CHAP. vi. STEAM CULTIVATION. 733 



steam. They found many disciples at the time, and a considerable 

 breadth of land was treated in this way. Unfortunately for them the 

 weather was not favourable, and the great rainfall at the end of the 

 seventies plainly showed that they had made a mistake, as the water 

 would follow its old course, with the result that it did not get to the 

 drains. Hence it was found impossible to follow up the system. A 

 large amount of land was rendered unworkable, and it was not until it 

 was laid up in stretches, as before, that it would pay for working. Steam 

 is at a great disadvantage in working heavy land that requires to be so 

 treated. It is much better suited to light and medium soils ; but on all 

 classes of land it is important to avoid one error which has done much 

 to bring steam cultivation into bad repute, namely, that of bringing 

 comparatively sterile subsoil to the surface. 



Another great mistake is to use the steam cultivator too late in the 

 autumn. Immediately after harvest it is an excellent implement to 

 employ, but when the autumn rains set in the ciiltivator should be out of 

 the field. It is safe to use the steam-plough much later in the autumn 

 than the steam cultivator, because the plough leaves the land in furrows 

 which assist the water to drain off, whereas, when it is merely thrown 

 up by the cultivator, it lies so that it holds the moisture, and is water- 

 logged throughout winter; consequently it is harder to work and get 

 into proper condition for seeding in the spring. Much damage is done 

 by the heavy tackle moving about the fields in wet weather, and many 

 extensive systems of drainage have been rendered futile owing to the 

 mains along the headlands being crushed in by the engines. 



There are three systems of steam cultivation which have come into 

 common use. The first to obtain favour was the single-engine roundabout 

 system, which is worked by a windlass and self-moving anchors travelling 

 on two opposite headlands of the field, while the engine remains station- 

 ary. Two advantages of this system are the comparatively small cost of 

 the tackle and the comparative lightness of the engine required to work 

 it. But still it has been almost entirely superseded by the second system 

 to be mentioned, the double-engine system, which is by far the most 

 effectual in economy of power and speed of working. Intermediate is 

 the double-drum system, worked by one traction engine with two winding 

 drums travelling on one headland and a self -moving anchor travelling on 

 the opposite headland. With the double-engine system there is a direct 

 pull on the implement between the two engines, without loss of power 

 from the interference of pulleys and snatchblocks, while there is economy 

 in the small length of wire rope and in the employment of a minimum 

 amount of horse and manual labour, as the traction engines carry all 

 their requirements with them from field to field, and from farm to farm. 



The necessity of economising space renders it obligatory to confine our 

 illustrations to one of the engines and the implements used in the pre- 

 vailing system. "We can notice only in passing a fourth system of steam 

 cultivation which has not been named among those which have been 

 hitherto in common use. For some years past ponderous steam diggers 

 have been used to a limited extent. The first was introduced by Mr. Darby, 



