THE DRY FARMING CONGRESS. 



tion by the Government Horticulturist, Mr. R. A. Davis, an expert of wide 

 experience, both in California and Cape Colony. 



"Finally, I wish to speak very briefly regarding some remarkable re- 

 sults which have been attained by steam cultivation in dry land farming 

 in the Transvaal. I refer to the work of Messrs. John Fowler & Co., 

 Ltd. Leeds, the well known firm of English agricultural engineers. This 



Steam Plowing. 



firm has made a specialty of steam plowing machinery since the year 

 1850, during which period they have supplied plows for steam cultiva- 

 tion all over the world. Furthemore, it is not without interest to remem- 

 ber that the uncle of the present head of the firm, was the inventor of 

 the famous Balance Plow. Apart from the purely commercial aspect of 

 the business, it is probable that Messrs. Fowler contemplate with most 

 pleasure the imperishable pioneering work which has been done by them 

 in the agricultural development in the more remote regions of the 

 British Empire, Following up their usual custom, they sent a represen- 

 tative to South Africa, six years ago, and started a demonstration farm 



Demonstration Farm. 



at Vereeniging, under the control of Mr. W. A. McLaren, M. I. C. B. 

 an engineer who has had a life long experience in agricultural operations 

 in relation to steam cultivation in different parts of the world. Here I 

 may say that it was never the intention of Messrs. Fowler to establish 

 what is commonly known as an experimental farm; but merely to grow 

 the staple crop of the country, which is maize, on a large scale, and at 

 the same time to demonstrate how profitably it could be produced by 

 steam cultivation. These tillage operations are carried on by steam 

 plowing tackle, or what is commonly termed Fowler's Patent Double 

 Engine System, which has been in vogue since the year 1852. The ad- 

 vantages of the Double Engine System over what is known as the Direct 

 System, my be summed up as follows: (1) The engines do not travel 

 over the fields, but move along the headlands. (2) The whole effort of 

 the engine goes direct into the work of the plow, whereas, it has been 

 estimated that quite three-fifths of the "power given off by the direct 

 traction engine is required to propel itself. (3) With the Double Engine 

 System the land can be tilled much sooner after rain than by the direct 

 Traction system. 



Deep Plowing. 



"In South Africa, where the deep stirring of the land has found to be 

 so essential for the maximum conservation of soil moisture, the double 

 engine system has invariably given better results than the direct Trac- 

 tion system. 



English Machinery. 



"The plowing tackle consists of two cables 450 yards in length, a five- 

 furrow balance plow, and a packer weighing about two tons. This pack- 

 er was invented by the firm about fifteen years ago, and has proved a 



