1862 London Exhibition: Catalogue: Class IX.: Peter Halkett

2123. HALKETT, PETER, 142 High Holborn.

Guideways; entire steam agriculture; connexion shown between fields and homestead.

THE GUIDEWAY SYSTEM OF STEAM CULTIVATION has been described in detail in a paper read by the exhibitor before the Society of Arts, in December, 1858, and published in its Journal. Persons who are desirous of knowing more of the system than can be shown by the model, or explained in the catalogue, are referred to that paper. It is sufficient here to state that the system consists in laying down at intervals of fifty feet or more, permanent guideways or rails, upon which a locomotive cultivator is supported and guided. This-cultivator carries the motive power, and has attached beneath it the various implements that are required for the agricultural operations.

By this system every kind of field work can be most efficiently performed, a large concentration of power is obtained, and with very few hands a great amount of acreage is completed in a day, the soil is deeply and thoroughly worked and comminuted, and a fine tilth is the result, which is never trodden on by the foot of men or horses, or compressed by the wheels of carts and implements.

The cost of laying down the permanent way is £20 per acre, but this outlay is much more than compensated by the great economy of the operations, while large profits will be realized by the much increased produce raised by the great superiority of the cultivation.

The following is a list of the operations which the exhibitor has performed by steam:—ploughing, sub- soiling, grubbing, rolling, clodcrushing, harrowing, finely-comminuting the soil, drilling seed, hoeing crops, reaping corn, carting, watering.

No. 1. The model shows how the fields of a farm so laid down are connected with the homestead, and how the engine-power is brought to the barn for thrashing, etc., and how the trucks carry the produce and manure to and from the homestead.

No. 2. This drawing shows a modification of the guideway system in which the travelling cultivator is drawn by a rope from a distance, the engine power being stationary on the ground.

No. 3. This drawing shows a modification of the system especially suitable for our colonies and for countries where land can be cheaply obtained in large tracts, but where labour is scarce. The motive power used is a traction engine, travelling on a narrow strip of grass land. Much wider cultivators are used, much lighter rails, and the cost of the system is reduced to £2 10s. per acre. From a series of experiments, it appears that with the present traction engines one apparatus could plough 60 acres per day, and harvest (on the Australian system), the ears of 400 acres of wheat, performing other operations with equal celerity. One man only for the annual cultivation would be required for every ten now employed. The facility of superintending a few well-paid men with machinery, would enable large capitalists to embark in the business of agriculture; and one most important point for such countries, is that crops, as well as being raised, would be harvested by these few men. In Spain, Hungary, Poland, and Russia, the system would be a very valuable one; and in Australia and in America, where land rises in value with great rapidity when brought into cultivation, the ratio at which a certain amount of capital would increase annually if embarked in this patent, would be without doubt a very great one. The whole outlay would be often far more than paid in the first year's crop, and the field for the enterprise would be practically unlimited.

Persons desirous of further information are referred to the exhibitor's agent, Mr. Edward Weir, 142 High Holborn.

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