210 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



one hundred and eighty-five ; Wilton has three hundred and nintty- 

 four. The number in the four towns is 1,069. There are in the 

 same towns, as shown by the returns of the last State election, one 

 thousand and eleven voters. In the whole county, there are, by the 

 same returns, four thousand two hundred and seventy-nine voters. 

 Then as the voters in the four towns (1011) are to those in the 

 county, (4,279,) so, we may assume, are the horses in the four 

 towns (1069) to the number in the county — making this number 

 about four thousand five hundred. 



One half of these, (2,250,) I allow to be required to do the legit- 

 imate horse work of the county ; one third of the remaining half, 

 (750,) are in my proving, usurpers of the places which would be 

 more adequately filled by oxen. The other two thirds of the re- 

 maining half, being one third of the whole, (1,500.) I put down as 

 an absolute surplus — so much amount of dead capital. 



These fifteen hundred horses, (nearly two thirds are horses, the 

 other third being colts one year old and upwards,) I price at an 

 average of fifty dollars each, giving a non-producing capital of sev- 

 enty-five thousand dollars. The loss in interest on this capital, is 

 four thousand five hundred dollars per annum. The yearly cost of 

 keeping one horse, I reckon to be twenty dollars, making the annual 

 loss in keeping, upon the whole number, thirty thousand dollars. 

 The annual loss in shoeing upon the same, (allowing that one half 

 need to be kept shod, and that three dollars will meet the yearly 

 expense of shoeing one horse,) is two thousand two hundred and 

 fifty dollars. 



Supposing that only one third of this surplus number (500) are 

 fitted out with their proper traveling gear, including harness, wagon 

 and sleigh, their owners are subjected to an expense of about fifty 

 thousand dollars to furnish the fittings, the fitting of each horse 

 being valued at one hundred dollars, (harness fifteen dollars, wagon 

 sixty dollars, sleigh twenty-five dollars.) These fittings would last 

 not longer than ten years ; so that the annual loss in wear and tear 

 of traveling gear, brought upon the county by its surplus of horses, 

 is five thousand dollars. Each of the same five hundred horses, 

 thus geared for travel, will take for its owner, at least two holidays 

 a month — days spent by himself or his " fast young men," in riding 

 for pleasure, going to the village, &c.j &c.j which otherwise would 



