APPLICATION OF STEAM TO AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES. 59 



One 8-liorse power engine, .230 



Four-wheeled windlass, with anchor snatch-blocks, . 110 



1400 yards of rope, 61 



Cultivator, 15 



Licence, 21 



.437 



In some instances, where there is not constant work for the engines, 

 all the apparatus can be purchased excepting the engine ; this would 

 cost 207, and the common portable engines used in the country for 

 thrashing purposes could be got to drive the machinery. This would 

 only do, however, under certain circumstances. 



There are many sets of apparatus at work in the country made by 

 the three chief inventors, as I have described, and each in its own way 

 has given satisfaction; but, on the whole, I am inclined to testify in 

 favour of that of the Messrs Howard of Bedford. It is the cheapest, 

 is not much liable to breakage, is easily worked by farm-labourers, and 

 the engines can be used for any other purpose. 



It is not easy to fix any definite sum which will show the exact cost 

 of ploughing, &c., by the different sets of apparatus as supplied by those 

 leading manufacturers whose names have been mentioned. A great 

 deal depends, of course, on the nature of the soil, and the depth to which 

 the apparatus is worked. The expense per day of a single-engine appa- 

 ratus may be taken as follows : 



Engineman, .036 



Ploughman, 026 



Anchorman, 026 



Two boys for porters, Is. 3d. each, . . 026 



Man, horse, and water-cart, . . ' . . 050 



Coals, and carriage of them, . . . . 050 



Oil, 016 



Proportion of repairs, 006 



Interest on capital (say), . . . . 026 



Total per day, . ..156 



Taking this as the daily expenditure, the next part to be ascertained is 

 the cost of cultivation per acre, according to this system. It is stated 

 by the different makers that from seven to eight acres per day can be 

 cultivated, but I am inclined to believe that five acres may be taken as 

 the general average, and this makes the cost to be 5s. per acre. I know 

 several instances in which the work has cost much more than the aver- 

 age stated, but at the same time other cases have come under my 

 observation where the cost has been less ; so tliat, on the whole, I believe 

 the quantity stated may be regarded as a fair average under a medium 

 condition of soil, form of field, &c. 



