Report on the Steam Cultivators at Worcester. 481 
flinty soils in the absence o( j)orters, which are not professedly a part of the 
system. The wear and tear falls principallj' upon the round rivet-heads 
which project. These, however, are not costly, and can be quickly repaired. 
The steel bars tliemselves, unless there be a flaw in the open circular end, 
would be extremely durable. The time occupied in uncoiling and riveting 
the chain preparatory to work, and in packing it up at the end of the task, is 
necessarily a considerable drawback from the professed advantages of this rope- 
economy. • 
On the following morning (July 16th) lots were again drawn, and the various 
machines were set to work in an adjoining field, the time occupied in the 
removal and setting down having been carefully noted. And now commenced 
the actual trials for Class II. The field operated on contained about 14 acres 
of a stiff loam, of which part was in second year's clover, and the rest a bean- 
stubble which had not been ploughed since last harvest. The land was dry, 
and rendered hard by the treading of sheep, a certain portion of it being laid 
in narrow ridgos, which were difficult to work across ; the rest, however, pre- 
sented a fair trial for steam-cultivation, exhibiting, like the rest of the farm, 
marks of clean farming and high cultivation, on which we beg to congratulate 
the venerable tenant, Mr. Pitcher. To each competitor about 2 acres were 
assigned, with the direction to cultivate at a depth of 7 inches, equal quan- 
tities of coal being allowed. Mr. Coleman's scarifier unfortunately broke down 
at the commencement of the trial, but the rest finished their respective plots. 
The subjoined Table (I., p. 482) explains the results obtained. 
Plot No. 1 w^as drawn hy Mr. Fowler, who went to work with his 5-tined 
balance cultivator, drawn hy his 10-horse single-cylinder engine, with clip- 
drum and travelling anchor, making excellent work where the gi'ound was 
level, though, owing to the depth of the furrows, here and there a small space 
was missed. The method now adopted difi'ers from that pursued at Leeds 
with the same power (10-horse), inasmuch as there is now a rigid connection 
between the engine and windlass. It app"P.rs from the above Table that this 
engine consumed a somewhat extravagant amount of fuel, which we, in some 
degree, attributed to leakage in the tubes. His work was executed at about 
the rate of 3 miles per hour, there being no stoppage worthy of note, whilst 
his staff consisted of 3 men and 3 boys. The steerage, however, did not work 
with its usual precision, owing to a slight defect in its mechanism. 
Plot No. 2 fell to the lot of Messrs. Howard, who used their 3-tined culti- 
vator, fitted with 13-inch shares, and an ordinary 10-horse double-cylinder 
engine, with double compensating snatch-block. On the upper and lighter 
portion of the field the land was well cut, though not sufficiently moved from 
its original position ; whilst on the lower and stronger part much of the ground 
was missed in the furrows, the implement, from its non-yielding form, being 
unable to adapt itself to the irregularities of ridge and furrow. Since the 
more extended application of steam-power to land cultivation will necessarily 
abolish the existence of ridge and furrow, this cannot be looked upon as a 
very serious imperfection in the machine. Another slight objection to it may 
be found in the fact that the wheels traverse the ground ali-eady cultivated, 
thereby to a certain extent reconsolidating it. Their staff consisted of 5 men 
and 2 boys. 
Plot No. 3 was apportioned to Messrs. Savory and Son, who worked their 
two double-cylinder 10-horse engines, pulling Howard's cultivator to and fro 
between them at the rate of about 5 miles per hour, — a pace tliat prevented 
the implement settling properly to its work, whilst the engines were driven at 
a great speed, and with a pressure of 100 lbs. per square inch. The propriety 
of allowing this apparatus to compete in this class was very questionable, 
inasmuch as the very fact that it requires tivo engines at once places it beyond 
2 I 2 tlie 
