Five Years Progress of Steam Cultication. 381 
forbid any minute deduction from these experiments as to the 
comparative economy of the competing machines. Mr. Fowler's 
two 12-horse engines, for instance, consumed as much coal as 
Messrs. Savory's, and spent more time than Messrs. Howard's— 
nearly as much as Mr. Smith's — in tilling about acres ; but then 
their work done by the digging-breasts was very superior to any 
other in the field. It may be taken as a general conclusion that 
a moveable engine, — working with less rope, fewer pulleys, and 
consequently less waste of motive power, while employing fewer 
workmen, — performs any given process at less cost per acre than a 
stationary engine can ; and this point, together with the very low 
expense of all the steam-tillage done, is illustrated in the Judges' 
Report, where the percentage for interest and wear and tear is by 
no means too favourably assessed. But the reader should bear in 
mind that while Mr. Fowler's work with a moveable engine cost 
less money per acre than the work of either Mr. Smith's or 
Messrs. Howard's stationary engine, the difference in his favour 
would have been greater had the areas in the competitions been, 
say, of 20 acres each, instead of only some 2 acres each ; seeing 
that the additional length of rope required by the round- 
about svstem becomes a serious drawback Avhen surrounding- a 
large enclosure, and not perfectly carried off the ground. 
At the Worcester trials hard stiff loam was cultivated 7 inches 
deep by Mr. Fowler's lO-horse-power machine, at the rate of 
9|- acres per day, and a total expense (without removals) of 
4*. 9 J. per acre ; and Messrs. Howard's 10-horse-power machine 
worked at the rate of half an acre per day less, and 2c?. per 
acre more money. Ploughing Cg^ inches deep, with the same 
sets of hauling apparatus, was performed by Mr. Fowler at 
the rate of 7|- acres per day, and a cost of 6s. 3rf. per acre; 
and by Messrs. Howard, at the rate of 7 acres per day, and 
at 6s. Ad. per acre. But by way of contrasting steam-power 
performance with that of horses, I must cite one or two of 
the most memorable feats in the moister and more suitable 
fields at Leeds and Canterbury. At the latter trial, in 1860, 
in ploughing a strong loam (which, from the ascertained draught 
of a common plough at 6 cwts., would cost 12s. an acre if 
turned over by horses), Mr. Fowler's 12-horse engine, working 
with a pressure of 68 lbs. on the square inch, drove 4 " 3-horse- 
furrows " at once, at the rate of 11 acres in ten hours; and the 
' total cost was computed at 4s. 6c?. per acre, instead of 12s. (the 
lowest price by horse-labour), though the excessive allowance of 
20 per cent, was put down for interest and wear and tear. At 
Leeds, in 1861, Messrs. Howard's 10-horse engine scarified a 
strong and stubborn soil 5 or 6 inches deep, at the rate of 6f 
acres in ten hours, at a cost of 6s. %d. per acre. Mr. Fowler's 
