24 JANUARY. 



HORSES. 



One of the most useful general lessons that can 

 be given to an arable farmer, is to keep his horses 

 always at work. The expence of a team is so great, 

 that, if he does not pursue this rule, he must lose 

 by them. January is a month in which all business 

 of tillage ought to be at a stop. If the weather be 

 a hard frost, care should be taken to make use of 

 it in carting manures on the farm. If there are 

 composts ready, a frost should not be let slip ; or, 

 if there be faggot-carting to be performed, or the 

 earth of borders under hedges to be carried, the 

 carts should be kept close to work of that kind, as 

 long as the frost lasts. But in open weather, road- 

 work must be done. Carting out the corn may 

 not nearly employ the teams ; on other days the 

 carts should go to the nearest town for manure. 

 There certainly are situations precluded from this 

 advantage, but not many. How well it would an- 

 swer to keep a team on purpose for the employ- 

 ment, depends on various circumstances ; we may 

 however be assured, that it must answer to employ 

 the teams about it, when they would otherwise 

 stand still; for then the expence is little more than 

 labour and wear and tear. 



The same observations are partly applicable to the 

 ox-teams ; -and the farmer should have.a strict eye, 

 that both horses and oxen have plenty of litter, 

 otherwise his farm will suffer from a deficiency of 

 manure, 



THRASH- 



