On Spade Husbandry. 383 
operations of hoeing, weeding, &c. I think I may venture to add, 
that there need be little doubt entertained that there are few 
even of such, at present, miserable objects, who would not 
be able in that way to earn a maintenance, and, were such a 
measure generally adopted, the poor’s rates in England, at pre- 
sent said to amount to eight millions, reduced to perhaps one 
fourth of that sum. A better arrangement might probably be 
thought of than what has occurred to me, which is, that the pa- 
rish, according to the extent of its wants, shall purchase, say 
from twenty to fifty or more acres of land, build upon it cottages 
to the necessary extent, employ a proper person to lay out the 
ground in the best manner for the purpose, see the poor set to 
work, and that they do the same in a proper manner through 
all its operations; also that each does a day’s work, according 
to individual! ability; and that such as are not able to dig, rake, 
&c. be employed in other more easy operations, as the weather 
and their ability may permit. 
Before I conclude, there is one more strong argument in fa- 
vour of spade husbandry which must be noticed. As far as that 
mode may be adopted, there will of course be a saving of land 
for the production of food for man, which is now appropriated 
to the keeping of horses; and I believe that few persons are 
aware, that the quantity of land necessary for the keening of a 
horse is, as may be very easily made to appear, 44 acres; [am 
meaning a quality of land similar to mine, as already described ; 
which quantity, it may be very clearly made to appear, will afford 
subsistence for nine persons, on the supposition of a common 
proportion of men, women, and children, and this under the 
husbandry of the plough: but on the supposition of spade cul- 
ture, that quantity of land will produce sufficient subsistence for 
more than twelve persons. 
Should it be objected that a serious inconvenience may arise 
from the want of the present supply of manure from horses, the 
difficulty will be easily obviated by keeping more horned cattle, 
and by means of an almost-religious attention (as in China) to 
the preservation of perhaps the best and most powerful of all 
manures, human urine, which at present is, in this island, almost 
entirely lost. 
I am, with sentiments of the greatest respect, 
dear sir, very sincerely yours, 
WIvutAM Facua, 
To Robert Owen, Esq. 
LXXVII, No- 
