are in full work; and during that time one ton of coals will be consumed.

2nd. The estimated annual expense being ascertained as nearly as possible, it became evident that such an outlay could not be borne out of the profits of an ordinary-sized farm, and that steamcultivation would have to be undertaken by either a number of farmers combining to purchase the engines and apparatus, and agreeing upon a scheme for their general use; or by an owner of a district sufficiently large, who would advance the required capital, and establish the apparatus for the use of the tenantry upon fair and equitable terms. Upon mentioning the probable difficulty of accomplishing an arrangement with your tenants for their establishing such costly machinery, and for working it amicably and advantageously, your Grace at once proposed to be at the entire expense of doing so, if a proper arrangement could be made with them for its use. I then selected a district upon which the apparatus could be generally applied with the best possible results, and where the tenantry would willingly cooperate in endeavouring to benefit by the great prospective advantages offered. The district of Acklington was selected, the land being principally a heavy loam upon a sound clay, and the farms containing from 300 to 500 acres, the arable of which varies from 160 to 280 acres, and requires on an average from seven to eleven horses each farm for its cultivation. The farmers, at a meeting I held for the purpose of hearing their sentiments, on the 5th of September last, readily accepted your Grace's proposition, and expressed their desire to have all the land coming in course for the following year's fallow, turnips, and potatoes, ploughed by it as speedily as possible, and to pay any propor-tionate charge it might be necessary to make to meet the annual expenses of the establishment.

3rd. The tenantry having decided upon adopting the machinery, the question of area which the engines and tackle were capable of ploughing and cultivating annually and in due season, was next considered; and it was estimated that the fallow of about ten farms, averaging the quantity before stated, could be ploughed every autumn, and cultivated for turnips in the spring, or as bare fallow for wheat in the summer following. It was then arranged that those farmers occupying about the number of farms in the district mentioned should at once have the advantage of the boon offered. And it having been estimated that the annual charge against the engines and tackle, and of working them, would be 4941. 5s., it was necessary to ascertain, as far as possible, how that sum could be realised by fair and reasonable charges for the several works to be performed. With the advice of Mr. Greig

and Mr. Cockburn, Messrs. Fowler's agents, the following prices were named and agreed to by the tenantry :-For ploughing or digging, 10s. an acre; for cultivating once, 5s.; and as often after as necessary, 2s. 6d. per acre; and for harrowing, 1s. 6d. Upon these charges the following estimate was made, the tenants undertaking to supply coals and water for the engines free of charge, as before mentioned ::

Your Grace having placed the capital for the benefit of the tenantry at the ordinary rate of interest, the above prices were only determined upon as a basis of charge, it being understood that the tenantry should have every advantage to be gained by the fullest employment possible of the engines and apparatus and men engaged in working them. It being almost certain that the above calculation would be borne out, no further time was lost, and within five weeks from the time the meeting was held at Warkworth, the engines (which are named the Acklington and Warkworth) and tackle were steadily doing their work, and before the end of December had thrown up about 300 acres of land, to be mellowed by the action of the weather in winter, to the depth of from seven to eleven inches from the surface before ploughing, and after ploughing of from twelve to eighteen inches, without a single accident or impediment of any importance, doing, when the weather permitted, from six to eight acres per day.

4th. Independent of the saving of expense by the cultivation of land by steam-power to a greater depth than could, at a reasonable cost, be accomplished by horse-power, much greater scope will be given to the growth of every description of crops, to the retention of moisture for their sustenance and development, and for the gradual improvement in the productiveness of the soil; and although the present temporary arrangement with the tenantry, which I have given in detail, is to some extent an experiment and encouragement to them, I am sanguine in thinking it will lead to a permanent use of steam for the cultivation of the soil of that and other districts belonging to your

Grace, and, if well arranged, will be a saving of a large annual expenditure in the maintenance of horses. The work the engines perform will certainly be equal to that of 25 horses (or about onefourth of the total number used), costing the farmer annually for their keep, shoeing, risk, and depreciation of value from 30%. to 351. each, or a total of from 750l. to 8751.

But, perhaps, the best test of the saving in the cost of horselabour, as against steam, is to calculate the expense of a deepploughing early in autumn, the ploughings, grubbings, and harrowings the following spring in preparing the land for green crops or wheat, and these I estimate at 21. 5s. per acre (though I am advised by practical farmers that that is within rather than over the regular cost), and for 400 acres the sum of 9007., showing a benefit to the tenantry within the district mentioned and an advantage in favour of steam of about 4007. per annum.

I have the honour to be, my Lord Duke,

Your Grace's most obedient servant,

Jos. SNOWBALL.

To His Grace the Duke of Northumberland.

MY LORD DUKE,

Estates Office, Alnwick Castle,
December 30th, 1869.

It is now nearly a year since I reported upon the plan that had been adopted by your Grace upon your farms in the district of Acklington, Northumberland, for the cultivation of the land by steam; and as the engines and apparatus have been at work for a full year it may be satisfactory to all concerned to know the result of the year's experience. In the report alluded to, I estimated the cost of working the machinery and tackle for a year at 4947. 5s. That sum has been exceeded by 1107. 5s. 10d.; but the workmen having been taught their duties a part of the year, an experienced engineman and extra hands added materially to the wages; although this expense will not occur again, it is found that the estimate for labour in my first report is much too low.

The particulars of the expenses I give as follows:—

The receipts for the work performed at the low basis of charge named in my report in January last are as follows:

It having been your Grace's desire that the machinery and tackle should be placed for the use of the tenantry at a minimum charge to cover the interest upon the capital invested, working expenses, and depreciation of value, the prices named in my last report have been adhered to, although they leave a small deficiency. During the current year I fully expect the wages will be considerably less and the work performed greater; and that, at even the low prices charged, the deficiency of the past year will be more than overcome. The tenantry all seem fully alive to the advantages placed within their reach; they have been always anxious to enter into any proposed arrangement for using them economically, and have already reduced in some cases their horse-power. The difficulties contemplated in arranging to satisfy the desire of the tenantry to have the use of the tackle when the land belonging to several was ready at the same time, have, up to the present time, been met by rules laid down by me before, and approved of at, a meeting of the tenants held for the purpose of considering them; which are as follows:

1st. The tenant whose crop is first off and ready for autumn ploughing, and who has given notice to Mr. J. Á. Clark, his Grace's manager of the plough, that his land is ready, shall be entitled to the first use of it, so as to plough at least one field, or not exceeding 30 acres, after which it shall go to the next nearest farm (provided the tenant shall desire to have it), to plough at least one field, or not exceeding 30 acres; and so on to the next nearest farm, doing a similar quantity of work.

2nd. Should more than one tenant be ready for the plough at the same time, so many as shall be ready (having given the notice before-mentioned) shall cast lots for the first use of it. After the tenant has by that means obtained the first use of it, the next adjoining tenant shall have the first offer of it; but in each case of refusal it shall go to the next nearest, so that the engines may have as short a distance to travel between farms as possible.

3rd. The tenant of the land first dry and fit for cultivation in spring to have the use of the cultivator and harrows, provided he has given the before-mentioned notice to the manager; but in

no case shall they remain longer than three days on one farm, except when the manager has not received notice of their being wanted elsewhere.

4th. Should more than one tenant have land ready for cultivation in spring at the same time, and notices as before-mentioned have been given to the manager, the tenants having land so ready shall cast lots for the first use of them. After the tenant

has by that means obtained the first use of them, the next adjoining tenant shall have the offer of them, and in each case of refusal they shall go the next nearest (as before decided in the case of the autumn ploughing); but in no case shall they remain longer than three days with one tenant, except when the has not received notice of their being wanted elsewhere.

manager

5th. These rules, having been adopted at a meeting of the tenants interested, held at the Estates Office, Alnwick Castle, on the 1st of September, 1869, shall not be altered unless at a similar meeting, held by notice, for the purpose of altering or amending the same.

As I understood it was your Grace's wish that a copy of my first report should be sent to the Secretary of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, it may be satisfactory to all interested in the progress of steam-cultivation that the present report should accompany it, to show the result of the first year's experience upon it.

I have the honour to remain

Your most obedient servant,

To His Grace the Duke of Northumberland.

Jos. SNOWBALL.

V.-The Potato in Jersey. By C. P. LE CORNU.
[PRIZE ESSAY.]

It is generally said that the potato was first introduced into Europe from North America, though by some it is reported to have been originally found in the neighbourhood of Quito, and brought therefrom by the Spaniards in the early part of the sixteenth century.

Regarding its first appearance on British soil, some slight difference of opinion also exists. We read that about the year 1584, on the occasion of his voyage to North America, Sir Walter Raleigh, struck with its usefulness as an article of food, brought home the potato, and made known its value. On the other hand, we find the potato mentioned as having been brought