Steam Cultivation. 
611 
considerable experience in steam cultivation, and am now growing 
upwards of 400 acres of wheat, all planted after the steam-plough 
with Fowler's tackle. 
This remark brings me to the question, What must be the size of a 
farm to which the tenant may properly apply the use of steam- 
tackle ? I should reply, 800 acres of arable laud for such a 
14-horse set as I have been in the habit of using. After all, a tenant 
cannot be expected to embark in steam ploughing imless he has a 
proper holding. Tt would not be fair to require him to make a 
great outlay if he has only a yearly tenancy, with the chance of 
being turned out of his occupation on a six-months' notice to quit. 
There are roads to be made, and it is of the greatest importance in 
steam culture that you should have good roads ; in fact, I think the 
day will come when the engine will work on the roads, and not have 
to enter the field at all. Two-thirds of my occupation I can farm in 
that way. Then the fences must be made straight, and the fields must 
be made larger. The expense of moving the tackle from one field to 
another is considerable, and that wovdd be avoided by putting the 
fields in a proper form for the steam-plough. I am pleased to tell 
you that I find nearly all my neighboiu's engaged in preparing their 
farms for steam cultm-e. 
My order to Mr. Fowler was given at the Chester meeting of this 
Society in 1859. I then sold my oxen, and continued the use of steam 
in 1860, 1861, 1862, and up to the present time ; and the whole of the 
cultivation of my land has been done by that means, that is, so far as 
ploughing and heavy dragging are concerned. 
I should be sorry to give offence to any one, but I consider that the 
reason why steam cultivation has not been more generally adopted is, 
that the landlords as a body have not put their shoulders properly to 
the wheel. I am happy to say, however, that there are honourable 
exceptions to this rule. One of these is my own landlord, the Earl of 
St. Germans, who, when I began operations, gave me liberty to throw 
my occupation into a steam-plough farm. I may also mention the 
name of his Grace the Duke of Bedford, who has presented a tenant cf 
his with a piece of plate for the energy and enterprise he has displayed 
in the application of steam. And lastly, there is Major Galley, near 
Swindon, where I believe the first set of Fowler's tackle was used by 
Mr. Redman. Speaking of the removal of hedgerows, I have some- 
where seen a calculation made by Mr. Mcchi, according to which 
every tree upon arable land costs the tenant 13s. 4.d. annually. With 
regard to dairy farms, I do not think it necessary that they should be 
large ; as the farmer, his wife, and family may then do most of the 
work. 
The next thing to which I would direct yom- attention, is that by 
the use of steam we get the land into such a state as to constitute it 
what I should call good land. You must have a deep surface soil with 
a porous subsoil, so that the water will in no way do it an injury, nor 
the sun bm-n it up. This is done on all lands when imder spade- 
husbandry, and you will always find that land greatly improved. 
Allotments, for instance, are a great deal better to look at (and they 
