Yl.] CULTIVATION'. 



taking the whole year round, part of the sum 

 which the food of a horse costs ; and, of the sort 

 of food for an ox I shall speak by-and-])ve. One 

 of the great plagues of horses is the blacksmith, 

 who may almost be looked upon as an inmate of 

 the farm-yard, acting, as he generally does, in the 

 double capacity of horse-shoe-maker and farrier, 

 in the former of which, he, several times in 

 every year, actually makes business for himself 

 in the latter. In short, this may be called an 

 everlasting visitor; and, being a prowler about 

 from place to place, he brings all the news re- 

 gularly, once or twice a week ; and gathers a 

 goodly group about him at the stable door. Then, 

 just at the time when you want the team to go 

 out, a horse has got a shoe loose ; he must be 

 taken to the blacksmith, at perhaps a mile dis- 

 tance; or the blacksmith must be brought; and 

 he, unluckily, is gone to another farm. How 

 often does it happen (and every farmer will say 

 it) for a wagon or cart, which ought to be off 

 before day-light, to be kept at home till eight 

 o'clock, waiting for the operations of the black- 

 smith ! How often does it happen for a harvest- 

 wagon, to stand still for hours from the same 

 cause ! With oxen you have none of these 

 plagues, and none of the heavy expenses that 

 accompany them. Third : there is the farrier 

 with his balls, and his drinks, and his salve, and 



