406 Report on Stram Cultivation at Newcastle, 
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On Friday, July 15th, the trial of Steam Cultivators in Class II. took place, 
in two fields of Mr. Smith's, on the Rising Sun Farm, and we have never seen 
more excellent trial-grounds. The fields Were rectangular, nearly equal in 
size, 20 and 21 acres respectively, and remarkably even in character. By 
dividing them in half, plots of about 8 acres were obtained; they were 
in stubble from last year, and the surface was covered with a goodly assemblage 
of running weeds, amongst which the onion couch was again conspicuous ; we 
venture to assert that never before has the Society been able to offer such an 
opportunity for a fair day's work. 
Lots were drawn, and the four competitors were thus arranged : — Mr. 
Fowler occupied the upper half, and Messrs. Coleman and Morton the lower 
part of the first field, whilst Mr. Fowler and the Messrs. Howard were placed 
in similar positions in the adjoining field. 
Lot 1 was occupied by Mr. Fowler with the portable engine and clip-drum 
carriage, described above, working a 4-tined digger with Cotgreave's breasts. 
This implement made good work : it appeared, however, to move much more 
soil than was actually the case ; for though nominally working at 8 inches, it 
really attained a depth but little over six. The importance of ascertaining the 
exact weight of soil moved was here evident, and we think it desirable that 
this test should be extended at future trials. Time only allowed us to weigh 
3 yards on each plot ; two being taken from the top of the ridge, and the third 
from the furrow. The mean of the three gives the average weight of a yard 
of soil moved ; greater accuracy would be ensured if the mean of more plots 
were taken. 
On Lot 2 Messrs. Coleman and Morton exhibited their system of cultivation, 
in which two implements are alternately at work, and always when at work 
are being drawn towards the engine. There is thus little or no strain upon 
the anchor, which is much the same as an ordinary snatch-block, whilst the 
tail-rope is less than half the weight of the draft-rope. The implements meet 
in the middle of the field ; they are constructed on the same principle as the 
celebrated horse-cultivators of this firm. The engine is a 10-horse double 
cylinder traction-engine, furnished with two small winding-drums, which are 
reversed by the engineer. Guide-pulleys, working on a rack, which is moved 
by the windlass-man, keeps the rope well coiled on the windlasses. The 
anchor requires moving at every three ends, or after 1£ bouts. Labour em- 
ployed consists of — 
s. d. 
Engineer 3 6 a day 
Windlass-man 2 6 „ 
Two men cultivating GO „ 
Anchor-lad 2 0 „ 
Water-cart and boy 4 0 „ 
Oil 10 „ 
Total .. .. 19 0 
The work, which in this case only was in a direction across the furrows, 
was excellent, a large amount of soil being moved ; depth about 5£ inches ; 
the bottom fairly even, though here and there the narrow tines had grooved 
out a bed, and left the soil high on either side ; the surface was left in a good 
condition for further operations. Much time was lost from one of the Culti- 
vators breaking from contact with a very large stone ; so that when work was 
stopped at six o'clock, not more than half the plot was completed. We question 
whether the tines arc sufficiently strong for stony land. The soil moved was 
G41 tons per acre, the most by any of the Cultivators. This was, no doubt, 
partly due to the implements working across the furrows, and to their capacity 
