484 Report on the Steam Cultivators at Worcester. 
Class I. 
On Friday, July 17th, the competition for the Gold Medal and 501. com- 
menced at Wadborough, about eight miles from Worcester, on the farm of 
Mr. Smithin. The field selected was a clover lea, evidently in a clean and 
high state of cultivation, having a gentle incline to the south-west. The quality 
of the soil varied exceedingly : the top portion being quite of a light character, 
mixed with small pebbles, whilst the bottom part was an extremely tough and 
retentive claj', considerably baked and cracked by the action of the sun. 
Lots having again been drawn, the various competitors took up their 
position in the prescribed order. Steevens having unfortunately broken the 
connecting-rod of his engine at the outset was necessarily unable to proceed in 
competition during the rest of the day, whilst Coleman was equally unfor- 
tunate ; both, however, while in action, made satisfactory work. (See Table III., 
p. 485.) 
Plot I. fell to Fowler's lot, who started his digger with 3 ireasts, driven by 
a PAIR of 12-horse self-moving engines, with winding drums and coiling gear 
attached. The engines, placed one on each headland, work alternately, the 
implement being pulled backwards and forwards between them. The work 
accomplished by this set of tackle was traly marvellous (though on the 
lighter portion of the field the pace was too quick). Nearly 2 acres were 
finished in 2 hours 33 minutes. His staff was 3 men and 2 boys. 
Plot 2 was assigned to Howard, who worked his ordinary 3-tined cultivator 
with his 10-horse engine, — in fact, the same tackle as in Class H. On the 
lighter portion of the land his depth of Vork was 7 inches : it was cleanly 
cut, though not sufficiently stirred; in fact, a shower of rain would again 
have made it an excellent pasture in a very short time. On the lower and 
heavier portion of the field a depth of 9 inches was attained and well moved, 
though the work was a good deal overlapped, which caused it to present a 
satisfactory appearance to the eye ; but we noticed that the cultivator did not 
take more than two-thirds of its width fresh ground, which at once explains 
the cause of the length of time occupied and the excessive amount of fuel 
consumed. His staff consisted of 5 men and 2 boys. 
Plot 3 was drawn by Fowler for his 14-horse engine and 5-tined cultivator. 
The depth attained on the light portion was about 6 inches ; the soil being 
well mixed, but the unmoved surface as ridged and irregular as in Class II. 
On the stronger division the soil was splendidly moved to a depth of from 9^ 
to 10 inches. His staff of attendants included only 2 men and 3 boys, and it 
is an interesting fact that his large tackle requires fewer hands than the 
smaller one. On reference to Table No. 3, it will be seen that the worj? done 
on this lot was at a less cost than any of the rest, and the time occupied also 
shorter. 
Plot 4 was allotted to Savory, who, without any assistance, quickly steamed 
into position, and commenced work with one of Howard's grubbers. In his 
sji'stem two engines are employed, one on each headland. Around the boiler 
of each a drum is himg on friction-rollers, which is capable of coiling upwards 
of 500 yards of wire rope in a single layer. A pair of small guide-rollers are 
ingeniously guided by the action of a screw along the front of the drum, for 
the purpose of regulating the coiling of the roj)c. The field is traversed by 
only one length of rope, since one engine is letting out while the other is 
taking up and coiling its rope, the cultivator, of course, moving to and fro 
accordingly. The advantages of this method seem to be, first, the size of the 
drum — nearly 6 feet in diameter — around which the rope is wound ; secondly, 
the traction being direct from the cultivator to engine, and not round anchora 
or blocks, whereby the liability to breakage is diminished, and the wear and 
tear considerably reduced. We have here a minimum of rope required, as 
well 
