( 134 ) 



importing into this country, that immenfe quantity of oats, 

 hitherto annually fupplied from the northern parts of Europe. 



Upon the light and temperate lands, two horfes in th© 

 wheel or Tommon foot plough are ufually employed, and 

 thefe are managed with much dexterity by one perfon, who 

 holds the plough, and drives the horfes to a very equal labour 

 at the fame time. Upon the ftronger land, three and fome- 

 times four horfes are required to a plough; thefe as neceffarily 

 require a driver, and here in like manner with the two-horfe 

 plough teams is the day's work at plough, and at harrow, 

 tione in one journey of feven and a half or eight hours. 

 To plough an acre, or at moft five roods, is the commori 

 day's work. This is the general mode of working the 

 farm horfes, but which (under the peculiar circumftances 

 of this county) is not to be applauded or approved of by any 

 means. In open countries, where the wqrk lies detached, 

 and often at the diftance of tv\^o, or even three milts from 

 the farm houfe, the rounding of the day's work into one 

 journey, particularly in the winter feafon, feems to be a 

 pradlice.indifpenfibly necefiTary : but in a country like Effcx, 

 where the farms lie compad, yet moderately large; and 

 where the farm-houfes in general are tolerable centrical, and 

 conveniently fituated ; it cannot furely admit of an excufe 

 for the ploughmen in the middle of their journey, to halt to 

 breakfaft upon the headland (perhaps at the back of the 

 ftable, or contiguous to the farm yard) the horfes all the 

 while fhivering with cold, getting ftiff and difeafed from 

 negledl, and the confequences attendant upon their morning's 

 labour, whilil the ploughmen are idly confuming the time, 

 which cuflom has fanftioned to complete their day's work 

 in one journey. By dividing the labour of the day, and 

 baiting between two journies of four and a half hours, 



