STEAM-ENUI^ES.] 



OF ENGLISH FARMING. 



[tDDABHINO HACHINEB. 



stk.vm-i:nc;ini:s. 



There are, no doubt, some who look upon 

 the iiitroilia-tioii of a sli'aiii-eii;^'iiio into runil 

 matters, with tlio same kiiul of liorror tliat tho 

 poet Wordsworth did thr invasion of a railway 

 into his own hike scenery. A ateam-cngiiio 

 may not be, perhaps, an object for poesy ; 

 although we do not see, if treated in the right 

 way, why it should not be considered wortiiy 

 of poetical illustration quite as nuieh as the 

 many rural objects which have eo long been 

 sung in the poet's song. There is nothing in 

 a spade, per se, poetical, or iu a plough. They 

 have been merely rendered so. The labourer 

 jiimself is only poetical afar oflf; and few will 

 care for a closer connection, especially after a 

 day's toil. AVhen the eye has become used 

 to the steam-engine in the field, and the ear 

 to its puffing and snorting, some poet may 

 arise to clothe it " in liquid lines niellifluously 

 bland," and thus give to it a poetical name 

 and habitation. Our business, however, is to 

 deal with it practically. A steam-engine, as 

 compared with the human or equine machine, 

 is more useful, economical, time-saving, and 

 money-making. There is a limit to the labour 

 of man, and the drudgery of the horse. Each 

 requires rest to recruit exhausted nature ; but 

 the steam-engine knows not fatigue. Feed it 

 with the " black diamond" drawn from the 

 bowels of the earth, and, so long as the supply 

 lasts, the engine plies its ceaseless toil. It 

 cares not for sunshine or rain. The storm 

 passes over unheeded ; and it knows no dis- 

 tinction between night and day. 



Fixed engines have been in use some time 

 in the north. It is only within the last fifteen 

 years that movable engines have been brought 

 into use through the instrumentality of the 

 Koyal Agricultural Society, as being more 

 convenient; for, with a fixed engine, the pro- 

 duce has to be taken to the barn ; while, with a 

 movable one, the corn may be at once tlirashed 

 out in the field. A saving is thus eftocted in 

 time, in labour for the tenant, and in buildings 

 for the landlord, fewer being required for 

 storing, &c. One of the principal points to 

 be taken into consideration as to the efficacy 

 of an engine, is the amount of the consumption 

 of fuel ; and even, iji 1851, great progress had 

 been made ; for, as stated iu the report of the 

 G B 



Exhibition, " our boat engine now conRumes 

 leas than 8 lbs. of coal per hour per horae- 

 power; whereas au engine made by tho 

 winning manufacturer of four years ago, con 

 Bumcd lis lbs. ; that is, four limes as much fuel 

 for the same work." 



Now, however, there are portable steam-enginea 

 in tlie field. Meaara. Aveling and Porter; 

 Barrett, Exall, and Andrews; Burrell, Brown 

 and May, Clayton and Shuttleworth, (iarrett. 

 Gray, Hornaby, Humphries, Kansomo and 

 Sims, Kobey, Huston, Turner, and Tuxford, 

 are all makers of portable engines. There are 

 also fixed engines, which, under the require- 

 ments of modern farming, may, in some cir- 

 cumstances, be of more avail even than port- 

 able engines for carrying out tho necessary 

 operations. It is unnecessary to particularise 

 the merits of all these makers' machines. 

 They are well known. Wo may, however, 

 notice alO-horse-power patent portable steam- 

 engine, invented by Messrs. Biddell and Balk, 

 of Ipswich, and improved and manufactured 

 bv Messrs. Kansome. This engine is fitted 

 with Biddell and Balk's patent boiler, which 

 is so constructed, that the fire-box, tubes, and 

 tube plates can be taken out all in one piece, 

 and put in again, with facility ; the advantages 

 of this boiler being facility of cleaning, in- 

 spection, and re{)air3. The boiler is proved 

 to 100 lbs. pressure on the square inch. The 

 crank shaft is of wrought iron ; the bulk of 

 the plates are Lowmoor, the others being best 

 Stafibrdshire. Price, £280 ; steam-gauge, 60s. ; 

 pulley, extra. 



THRASHING MACHINES. 

 This is the most complicated agricultural 

 machine in general use. Before 1829, so great 

 was the imperfection of farm machinery, that, 

 technically speaking, the duty performed was 

 2o per cent. only. But the application of 

 steam has induced improvement in all kinds 

 of machinery, and in none more than in 

 thrashing machines. So great, indeed, have 

 been the improvements, that they may bo 

 considered as equal to new creations. Tho 

 corn now is commonly delivered from the 

 stack upon the machine, and then from the 

 machine into sacks ready for market — a great 

 saving of time and money. These imple- 

 ments received due notice at the Exhibition 



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