'S^€)4' Comparative 'Utility of Horfas and ti)xen far Draught, l^i 



-though 2 vicious one, may be a very good thing for the farmer ; 

 but economical confumption is moft for the benefit of the com- 

 munity. 



Let us view the fubje6i: in all its afpedls, and it cannot help 

 ilriking us very forcibly, that .the horfe is an article of mere ivear 

 and iear^ and of no ufe to mankind independently of his drudge^ 

 ry ; that it is, and ever mull be, ■^dcfuleyatum in all populous coun* 

 tries, that the whole of their produce ihouKl, as much as poflible, 

 conduce to the nouriflnnent of the human fpccles : witncfs China, 

 the molt populous and belt cultivated country in the world, and 

 without horfes, which, of courie, where not eaten by man, mud 

 be confidered as joint tenants with men, and not, like oxen, fub- 

 fervient to men both in life and death. In fine, we fliall come 

 to the conclufion, that the ox pofTefTcs ftrong prefumptive evi- 

 dence of fuperior utility in this vei'y rjefpedl:, until the popula- 

 tion of any given fpace arrive at that pitch, that even the ed'ihle 

 ox with his plough, &c. mult of abfolute neceffity be fuperfeded 

 by man and his fpade, which of courfe will bring it, like China, 

 into the garden ftate, or (tatc of higheft cultivation, ' where every 

 rood cf land maintains its man. ' 



Comparative Statement of tlie Expence of Keeping, &€. 



HoR3E. 1>. s. fl. Ox. L. s. d. 



Prime coft of horic at 4 years Prime coft of ox at 3 years old 20 o o 



old - - - JO o O Keep, 5cc, for lo years, ar lol. 



Keep, (hoeing, attendance, &c. per annv.tn - - lOO O o 



&c« for 10 years, at %o\.ftr 



tmmum - - - 30O CO L. 120 O O 



Dcdu6t value, fat, - - 40 o o 



L. 330 o o 



Deduct value of (kin and car- Total coft of ox L. 80 



rion, &c. - - - I I o 



Total coft of horfe L. 328 19 o 

 coft of ox - 80 o o 



Difference in favour of the ox L. 248 T9 c 



Here appears a balance in favour of the ox, which the ama- 

 teurs of the horfe will lind it difhcult to fritter down to their own 

 favourite theory \ for it is notorious, that one draught horfe will 

 confume more corn, befides his hay, than a family of ten or twelve 

 perAins : fo that if the datum before Itated, and not eafily to be 

 fet afide, be admitted, vi2. that fmall farms worked by heavy 

 horfes, do not generally find full employment for them, the com- 

 mufiity under the prefent prevailing or falhionable fyflem, of work- 

 ing with horfes, befides being fcantily fupplied with good beef, 

 ?nu(t fuftain, by thofe heavy horfes, an annual lofs of many mij- 

 Hofis. 



U % ' i 



