133 



bour, however, where other power cannot be applied, 

 farmers consider to be indispensable *. 



An intelligent farmer, Mr Blackie of Holydown, gives 

 the following calculation of the number of horses required 

 for the different crops. A four-horse mill he thinks is 

 quite sufficient for oats or barley, but where there is much 

 wheat, a six-horse power is required. A three-horses' 

 power does very well for potato oats, when the corn is 

 fed in by a careful hand ; the mill then threshes much 

 cleaner than a flail : But when the corn is put in faster 

 than the mill is ready for it, the horses are oppressed, and 

 the work not well done. 



2. It is said that working threshing-mills by horses is 

 a power so unsteady, and attended with so much des- 

 truction to them, and hence so expensive, that some far- 

 mers prefer the flail, to the erection and keeping up of 

 the .machinery and horses. Though such an idea seems 

 to be carried much too far, yet it certainly would be de- 

 sirable, to exempt the horses regularly working on the 

 farm, from so laborious a task, and oxen have been re- 

 commended for that purpose. 



A gentleman on the borders, who rents about L. 4000 

 per annum, informs me, that before he had collected wa- 

 ter sufficient to thresh his crop, (which may be done much 

 uftcncr than people are commonly aware of ), he was ac- 

 customed, for many years, to thresh his crop by oxen ; 

 and he adds, that wherever there is a necessity for using 

 animal power, he would recommend oxen, as they are 



* Mr Neil Ballingal observes, that the horses, after being 

 in a threshing-mill for about three quarters of an hour, and 

 threshing as much straw as is necessary for the stock, a- 

 mounting, in his case, to sixty or seventy head, will, after 

 feeding, plough as well as if they had not been in the mill. 



