On the Cost of Horse-power. 



465 



Mr. Melvin's Report. "There are 1600 tons of manure carted 

 2 miles. Three-fourths of the grain is carted 10 miles, one- 

 fourth 3|^ miles ; 48 tons of linseed or other cake are carted 

 12 miles : 120 tons of coal are carted II miles." 



Horse-labour on Mr. Melvin's Farm. 



• Mr. Melvin's ordinary depth of ploughing is somewhat greater than it was on AVliitfield Farm, 

 and I estimate the draught a little higher. Two ploughings are put down against potatoes— the 

 labour of ploughing them up, &c., being assumed as equal to one. 



i" I would have reduced the percen(age here, as so much of it is on the turnpike-road, but Mr. 

 Melviu's farmstead is on a height, which makes the draught heavier than it would otherwise be. 



These figures, let me repeat, represent the cwts. drawn (= lifted) 

 one mile in the course of the several operations annually ; and 

 adding them together, we have the annual labour of the farm equal 

 to 107,900 cwts. drawn (^lifted) one mile per annum ; or substi- 

 tuting for the year 300 days of 9 hours each, the work done will 

 be, according to calculation, equal to the lift of 393,875 lbs. one 

 foot high per minute during all that time, which, as 20 horses are 

 employed, is 19,693 lbs. apiece, considerably more than on Whit- 

 field farm, and a very high average performance indeed. The 

 work done annually corresponds to 43,160 cwts. lifted 2^ miles 

 per annum, or 15*98 cwts. per hour during the year. Now Mr. 

 Melvin's horse labour costs him J 131/. 10s. a-year, or 8s. Ad. per 

 hour during the year. Horse-power in his case then costs rather 

 more than Qd. per cwt. drawn (= lifted) 2^ miles, at the rate of 

 movement specified. If his horses walk 8 miles in ploughing an 

 acre with a 5 cwt. draught (which indicates very deep and heavy 

 work), tlie work is done for 8s. per acre. 



