

 most economical principles as regards fuel. The 

 construction of the boiler is of most paramount 

 iuiportance in farm-engines, both as regards 

 economy and safety. We have seen what has 

 been done in locomotive engines, by industry 

 and economy in fuel, shown fully in Mr. Mac- 

 ueil's evidence before the House of Commons 

 in 1832. The evidence of Mr. Micneil in con- 



