182 CHRONICLES OF A CLAY FARM. 



Why did Steam reject the Pump-handle and the 

 Oar ? Because, in both, the leverage is obtained by 

 loss of labour and time, occurring during the back- 

 movement of the handle, a movement necessary to 

 the manual, but not to the mechanical agent. For 

 the same reason whenever it is applied to till the 

 earth, it will antiquate every instrument that culti- 

 vates by traction, because traction is not only not 

 necessary to cultivation, but is inherently mischievous 

 on other grounds, apart from the clumsiness, inaccu- 

 racy, and incompleteness of the work it turns out. 



But THE STONES ! There is much fear expressed 

 for the teeth of the circular- cutting implement I have 

 described, when they come in contact with stones. 

 The objection would have been equally valid, at first 

 sight, against the use of the Plough or the Scuffler. 

 Let me see the instrument in use where there are no 

 stones (and there are plenty of broad acres in Eng- 

 land of this class ;) and it will not be long before it 

 gets upon the others. If it cost five pounds an acre 

 to clear them out, it must be done, and would in such 

 case, well pay to do it. But the truth is that the in- 

 strument itself suggests the kind of machine which, 

 with a little adaptation (greater power and slower mo- 

 tion), might perform this preliminary service at the 



