of course, the amount consumed by friction, &c.) Thus an initial velocity of 30 miles an hour, when reduced at the windlass to 2 miles an hour, would correspond to an increase of tension (hauling power) equal to the rate of reduction-or 15 to 1. A strain or pull of I cwt. on the hemp travelling rope at the engine is therefore increased to a strain of 15 cwt. on the hauling rope (steel wire) working between the windlasses. In the transmission of power from the engine to the working implement, a loss will always take place, greater or less in proportion to the extensibility and elasticity of the travelling rope, and to the friction of the various moving parts of the engine and tackle. The implement—whether plough, cultivator, or harrow-is drawn by the steel wire rope backwards and forwards between the windlasses at any speed that may be desired. The mechanical arrangements of the windlasses enable the man in charge to haul them forward at the end of each "bout," and also to stop and start the implement at work the required distance with perfect precision, without communicating with the engine-driver. Owing to some delays in reaching the farm, we found the work already commenced on a 14-acre field, of an irregular parallelogram shape, with a slight but increasing gradient along the line of working. The engine was placed near the entrance, and close to a water-course, from which it pumped its own supply. The engine was one of Clayton & Shuttleworth's 12-horse power double cylinder traction engines, with 8.25-inch cylinders, and a 12-inch stroke, and having a "grooved" fly-wheel 5 feet in diameter, round and by which the travelling rope was driven at the same speed as that of the periphery of the wheel itself. The engine consumed about 11⁄2 cwt. of coal per hour when at full work. The "travelling" rope was 1⁄2-inch in diameter, and made of the best Manilla hemp expressly for the work, in lengths of 250 yards, each length weighing about 112 lb. Five lengths were required for the field. The rope, 1250 yards in length, and weighing about 5 cwt., was carried round the field at a height of about 3 feet from the ground on light porters, with friction pulleys placed at distances apart of 50 yards on the tight and 30 yards on the slack side of the windlass. The proper tension of the rope was regulated by a tightening pulley under the control of the engine-driver. While at work we timed the speed of the travelling rope and found it varying from 35 to 40 miles an honr. The "hauling" rope was of steel wire, % in. thick, and 800 yards long, equal to a straight draught (furrow) of nearly 400 yards long. The implement at work was one of Fowler's reversing cultivators, working 7 tines, and covering a breadth of 6 feet, and set at a depth of 8, increasing to II inches. The field had been steam-ploughed with a 10 by 8 furrow in autumn, and was now being cultivated for potatoes. The distance between the windlasses (headlands) was about 200 yards, and the average length of furrow was 190 yards. The double "bout," includ

ing the turning at both ends, took from four-and-ahalf to five minutes, according to the depth of working, giving a working rate of about 2 acres per hour. (The wire hauling rope, we noticed, was allowed to trail on the ground, Mr M'Laren considering that the friction and extra wear and tear of rope was not equivalent to the cost of porters and attendants.) The work was done in a perfectly satisfactory manner; no hitch or difficulty was experienced in any of the movements of the implement or of the machinery. The fly-wheel made from 180 to 200 revolutions per minute, and the pressure increased from 60 lb. to 75 lb. per square inch, as the depth of working was increased. Every part of the machinery appeared to be under perfect and immediate control. At our request, the cultivator was stopped several times while working II inches depth, and started immediately, without any apparent difficulty or strain on the machinery. The number of persons engaged was four-two windlass men, one ploughman, one engineman. From these data it is seen that (at 70 lb. pressure) the engine was giving off a power equal to about twenty horses, while the cultivator was at its work. Not having any means (dynamometer or friction breaks) at our command to see how this power was consumed that is to say, divided between the working of the engine itself, of the "travelling" and of the "hauling "rope, and of the windlasses, we could only obtain information from our Mr M'Laren, who gave us the following as the result of his practical observations :-The engine, when working at the rate of 160 revolutions per minute, required a pressure of 8 lb. per square inch to set its own parts in motion, and an increasing pressure of 12 lb. per square inch, or 20 lb. in all, to give motion to the full length (1600 yards) of the "travelling " rope. This would be equivalent to a consumption of rather more than 2-horse power by the engine, and of 3-horse power by the rope, or a loss of at least 5-horse power before the strain or pull reaches the windlasses. These details require to be tested by direct and careful experiment, as also does the power consumed by working the windlasses, before any just estimate of the effective force or actual working efficiency of the tackle can be arrived at. Another important element for consideration, which has a direct money equivalent in the calculations, is the time required to set and adjust the tackle, to take it down again, and shift it to another locality. Mr M'Laren informed us that they could begin to work in two and a half hours after the engine and tackle reached the spot, and that they could take all up again in one and a quarter hour, or about four hours in all. Mr M'Laren also informed us that he had ploughed a field of 33 acres without having to shift the tackle at all, and another of 55 acres without having to move the engine, which was placed advantageously close to a supply of water. We were also informed that the engine and the whole of the tackle had remained out in the fields during

the whole of the winter, and certainly without any apparent deterioration to rope or machinery. The main advantages claimed for the "system," simplicity and economy of working arrangements and of first outlay, and general adaptability to fields of varying size and shape, appear to be substantially borne out by the practical success it has achieved on Mr M'Laren's farm. Until, however, it has been ascertained by direct and careful testing what amount of power is consumed by friction, &c., and what amount of time is consumed by the arrangement of the tackle, it is not posrible to give any judgment as to the practical efficiency of the "system," or its comparative economical application. If the verdict on these points be satisfactory, we shall no doubt soon see another and a powerful competitor for public favour in the field of steam tillage, and Mr Fisken will be entitled to the thanks of the agricultural community

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for having successfully worked out a new mode of applying steam-power to the mechanical forces of the farm. P. B. SWINTON, Holyn Bank. JOHN WILSON, Edinburgh.

Edinburgh, April 28, 1871.

Note.-Although we have said that the rate of working of the apparatus when under our observation was about 2 acres per hour, it is right to mention, that having left the field for about an hour, on our return we found that the amount of work done in our absence was only equal to 14 acre per hour. From whatever cause this arose, there did not appear to be any want of steam-power, as when the engine was stopped, steam immediately blew off from the safetyvalve.

P. B. SWINTON.

Cultural Directions for the Rose. By John Crauston, King's Acre, near Hereford. Third Edition Revised. London: Robert Edmond Taylor. And John Crauston's Priced Catalogue of Selected Roses.-1871.

No flower commands such universal admiration as the rose, and being taken under the care of all plant cultivators, from owners of the most limited city window garden upwards, cultural directions for its manage ment are highly desiderated by growers of all grades, and none who may become possessors of this little book will be at a loss for any information they may require; for, in the First Part, the following with other particulars are concisely and satisfactorily treated, viz., the most suitable soils, situations, and manures; planting, propagating, pruning, training, protecting, curing of diseases, prevention of insect pests, &c.; while Part II. contains a selection of the finest roses in cultivation, with full descriptions of each under eighteen sections or tribes of summer, and eleven of autumnal roses, to which are added seventeen select lists of sorts, adapted to various circumstances, soils, &c., and, in conclusion, a calendar of operations is given for each month throughout the year.

Many are deterred from cultivating the rose to the extent they would like, from an idea that their situation or soil is unsuitable. Thus, town gardens where smoke prevails are usually looked upon as being inimical to rose-growing, yet a selection of one hundred kinds is given that will thrive in such places. Those black porous soils that are usually met with in town gardens, as well as those of gravelly and light sandy natures are looked upon as the worst for roses, but modes are pointed out whereby even they may be made at least highly, if not perfectly suitable.

A rich, deep, stiff loam is what roses most delight in, and the manures best adapted for them are pig or cow dung, after being rotted in a heap for two or

three months; inany villa gardeners cannot, however, easily procure either, for few care to dispose of such soil, and the preparation of the manure in the manner indicated, even if it can be got, is often unallowable for sundry reasons. Farmers are seldom, however, classed among them, unfortunately, as they can generally command plenty of both proper soil and manure for a moderately sized rose bed, and should their garden soil not be naturally adapted for rosegrowing, carting it away, and replacing it with proper soil, from some part of the farm, need be neither troublesome nor expensive. Hence, those of them who have turned their attention to rose growing have generally succeeded well, but with their advantages the wonder is that so few take rank among rosarians. Complete as this treatise is, we would suggest for the author's next edition another two selections of sorts -viz., one of double roses suitable for introducing into woodlands, hedge-rows, game covers, and other park scenery; and one of single roses for like purposes; for among the former are many free growers that are capable of permanently maintain. ing their places in defiance of the other exuberant vegetation of such places, and the universally admired elegance of our wild briars would be greatly enhanced by being intermingled with the different colours and varied growths of exotic species, such as those with yellow flowers, the almost gigantic growing kinds of the Himalayas, some of the more distinct featured sorts from America; and the best of those hybridal autumnal blooming varieties, which, although in every way suitable, are now invariably cast away by rearers of new kinds, for the simple reason that they are only single. In the Priced Catalogue, all are described and arranged under the different sections to which they belong, and while deserv ing new sorts are liberally introduced, really meri. torious old kinds are also retained.

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TH

HE following paper on a most important subject appeared recently in the Gardener's Chronicle, and at the request of a valued correspondent we reproduce it for the instruction of the readers of THE COUNTRY GENtleman's MagAZINE :—

The questions that have lately arisen as to the setting of the flowers of the Vine, and the advantage or disadvantage of syringing them during this process, have led us to examine the construction of the flower in several of the varieties. We were also desirous of ascertaining if possible what were the circumstances rendering any particular Vine a free or a shy setter, as the case may be. To this end we applied to Mr Barron, who kindly furnished us, from Chiswick, with specimens of some twenty or more varieties, representing most of the classes of Vines. It may be well to cite the names of the flowers examined :-Golden Hamburg, Black Hamburg, Dutch Hamburg, Muscat Hamburg, Black Prince, Esperione, Chasselas Musque, Black Tokay, Gros Colmar, Tyningham Muscat, Muscat of Alexandria, Muscat Noir de Naples, Muscat Orange de Portugal, Muscat Noir de Jura, Frankenthal, Royal Muscadine, Morocco Prince, Aramon, Trentham Black, Balafault, Black Alicante, Black Monukka, Black Morocco.

Setting aside minor differences in form and size, the essential structure and the mechanical expedients for securing fertilization were the same in all the varieties examined. Before alluding further to these special instances, it may be well to advert to a few leading principles relating to the fertilization of flowers in general, and for extending and calling renewed attention to which the physiologists of our day have to thank Mr Darwin. We shall see, too, that the gardeners also lie

under obligations to this most painstaking observer and thoughtful savant. Up till recently there had been a prevalent impression that a flower was, in the majority of instances, necessarily set by its own pollen, except, of course, in the case of uni-sexual flowers. The occurrence of stamens and pistils in the same flower, and the manifold contrivances for insuring the contact of the pollen with the stigma, naturally enough led to this inference.

He

Sprengel was the first, or one of the first, to shew that this inference was not wholly correct. He pointed out that often when the anthers were fully developed and the pollen ripe, the stigma of the same flower was still imperfectly developed, and vice versa. shewed that many of those arrangements for ensuring fertilization were really so contrived as to prevent the setting of a flower by its own pollen, and to facilitate the fertilization of one flower by pollen derived from another, the pollen being conveyed from the one flower to the other by bees, the wind, or other means. A flower, hermaphrodite as to structure, was thus shewn to be frequently of one sex only as regards function. Then came the remarkable experiment of Darwin on Primroses and other flowers, and in which that physiologist was enabled to demonstrate positively that the fertilization of a flower by its own pollen was often, we may say very often, positively detrimental to the welfare of the species-detrimental in this way that, in cases where a flower is fertilized by its own pollen, the number of seeds produced is very markedly less, and the health and vigour of the resultant seedlings also diminished, as compared with what is the case when pollen. from another flower or plant of the same variety is employed to fertilize the stigma.