424 ON DRAUGHT.. 



and a half to three miles per hour, is the best proportion of quantity and 

 duration of labour; that where six or eight miles per hour is required, the 

 duration of the day's work should be shortened to five or six hours, and 

 the draught reduced to 80 lbs. or 100 lbs. At still higher velocities, the 

 draught must not exceed 50 lbs. or 60 lbs., and the time of working two or 

 three hours. But this speed can only be attained by the sacrifice of the 

 horse ; and consequently the question will rather be what the horse is 

 capable of doing, than what can be done with economy ; and it becomes a 

 matter of calculation depending altogether upon the first cost of tiie horse, 

 and the profits arising from his employment. 



With respect to the mode of harnessing the horse, it is hardly necessary 

 to say that great care should be taken in fitting the collar and in attacliing 

 the traces to the proper point. As to the direction of the traces, it must, 

 as we have shown, entirely depend upon the circumstances of the case. 

 Where the draught is heavy and slow, if the road be good, the traces should 

 be nearly horizontal, unless the journey be short, or the traffic be only in 

 one direction, and the cart return empty, or unless any other reason render 

 it desirable to compel the horse to exert himself more than he would natu- 

 rally do; the traces should then be inclined downward toward the carriage, 

 with an inclination, perhaps, of one upon four or five, provided' always that 

 the horse is capable of continuing the exertion, which, by the additional load 

 thrown upon his shoulders, he is thus called upon to make. If, in the same 

 case of low speed, the road be very heavy, or broken and rough, the pro- 

 portion of draught upon each horse must be lessened, but the traces should 

 be attached still lower to the carriage, at a slope of one upon three or four, 

 by which much greater power is given to the animal to drag the load over 

 any obstruction. 



At all high velocities the traces should generally be horizontal. The 

 cases of rough roads or powerful horses may slightly affect this arrangement, 

 as at low velocities, but not in so great a degree. 



We will now proceed to examine the mode in which these conditions 

 are practically to be fulfilled, and the result of the application of the prin- 

 ciples which we have laid down, by considering the subject of the vehicles 

 for conveying the weight to he moved. 



Those in present use are boats, (as canal-boats,) sledges, and wheeled- 

 carriages, which last of course include every species of carriage, whether 

 waggon or cart, heavy or light. 



Canal-boats and canals, we suspect, are going fast out of use, and will 

 very shortly give place entirely to railways ; but still, it must be many 

 years before this can be effected; and, in the mean time, the produce of 

 the most extensive manufactures in the world, and the supply of immense 

 masses of people, will be transported over these beautifully smooth, level, 

 noiseless roads; and, even if their beds were dry, and become the course 

 of railways (an event which may perhaps befall some of them), we must, 

 out of respect for the extraordinary benefits we have derived from their 

 assistance, and the almost incredible effect they have produced upon the 

 commerce and riches of the country, have devoted a few lines to that part 

 of their consideration which bears upon our subject, viz: the draught of 

 canal-boats. 



The great advantage in the transport of goods by water-conveyance, is 

 the smallness of the power required. A body floating in water is left so 

 very free in its movements, that motion may be gradually communicated to 

 it by any power, however small : at least the limit is very far removed ; but 

 although a very slight movement may thus easily be obtained, the slightest 

 increase of speed causes a very great increase of resistance. 



