Continuous Corn Growing. 
55 
occasion of my visit in July, was receiving an efficient sub- 
soiling to a depth of 28 inches, at a cost of about 20s. per acre. 
This operation is undertaken chiefly for the purpose of ensuring 
superfluous rainfall finding its way through the adhesive clay to 
the drains. But where the land is not puddled or trodden with 
horses' feet in wet weather, such subsoiling will not be required 
to be repeated for 8 or 10 years. The daily consumption of coal 
when ploughing 10 inches deep is about 2 tons ; coal costs 20s. 
a ton at Swindon. At convenient points pools are formed from 
which water is obtainable even in the driest seasons. Through- 
out the farm good roads have been made, along which engines 
and water-carts conveniently travel. Archways over ditches 
have been strengthened and widened ; the field gateways are 
set out to 20 feet, and provided with double gates. The multi- 
farious steam-machinery is carefully housed in the disused barns 
and shedding ; whilst engineers and other regular servants are 
comfortably located in the commodious dwellings which erewhile 
were the farmhouses of the several holdings now gathered into 
one. 
j Subsoiling. 
Ploughing. 
Cultivating 
Dragging. 
Total Work. 
Amount 
earned. 
1871 
Mr. Middleditch . . 
Acres. 
48 
Acres. 
257 
Acres. 
508 
Acres. 
1421 
Acres. 
2234 
£ s. d. 
For hire 
54 
135 
189 
102 12 0 
1872 
Mr. Middleditch 
35 
495 
292 
1692 
2514 
For hire 
124 
168 
.260 
552 
306 12 1 
1873 
Ml-. Middleditch 
399 
367 
854 
1620 
For hire 
78 
917 
708 
1703 
747 4 6 
1874 
Mr. Middleditch . . 
72 
364 
421 
1156 
2013 
For hire 
31 
548 
294 
873 
310 4 0 
155 
1802 
3356 
6385 
11698 
1466 12 7 
The economy of steam as compared with horse-power in 
cultivation especially of the heavier soils, cannot now be ques- 
tioned. Indeed, estimating the enhanced value of horses, the 
increased cost of horses' food, with the damage that horses do 
by treading and poaching, and the comparative tardiness with 
which they perform autumn work, it appears difficult to under- 
stand how heavy arable land can be profitably managed by horse- 
power. The advantage of steam is forcibly exhibited in the 
following statement prepared by Mr. Middleditch, the estimate 
