1852.] HARVEST C'AR'l 



The liquid manure lias been hithei-to applied to nothing lnit 

 grass. It is intended now, liowever, to apply it to crops. 



My informant said — 



" Wc have now 80 acres of Itahan rye grass, and look to it 

 first for food for the cows. We buy nothing for the cattle but 

 malt gi-ains, the annual account for which is about £130. We 

 sell a portion of the turnips at times, but shall have none to spare 

 this year. We also sell some potatoes and straw, but generally 

 the crops are consumed on the farm." 



The Italian rye grass lias liad none but liquid manure, and 

 has been cut three or four times during the summer and autumn. 

 The crops averaged from 2^ feet to 3 feet thick each cutting. 

 The fourth crop from one piece was weighed, and produced 10 

 tons per acre. 



That wiis the least of the crops from the same land, but the 

 whole produce of that piece was above the average. 



Many calves are sold, but the value of the young stock is low 

 in tiie market, and I could not ascertain the sum realised. 



From 50 to CO pig's are killed per annum. Some few are sold 

 as pork but the greater part is made into bacon. The average 

 weiglit is abont 20 stones each, and the bacon sells wholesale at 

 7t/., and tlie hams at 9d, per pound. 



Two himdred gallons of milk per day, on the average, are soid 

 to New Brighton and Seacombe, at Is. per gallon. 



'The butter averages 180 lbs. per week, at Is. 2d. per pound. 



Taking the bacon and hams at 7^d. per lb., on the average, 

 the annual produce of the farm in those three items alone is as 

 follows : — 



£ s. d. 

 Bacon - - 481 5 



Milk - - 3,650 



Butter - - 546 



£4,677 5 

 Steam Plough. — The first public trial of Usher's steam- 

 plough took place at Baugholm, near Edinburgh, on the 14tli of 

 November last, when only four ploughs were used, although the 

 locomotive is adapted for six. The amount of power that, may 

 be introduced is, of coui-se, indefinite ; and the machine might 

 be made capable of working a series of ploughs to compass any 

 proportionate breadth of land. The ploughshare penetrated 

 deeper than is reached by the horse-plough, and the loam was 

 thrown up and pidverised as loosely as if the spade had been at 



work. The field was level, and the operation was viewed with 

 great interest by the spectators. A second trial took place on 

 the same faim on the 21st of November, with similar results. 

 Pi-aetical men present expressed then- surprise at the superior 

 manner in which the soil was stirred. Another trial took place 

 on Friday, the 27th of February ; the plough traversed the field 

 six times with perfect success, and, as on the first occasion at 

 Bangholm, to show its capability to travel over a soft surface, it 

 ploughed a part of the land twice over. This experiment was 

 supplementary to one which had taken place on the previous 

 day, in presence of the committee of the Highland Society. 



The cost of the machine is. about £300, and it is adapted to 

 ploughing, thrashing, rolling, and harrowing. It travels 2550 

 yards per hour, turning oVer 50 inches in breadth, which is equal 

 to 7 acres in 10 hours, at a daily expense of I7s. or 18s., which 

 is about 2s. 6d. per acre, while it costs 9s. or 10s. to plough an 

 aci'e with horses. Although the firet machine may not be 

 perfect, still the fact is undeniable that the great obstacle to 

 ploughing by steam has been got over, and with a little improve- 

 ment the inventor has no doubt of making the machine perfect. 

 The cost of the steam-plough per day is estimated as follows : — 



12 cwt. coals - - - 6s. Od. 



Engineer - - - 3s, 6d. 



Two laborere . . - 



Horee, two hours ... 



Interest on machine and repairs 



17s. 6d. 



Farm Machineri/. — The portable farming produce mill, from 

 Mr. Crosskill, of Beverley, has been tried at Canterbury, in the 

 presence of many of the leading agricidturists in the neighbour- 

 hood. The experiment was very satisfactory; it ground oaU 

 and beans, and, to show what it was capable of doing, flint stones 

 were ground to fine powder, by putting different kinds of grinding 

 plates in, an operation which was attested in 15 minutes; and 

 from which, it appears, any substance can be groimd, from flint 

 stones to barley meal. The mill was driven by the portable 

 steam-engine belonging to Mr. Neame, of Selling, who, we are 

 informed, has purchased the mill. At a private trial at Mr. 

 Neame's farm, at Selling, the mill crushed oats at the rate of 30 

 bushels per hour, and split beans at the rate of 60 bushels per 

 hour, and ground barley to fine meal at the i-ate of 8 bushels 

 per hour, besides grinding bones, and crushing flint stones, 

 bricks, &c 



Ransome and May's Onr-Horse Harvest Cart. 



This cart is very useful and well adapted for carrying large and, from the best materials being used, aid good workmanship 

 leads from the har^'est fieUs. It is made very lig-ht in weight, is strong. It may be more readily loaded than the waggons in 



