74 THE FARMER'S MANUAL, 



farms will possibly admit. The horse is a useful and 

 valuable animal in the service of man, and his ser- 

 vices are indispensable to his comfort and con- 

 venience; but he is the most unprofitable stock upon 

 your farms. 



1. Because his high price exceeds all proportion 

 to his productive labours. 



2. His expense in raising, exceeds all probable 

 calculations upon the profits of his sales in market. 



3. His support requires such feed as robs your 

 dairy ; your beef-cattle and hogs, for fattening. 



4. He yields you no substitute for your dairy, beef 

 and pork. 



5. He is more liable to disease and accidents than 

 other stock, and at his death, becomes a dead loss. 

 He does not, like the sheep, even leave a fleece in 

 payment. 



Whenever you keep, or raise a horse, let him be a 

 good one ; such, and such only, will afford you any 

 profit, either upon your farm, or in market. 



I shall conclude my remarks upon arable lands, 

 with the following observations of Sir John Sinclair. 



" The advantages to be derived from the alternate, 

 or convertible husbandry, cannot be too much dwelt 

 on. None but those who have tried it, can be fully 

 aware of the vast improvements effected, by laying 

 down old ploughed lands into grass, as well as con- 

 verting old pasture lands into arable ; (see my re- 

 marks, article Pasture.) If one million of acres of 

 old tillage lands were gradually laid down into her- 

 bage, and the like extent of old pasture, broken up 

 and put under a judicious rotine of crops, it would 

 probably be the means of supplying the public 

 market with two million of stones of beef and mut- 

 lon additional, and three millions of quarters of 

 grain. Under that system, the crops are always 

 abundant, and the soil is kept in a constant state of 

 ncreasing fertility." Code of husbandry. 



Again, " If one half of a farm be kept under artifi- 



