Steam Cultivation. 
621 
to see how he succeeded with Howard's new implement, when he was 
informed that last year, upon the laud smashed up and not ploughed, 
a quarter and a-half more of barley was grown per acre than when the 
plough was used. He inferred that by the use of the steam cultivator 
crops of every description would yield something like twenty-five per 
cent, more than where the plough had been employed, and to that 
extent increase the produce of the land. He had begun with Smith's 
tackle, and was now using Howard's by way of experiment. He had 
been perfectly satisfied with Smith's, but should be glad to get better 
if he could do so. 
Mr. Sidney had visited Mr. Ruck's farm more than once, and 
observed that he had the advantage of having a liberal landlord, and 
a fine road ran through the estate ; whilst Mr. Euck himself was a 
man of an enterprising spirit, which enabled him to make the best use 
of these advantages. It woiild be universally agi-eed that we had now 
arrived at that point in the history of steam cultivation when it was 
no longer a matter of theory but of practice, and there was no intelli- 
gent fai-mer occupying a sufficient tract of a retentive soil but would 
be happy to avail himself of its use if he had it in his power. Mi\ 
Euck had remarked that it was necessary that those who entered upon 
steam-cultm-e should have something more solid than a six months' ' 
teniu"e to depend upon ; but it was not in the power of every landlord 
to give secm-ity of tenure, or to embark in such a large expenditm-e as 
the construction of roads required. Good roads would now become of 
the same importance to a farm as good drains ; but, in the mean time, 
those who had not good roads must avail themselves of that descrijitiou 
of machinery for cultivation which did not require them, and at the 
present moment it seemed as if the advantages were pretty evenly 
balanced between Fowler's and Howard's implements ; the former 
having more power, whilst the latter dispensed with the necessity for 
good roads by cultivating fi-om one corner. Landlords and tenants 
have both availed themselves of Government loans and the assistance 
of Land Drainage Companies : without this resource the improvement 
of systematic di-ainage would never have made the progi-ess it had. 
If farmers were to adopt steam cultivation generally, they must have 
Steam Ciiltivation Companies ready to lend this valuable but expensive 
machinery for long tenns. 
Mr. Holland, M.P., in moving a vote of thanks to Mr. Euck, 
observed that steam cultivation was still so much of a novelty that it 
could not be expected that any very general rule could be laid down 
for its application to any particidar soil. In common life a well- 
educated medical man never di-eams of applying his professional skill 
until he has felt the patient's pulse. Just in the same way steam 
cultivation must not be applied to any particular field or farm until 
its peculiarities have been ascertained. He could not on his farm 
do without turning over the land, because his land was very heavy, 
with a high ridge and a fiu-row that must be brought down con- 
siderably before he could cultivate properly. To get all the advantage 
of climate and rainfall, the land ought to be comparatively flat ; and 
it took many years, and great patience, before that could be accom- 
plished ; much care being required not to tiu'u over too rapidly, or 
