624 



FARMERS' REGISTER— ON DRAUGHT, HORSE POWER. 



be animal strength, or a purcl}^ mechanical agent, 

 as a steam-engine. 



The latter is the only species of mechanical 

 power which it has been attempted tjo apply prac- 

 tically to locomotion; and thereibrc that alone we 

 propose to coiiijiarc with tlie animal power. 



Now, aUhounh these two powers, viz., simple 

 annual power and the steam-engine, may in most 

 instances be applied so as to produce the same 

 effect, and may, therelbre, to a superficial observer 

 appear similar, yet there do exist such essential 

 ditTerences in the mode oi" action, or the means by 

 which the effect is produced, that there are many 

 cases in v/hich the one may be used, wherein the 

 other may be totally inapplicable. 



In this treatise, draught by animal power is in- 

 deed the principal objcci of consideration; but as, 

 at the present moment, there appears to be a great 

 effort making to supersede animal power entirely 

 by mechanical — to dismiss our old servant, the 

 horse, and supply his yAaco by the steam-engine, 

 it may be as well, in justice to the former, to say a 

 few words in his defence, and to take a rapid and 

 general view of the distinguishing features of the 

 two agents. 



To enter into all their respective merits, and to 

 weigh their comparative advantages under all cir- 

 cumstances, would involve us in many questions 

 Ibreign to our immediate point of consideration, 

 and would embrace subjects which may supply 

 matter for future consideration well worthy of our 

 attcation. It is sufficient lor our present purpose 

 to show that there still exist great objections to the 

 universal application of machinery to draught, ob- 

 jections which do not equally apply to the use of 

 animal power; and on the other hand, that there 

 are many advantages in the latter, which are not 

 yet obtained by the former; and that animal power 

 continues, for all the ordinary purposes of traffic 

 upon common roads, to be the most sirr.ple in its 

 application, and certain in its effect. 



We shall confine ourselves particularly to the 

 consideration of that part of the question Vi/hich 

 relates to the slov/ transport of heavy goods, as 

 being the most important branch of the subject, 

 especially for agricultural purposes. Economy is, 

 of course, the grand desideratum in the considera- 

 tion of this question; consequently, the compara- 

 tive expense of the two powers, supposing them 

 for the moment eqiu\lly convenient and applicable, 

 will first demand oar attention. 



A difiiculty arises here, however, from the want 

 of a certain measure of comparison. The power 

 of a one-horse engine is by no means exactly the 

 same tiling as that of a horse. As we have be- 

 fore stated, the mode of applying them being dif- 

 ferent, the variations in the results are difierent, 

 and consequently the efiects do not bear a constant 

 proportion to each other, under different circum- 

 stances; we must therefore be careful not to fall 

 into the mistake v,rhich we have ourselves pointed 

 out as a very common source of error, viz., the 

 drawing general conclusions ii'om data obtained in 

 a particular case. We shall take the pov/er ol' 

 the horse, and that of the steam-engine as ascer- 

 tained practically on railways, where the effect of 

 each is less influenced by accidental circumstances, 

 and consequently can be better ascertained than 

 on a road. We shall confine our calculations of 

 expense to this particular case, and then endeavor 

 to discover how/ar tJie same results are to be ex- 



pected, or what modifications are likely to take 

 place, and what alterations are to be made in the 

 results under difierent circumstances. As regards 

 the first, viz., the comparative cost of animal and 

 mechanical power on a railway, wc cannot do bet- 

 ter than quote the words of the late Mr. Tredgokl 

 upon this subject, and we accordingly extract the 

 following from his work upon iTJlways: — 



'The relative expense of different moving powers 

 ' for railways is an interesting inqulr), and the 

 ' same materials being necessary to estimate the 

 ' absolute expense lor any time or place, it is desi- 

 ' rable to give some particulars, to aid the researches 

 ' of those who wish to make such comparative esti- 

 ' mates. The annual expense of a horse depends 

 ' on — 



' 1. The interest of purchase-money. 



' 2. Decrease of value. 



' 3. Ha.'sard of loss. 



' 4. Value of Ibod. 



' 5. Harness, shoeing, and farriery. 



' 6. Rent of stabling. 



' 7. Expense of attendance. 



' According to the average duration of a horse 

 ' in a state fit lor labor, of the description required 

 ' on a railway, the first three items may be esti- 

 ' mated at one-fourth of the purchase-money; the 

 ' food, harness, shoeing, &c., included in the 4th, 

 ' 5ih, and 6th, will most likely not exceed £40 

 ' per annum, nor yet be much short of that amount; 

 ' and supposing one man to attend to two horses, 

 ' this would add £15 12s. if the man's vv^ages 

 ' were 2s. per day; and, at this rate, the labor of a 

 ' horse of the value of 20 £ would cost 60 £ 12s. 

 ' per year; or, since there are 312 working days in 

 ' the year, the daily expense would be 3s. lOi-d., 

 ' or 186 f irthings. But the power of a horse is 

 ' about 125 lbs. when travelling at the rate of three 

 ' miles per hour, and the day's work eighteen 

 ' miles. 



' The annual expense of a high-pressure loco- 

 ' motive engine, or steam-carriage, consists of — 



' 1. The interest of the first cost. 



' 2. Decrease of value. 



' 3. Hazard of accidents. 



' 4. Value of coals and water. 



' 5. Renewals and repairs. 



' 6. Expense of attendance. 



' It is ditncult to procure these particulars from 

 ' the experience of those who employ engines; we 

 ' will therefore annex, by w^ay of example, such 

 ' sums as we think likely to cover the expense. 

 ' The first cost of the engine and its carriage may 

 'be stated at50£ per horse power, and its de- 

 ' crease of value and hazard will render its annual 

 ' expense about one-filth of its first cost, or 10 £ 

 ' per annum per horse power. The expense of 

 ' fuel and water per day will be not less than one 

 ' bushel and a half of coals per horse power, and 

 ' fourteen cubic feet of water; and, taking the coals 

 ' at 6d. per bushel, and the water and loading with 

 ' fuel at 3d., the annual expense v,-ill be lo£ 12s.; 

 ' the renewals and repairs, at 20 per cent, on the 

 ' first cost, will be 10 £ which is as little as can be 

 ' expected to cover them. Attendiinco, suppose 

 ' one man and one boy for each six-horse engine, 

 ' at 6s. per day, or Is. per day for each horse pov/- 

 ' er, or 15 £ i2s, per annum; therefore the total 

 ' annual expense of one-horse power would be 

 ' 51 £ 4s., or 153 farthings per day.' This povver 

 is equal to a force of traction of 166-| lbs. for the 



