Steam Cultivation. 
329 
greatest deference to their valuable opinion, we are warranted by 
experience in concluding that in both items their allowance was 
decidedly too low. Any one who works a portable steam-engine 
for 12 or 15 years, at the rate of 200 days per year, will find 
that if, at the end of that time, its saleable value is not exactly 
Jiil, it will only be a short remove from it, so that 5 per cent, is 
sadly too low a percentage. 
Some gentlemen, owners of steam-ploughing tackle, with whom 
we have discussed this matter, consider that 10 per cent, is not 
too much to allow ; but, at all events, 7J per cent, is the mini- 
mum at which we should put it. 
With regard to the 12 J per cent, as equivalent to the cost of 
repairs, we believe that, taking an average, say of ten years, from 
15 to 20 per cent, will be much more likely to be required. At 
least, this is the conclusion which three years' experience obliges 
us to come to, and we estimate our outgoings as follows : — 
£. s. d. 
Interest on the original outlay, 870?., less 200?. on account of) 
the engine being quite one-half the year at sowing and[ 50 0 0 
other mill work, 670Z. ; at per cent ) 
Annual outlay in new rope 48 0 0 
New materials, including shares, skyfes, porter- wheels, anchor- 1 co n n 
wheels, &c., and general repairs to engine and plough . . j 
Annual outgoings 148 0 0 
For brevity's sake we do not go into the details of the several 
items, but this sum of 98Z. for rope and repairs is sufficiently 
near to the actual average cost for our purpose, and it comes to 
nearly 15 per cent, on 670/. ; it must also be borne in mind 
that this is with an engine and tackle that has been in use for 
three years only. 
The sum of 148/. divided by the average number for the year 
of our ploughing days, which varies between 130 and 140, gives 
us in the rough a fixed daily charge of 22s. From these data, 
the total daily cost may be calculated as follows :— 
Cost per Day and per Acre. 
£. s. d. 
Interest on capital, repairs, &c., spread over 135 days 12 0 
Ploughman and engine-driver per day 0 6 0 
Anchor and porter lads .. .,' 050 
Boy and water-cart horse 04 0 
Coals 0 12 0 
Oil '. !! 0 1 0 
Total daily cost 2 10 0 
Or at the rate of 12s. 6c?. per acre ploughed when four acres are 
accomplished per day. 
