720 Live Stock* Teams diodes of working of. 



\vhen wanted. When at plough in the beginning of the autumn, it will be neceflary 

 to give them oats and cut chaff in fuch proportions as may be requifite, as the grafs 

 at that period begins to be lefs nutritious. 



In the working of teams, whether of the horfe or ox kind, one circumftance is to 

 be conftantly kept in view ; which is, that, as their keep is fo very expenfive, they 

 be always employed ; as it is obvious that if they ftand idle half or a third of their 

 time, the labour that is performed muft coft the farmer double, or a third more 

 than in cafes where they are conftantly at work, and of courfc much lofs be fuf- 

 tained. On arable farms this is particularly neceflary to be attended to; and of 

 courfe in the autumn and winter, when the bufinefs of the plough is at a ftand, 

 other forts of team-work, fuch as carting, in the former, on light dry foils, chalk, 

 marie, and clay, and on the wetter grafs lands, manure, in fmall carts ; and in the 

 latter, in frofts, manures of the compoft or other kinds, removing various forts of 

 earthy materials from borders and other places, for mixing with or forming the bot 

 toms of dungfteads ; and when the weather is open, in taking the corn, and bring 

 ing manure, or any other bufinefs that is to be done; as it muft always pay the farmer 

 to have it accomplifhed in fuch circumftances as that the team muft otherwife re 

 main unemployed. The keeping of teams upon poor food, fuch as ftraw, during 

 the winter, in order that they may not be in work, is always bad management, as 

 their labour in the reft of the year muft ftand the farmer very high. 



In the feed-time the farmer {hould be careful that they perform a proper day s 

 work. It has been obferved by Mr. Young, that in this feafon the farmer &quot; fhould 

 not let them work lefs than nine or ten hours ; but this he will not be able to effect 

 if the ploughmen have to take care of their horfes. It is the beft to have horfe- 

 keepers, for the mere attendance of the teams, fo that the men who hold the 

 ploughs may have nothing to do but the mere ploughing. Let the horfe- keeper 

 have the horfes fed and harneffed ready for the ploughman, to be in the field by fix 

 o clock. At eleven they iliould- come home for an hour and a half to dine and 

 bait, during which time the horfe-keeper is in attendance again. At half an hour 

 after twelve, they fhould go out again, and work till half an hour after five, when 

 the horfe-keeper mould again take the teams. By this method a pair of horfes in 

 a well-made plough will, without any driver, plough an acre and a quarter, or half, 

 very eafily ; and no object is more important, than the plough s doing a good day s 

 work in the fpring of the year. The confcquence, efpecially of making the moft 

 of dry weather in March, is extremely great. One acre ploughed and fowed then 

 may be fairly worth two that are left till the beginning of May.&quot; 



