Five Years' Progress of Steam Cultivation. 371 
rope is more effectually carried, o^ying to this contrivance, than it 
is bv the brake alone ; but \vhat proportion of power is thus eco- 
nomised has not been well ascertained. The back and forward 
bending of the ropes between these additional pulleys must 
prove a source of considerable wear ; and hence it is very de- 
sirable that whatever compensating movement is devised should 
be applied to the windlass drums, rather than to the ropes. Mr. 
Fowler has such a windlass with compensating brake ; but, owing 
to the varying speeds of the drums (according as more or fewer 
layers of coils are wound upon them at different parts of the 
journey of the implement), only a portion of the retarding strain 
is returned to the hauling drum. Probably a simpler plan will 
be introduced, in which only a single layer of coils will be 
wrapped upon either drum. 
Messrs. Howard's rope is laid out round five or six pulleys 
(according to the figure of the field and the position of the wind- 
lass), and these are of larger dimensions than the Woolston 
pulleys — which ]\Ir. Smith considers large enough to be still 
portable (though the rope in passing them is bent round a curve 
of but 13 inches' radius). With improvements in carrying the 
rope (without an excessive number of rope-porters), some change 
will probably be required in the present system of claw-anchors, 
which are already troublesome enough in some situations ; per- 
manent posts, or temporary posts and chains, being available in 
the absence of self-travelling anchorages. The Bedford rope- 
porters are remarkably handy for moving from and replacing 
under the rope ; and those porters which are out of the track of 
the implement are admirable for catching a rope that rides or 
rebounds — as when crossing over a hollow. I need not describe 
the cultivator w-ith tines that point both ways (for travelling to 
and fro without turning), and rock of their own accord, — so that 
when the fore point is depressed, the hinder one is slightly raised. 
It is remarkably light, and strong too, and shares of various 
widths — from 2 up to 13 inches — enable it either to cleanly cut 
all the bottom, or break up without cutting when the ground is 
suitable. Two sizes of this implement are made, with 3 and 5 
tines respectively. For reducing the broken soil a set of double- 
action harrows is employed, in a peculiarly light framing, steered 
in a similar manner to the cultivator by a lever-movement 
altering the lock or set of the forward wheels. Messrs. Howard's 
new plough consists of two sets of plough-bodies pointing towards 
each other, upon two lever frames, which cross at their inner ends 
within a short main-frame having: one largfe furrow-wheel and a 
couple of land-steerage wheels ; all three Avheels standing very 
near together midway of the length of the implement. But the two 
sets of ploughs are raised or lowered into work independently of 
