ENGLISH AGRICULTURE. 219 



in the price of corn, I am not surprised that we should find 

 19 12s. to be the price required. But you must remember 

 that there is the manure left. That is to say, we take the 

 oats at 2s. 3d. or the beans at 4s. a bushel, when consumed 

 upon the ground. That is the reason why I ask you to 

 consider the straw, chaff, and litter as nil. It is not that 

 we charge nothing for them, but we put the dung that is left 

 against them. We are therefore fairly clear in starting with 

 the cost of food at about 20. Then you have to add the 

 following items of expense 



s. d. 

 Food, say ... ... ... ... 20 



Shoeing, &c., put liberally at 100 



Harness ... ... ... ... 1 10 



Interest 5 per cent, on 30 ... ... 1 10 



Risk and depreciation at 10 per cent, on 30 ... 3 



Total (including veterinary attendance) 27 



I do not know of any other item of cost to bring against 

 the horse. Therefore we 'have nearly approached the figure 

 which I originally started with. When I was first associated 

 with farming some thirty years ago, we considered it cost 30 

 to keep a farm-horse. Since that time, during the high 

 prices and during more prosperous times, I have heard good 

 farmers endeavour to put the cost a great deal higher ; but 

 I could, I think, challenge any one to show me that a farm- 

 horse, taken apart from wages, could possibly cost more than 

 30. 



Now with reference to the question of labour. I know 

 that certain estimates as to the cost of the farm-horse include 

 the labourer, and a calculation occurs to my mind, namely, 

 that of the late Mr. John Algernon Clarke, who wrote very 

 ably on steam cultivation, and what can be saved by putting 

 down a farm-horse. He calculated that you saved 44 a 

 year by dispensing with a farm-horse in favour of steam 



