564 ON DRAUGHT. 



we tliink they would tlien form a strong, diu-able, and economical wheel. 

 There might be some danger from the eflects of wet or damp remaining in 

 the cast-iron sockets, and attacking the wood ; but we should think a small 

 hole bored into the socket to allow the moisture to escape, and common 

 precaution in painting these parts, would prevent any evil consequences. 



With respect to the size of wheels, we have shown that wheels of large 

 diameter certainly offer less resistance than small ones ; but expense and 

 weight cause a limit to this. From 4 ft. 9 in. to 5 ft. 6 in. is a good size 

 for cart-wheels, and is about the limit where any great increase of diameter 

 would cause more inconvenience and expense than would be compensated 

 for by any advantage gained ; and if much less in diameter than this, the 

 draught is unnecessarily augmented. 



Yet the front wheels of a waggon are always below this standard ; rarely 

 exceeding four feet, and frequently much less. This is a serious evil attend- 

 ing the use of four wheels ; it is an arrangement originally made for the 

 purpose of enabling the front wheels to lock under the body of the waggon, 

 which may thus turn in a small space. 



Now it rarely happens that a waggon is required to turn short round, 

 and it cannot cause any serious inconvenience if it be rendered altogether 

 incapable of doing so. 



In this respect a great improvement has taken place within a few years. 

 In the place of those moving mountains which were formerly dragged 

 slowly along upon immensely heavy and broad, but low, wheels, we now 

 see, particularly on the roads leading northward from London, a great 

 number of light, well-built waggons, with much larger wheels, especially 

 the front Avheels, which, instead of being small enough to turn under the 

 floor of the waggon, are about four feet six inches in diameter. As those 

 waggons are used principally on the road, and are never required to turn 

 in a small compass, but a very small action is allowed to the fore axle, and 

 the floor and body of the waggon is continued from end to end of nearly 

 the same width. 



A waggon with part of the floor and body cut away, so as to form a sort 

 of recess for the front wheels to turn into, allows of considerable move- 

 ment ; and by this arrangement there is nothing to prevent the front wheel 

 being made of larger diameter, as in the case just described. Our present 

 object, however, is not to enter into a detailed description of how we should 

 Duild a waggon, but simply to recommend the use of large front wheels, as 

 tending much to diminish the draught. An intelligent wheelwi'ight will 

 always know how to construct a waggon so as to admit of this. 



The consideration of the subject of Avheels natui-ally includes that of the 

 comparative advantages of two-wheeled and four-wheeled carriages. Upon 

 this point opinions differ as much as upon any ; and we fear that we are 

 not likely to do more than to arrange the different opinions given by 

 others, without advancing any of our own. K we succeed, however, in 

 duing this clearly, we shall have done much, because we may thus enable 

 each individual to separate those arguments which apply particularly to 

 his own case ; and combining these opinions with his own judgment, he 

 Avill be more Hkely to arrive at a just conclusion than if he were altogether 

 unaided by the experience of others. 



The advocates of light two- wheeled carts assert that a horse working 

 alone is capable of performing more work than when fonning one of a 

 team ; and that in consequence of this increased effect, there is a saving of 

 expense nearly in the proportion of three to two, or one-third. 



The advocates for waggons assert, on the contrary, that it requir-es that 

 each horse in a single-horse cart should be of a superior quahty, and 

 therefore more expensive than those of a team, wliere the average power 



