Twenty horses, then, require from September 1st to May 31st* (273 days) 13,650 stones of pota- 

 toes: now land proper for potatoes will produce 100 sacks per acre, weighing 14 stones per sack: 

 therefore 20 horses require nearly 10 acres of potatoes; of straw, say about 7 or 8 bunches every day, 

 and but little more will be consumed than is necessary for them to lie upon : substitute then sand, silth, 

 or fine mould, and only the expense of fetching need be considered. Suppose the land to produce 15 

 coombs per acre of oats, 20 horses require 17^ acres for the year : but whether potatoes or hay be used, 

 the oats consumed will remain the same, viz. 1 bushel per week each horse, and therefore in the com- 

 parative estimate we may leave out the corn entirely : though it is to be observed, that Mr. Curwen 

 bruises his oats, and mixes them with the potatoes and cut straw, and thus they afford (undoubtedly to 

 old horses) more nourishment. 



Having thus considered the quantity of land necessary to grow potatoes for 20 horses, let us next ask 

 how many acres of land are required by the common method to produce feed (i. e. grass and hay) for 

 20 horses, for the same time. This certainly will vary with the quality of the land ; if the land is such 

 as is proper for potatoes, I conceive we may state it to be not less than 2 1 acres to a horse, i. e. for 20 

 horses 50 acres, from September 1st to May 31st. The potatoes, however, require only 10 acres ; by 

 deducting then 10 acres necessary for potatoes from 50 acres necessary for grass and hay, there will re- 

 main 40 acres of land rescued from the jaws of the Horse to be applied to whatever advantage the farmer 

 pleases for the maintenance of Man: And if these 40 acres will not pay him more than the extraordi- 

 nary expenses of feeding with potatoes (which must now be estimated) it can scarcely be expected he 

 should adopt such a plan. It remains for me to state those expenses and for him to find out the profit. 



If the potatoes are grown as they ought to be upon a fallow, i. e. a preparation for a corn crop, I can 

 set down nothing for tillage, because a crop of turnips would cost as much, and be no better preparation 

 for the succeeding crop of oats, or whatever the farmer may choose to sow : for although more manure 

 may be required fur the potatoes than for turnips, yet the extraordinary quantity made by feeding the 

 horses with them in stalls will amply compensate f6r this excess. For taking up the potatoes 3d. per 

 sack must be allowed. For coals 1 bushel per day must be charged, which may be computed at 2 guineas 

 per chaldron, exclusive of carriage. For the capital I shall set down Mr. Curwen's own statement, viz. 

 40 guineas, and allow besides for attendance and the weai- and tear of utensilsf— thus 



Taking up ten acres of potatoes, 100 sacks, at 3d. per sack _ - - 



The interest of 40 guineas, the price of the utensils;}; for steaming 



Coals, 273 days, at 1 bushel per day, call these 8 chaldrons,§ at 2 guineas per 

 chaldron, 161. 16s. and 3s. 6d. per load carriage, 10s. 6d. 



Attendance, one man for 273 days, at Is. 8d. per day - - - 



Wear and tear of utensils - - - - 



£5S 3 6 



• Potatoes can scarce be fit for use before September nor after May. 



f I omit the setting the potatoes and the stacking them, because in the common method of feeding horses, there 

 would be the mo-wing^ and making, and stacking the hay grown upon the land allowed for them, to be set against 

 these expenses. I also omit the expense of cutting straiv, because this would I presume be incurred by the common 

 method of feeding. 



J For a description of these seethe transactions of the Society of Arts, «S£C. Vol. 21, pages 203 and 209- A copy 

 of which shall be printed for our Society, if necessary. 



§ I say nothing about the carriage of coals. It is strange if a farmer, who keeps 20 horses, should not be able to add 

 this to the work of his farm, without charging more than what really he must pay immediately out of his pocket. If, 



C however,. 



