502 Report on the Trial of Implements at Wolverhampton. 
the ■work fair, but not well broken np ; the bottom, however, was cut perfectly 
level. 
The several sets of machinery in Class I. were subsequently tried at tho 
New Buildings Farm, about three miles north-east of Staiibrd, in the occu- 
])ation of ]\Ir. John Darlington ; the field consisting of some (JO acres, for the 
most part old turf, in some places hilly, with steejo-sidcd hollows, and the soil 
a strong clay loam with red marl, and in some parts a pebbly bottom. 
On July -ith, Messrs. Foivlcrs '20-IIorse Doiible-Engine Set began the heavy 
land operations upon Plot 1, but, interrupted by heavy rain, it had to complete 
its performance on the next day. On a piece of si.\-y ears-old grass on a very 
strong red marly loam, with a deep hollow to cross, the 9-tine turning-culti- 
vator made good work at Ti inches depth. An area of 1 acre and 16 perches 
Avas finished in 2-iT minutes, being at the rate of 27 acres and 3-1 perches in 
10 hours, or 32A acres in an autumn day of 12 hours. But a long stoppage 
occurred for attaching the gear of the steam-indicator. No dynamometer 
- tests were applied : the engineers, however, estimated the pull upon the 
hauling-ropo and upon the implement from the pressure in the engine- 
cylinder, allowing 25 iky cent, for the friction of the machinery;, the net 
pull upon the implement they calculated to be 8985 lbs., or fully 4 tons ! 
At 11 cwt. per horse, this represents 52^ horses. In the experiment, the 
implement moved at the speed of 4^ miles per hour, which is about double 
the natural jjace of a plough-horse ; and hence, according to the engineers 
table of observations, no fewer than 107 horses would have been required in 
order to accomplish as much work in the same time. Again, if the di-aught 
of the implement was 8985 lbs., this was a draught of 1198 lbs. for each foot 
breadth, seeing that the width taken by the cultivator was 7i- feet : or, in 
other words cultivating 7|- inches deep in a soil where probably four horses 
can readily plough a furrow 6 inches deep, required the power of more than 
ten horses for each foot of breadth taken. It is much to be regretted that 
dynamometer experiments were omitted from the trials, as it would have 
been of great interest and importance to ascertain the jiroportion of motive 
power lost between the engine cylinder and the implement, and this in the 
case of each set of steam-cultivating machinery which entered into trial. 
Elaborate investigations were made into the weights of earth moved per acre ; 
but it is evident that such weights of themselves form a very insufficient criterion 
of the power expended in the work of the implement. For instance, two 
cultivators, working at 8 inches depth in precisely similar soil and leaving a 
level bottom, would move equal weights of earth per acre ; but if implement 
No. 1 broke up the ground into pieces of the average size of 8-incli cubes, 
Avhilo implement No. 2 left tho ground in masses of the average dimensions 
of IG inches square by 8 inches thick, then implement No. 1 would have 
produced four times the mechanical effect so far as cutting and breaking are 
concerned, and may have accomplished even more in upturning and scattering 
the pieces in different positions. Inspection must always be mainly relied 
upon for determining the relative efficiency and quality of such work as 
cultivating and digging ; but draught exijeriments would have been of value 
if applied to ploughs turning furrows of a given width and dej^th. 
Messrs. Fowler's 20-horse tackle made very good work, with a 6-furrow 
digger, at 9 inches depth, in Plot 1 above-mentioned, the ground being all 
thoroughly moved. The rate of the deep work was 13 acres, 2 roods, 26 
perches in 10 hours, or 16 acres, 1 rood, 23 perches in an autumn day of 
12 hours. 
On Plot 2, in the same field, Messrs. Fowler's 12-horse double-engine set 
made good work with a 5-furrow digger, at 8i inches depth, the broken slabs 
of earth left tumbled in regular form, and presenting |_an appearance like 
