254 Comparison of the Expense atiending 
30 ewt. is seldom taken; whereas 15 cwt. is a moderate load 
for the former, thereby making two horses do the work of three. 
Though in journeys this is the proportion, yet in the work upon 
a farm, such as manuring land, Wc. it is still more; as from the 
greater facility the one-horse carts afford in filling and emptying, 
three horses in this way will often, when roads are good, do as 
much work as six in the other way, that is to say, with three to 
a cart. One advantage, however, which the English system 
possesses over the Scotch is, that by the additional horse more 
work can be done in harrowing; but that advantage is fully 
counterbalanced by what has just been stated regarding the one- 
horse carts. Besides, it has been invariably found that two 
horses, placed abreast in the plough, will get over more ground 
than three put inaline. This arises from their turning quicker, 
and being more free and disencumbered in walking. . 
The using of machinery for thrashing and dressing corn, is 
what I have next to notice. ‘The one I use is of too small a size, 
but one a little larger, and of a proper construction, will thrash 
12 quarters of wheat, and 1S of barley and oats, per day. The 
wages of the people employed in doing this, amount to 12s.; 
four horses at 3s. each, 12s.; dressing with hand-machine 9s. ; 
and imterest at 10 per cent. on cost of machinery, 7s.; making 
a total of 36s. or 3s. per quarter for wheat, and 2s. for barley 
and oats. The money given for wheat hand-thrashed, is about 
Gs. per quarter, and barley and oats 3s. If 8[ quarters per acre 
of the former grain, and 6 of the two latter, are stated to be 
average crops, on land worth 50s. per acre, there will then be a 
saving of 10s. 6d. an acre on the first, and 6s. on the latter ; 
and as I calculate upon having one-third of my lands in wheat, 
and one-sixth in barley and oats, the saving on these crops by 
machine-thrashing will be 9s. per acre, or 4s. 6d. on the whole 
farm. Perhaps the charge for horse labour may be thought too 
low; but when it is recollected that thrashing is generally done in 
wet and frosty weather, when horses often cannot be employed 
in other work, it seems fair only to charge a trifle more than 
their keep. Another advantage attending machine-thrashing is, 
that grain can be brought to market at any time, thus enabling 
the farmer to avail himself of any sudden advance in price. Be- 
sides, it has been pretty satisfactorily ascertained in Scotland, 
that a twentieth part more grain will be got when thrashed with 
a proper machine, than when done with the hand. Though in 
many cases, particularly when wheat. is blighted, I am satisfied 
there will be fully that difference here, yet when grain is well ri- 
pened, it certainly is not so much ; though it might be observed, 
that when grain is to be hand-thrashed, it requires to stand 
longer on the ground than is necessary for machine-thrashing, 
and 
