12 JANUARY. 



{most of which execute their work sufficiently 

 well), leaves no farmer in the kingdom under the 

 necessity of using the common chaff-box, worked 

 by those only who have acquired the art of using 

 it, and who usually make much greater earnings 

 than the common pay per diem. Of these ma- 

 chines, I believe Salmon's has the preference; the 

 price is 12l. l'2s.; but a very good one is made at 

 Thetford for eight guineas ; and another bv Passmore 

 of Doncaster, which is also effective, for 7!. 7s. The 

 practice of cutting both hay and straw for all sorts 

 of stock, is one that has been found very im- 

 portant by many practical and intelligent cultiva- 

 tors of great experience. General observations 

 are not so satisfactory as comparative experiments ; 

 but there are not many persons who have opportu- 

 nity, time, and power,, to .compare the food and 

 labour of two different teams, the one fed in the 

 common way, with hay, and the other with cut- 

 chaff, half or one-third straw. The opinion of 

 the best informed persons is decidedly in favour of 

 the latter. However, if racks are permitted in a 

 stable, it is not an easy matter to prevent horse- 

 keepers from cramming them full of hay, and espe- 

 cially at night. The best contrivance I have heard 

 of to supply the place of racks, was that of Mr. 

 Vancouver, who made a sort of hopper the whole 

 length of the manger, which delivered chaff from 

 a loft above it, gradually, as the horses moved the 

 lower lip of the hopper with their noses, in this 



manner 



