TRACTION-ENGINES VERSUS HOUSES ON FARMS. 301 



rest with the farmers ; it lies with our engineers,, who have not yet been 

 able to bring forward a steam-power with machinery in all respects 

 suitable to the wants of agriculturists generally in all circumstances. 

 What the farmer wants, and is desirous to have as soon as possible, is a 

 simple, cheap, and easily-wroiight steam-power, so constructed as to 

 plough, harrow, cut, thrash, &c. &c., or to go on the roads when necessary ; 

 which could also be maintained for all the works of the farm at a very 

 much cheaper rate than horses, and at the same time do its work better 

 than can be accomplished by them at present. Various inventions have 

 from time to time been brought forward with a view to this; but it cannot 

 be said that any of them have been brought to the state of perfection re- 

 quired to warrant farmers in general embarking their capital in the pur- 

 chase of machines which are ponderous and expensive, not applicable to 

 working in all conditions and in all circumstances on a farm, and which 

 require a greater degree of skill to be applied in the working of them 

 than most farmers can be expected to give. But, keeping out of view 

 for the present the steam-machines which are now being used in some 

 parts for the purpose of tilling the land, I would here introduce to the 

 notice of farmers the steam-power which is now being made available 

 for hauling on the country roads, called the Traction- Engine. This is 

 a locomotive engine, constructed with broad wheels suitable to admit 

 of its passing along the common roads of the country without injuring 

 them by its weight ; and it propels itself, with many tons of a load, ac- 

 cording to its constructed power, even up considerable gradients. There 

 are two engines of this kind now in operation on the very unlevel roads 

 in the upper part of Aberdeenshire. There they are used for the purpose 

 of hauling waggons laden with timber a distance of nearly twenty miles 

 to the nearest railway station ; and for this purpose they have succeeded 

 far beyond the most sanguine expectations of the parties who have 

 adopted them. These engines perform the work of hauling the timber 

 at less than half the cost it would have entailed if horses had been em- 

 ployed instead. Now, what I would infer from these remarks in regard 

 to the traction-engine is, that seeing it has proved itself a power well 

 suited to haul heavy loads on our country roads at less than the half of the 

 cost which the same work could be performed at by the use of horses in 

 the ordinary way, could it not be made as successful as a hauling power 

 in farming operations ? I have no doubt as to its general adaptation to 

 this purpose, arid have therefore to advise agriculturists to turn their 

 attention to it, to ascertain for themselves how far it may be made 

 available to meet the wants of the times and their own respective cases, 

 so as to enable them to dispense with horse-power to a large extent. 

 In the chapter on " Eailways for Farms and Estate Improvements," 



