416 ON DRAUGHT. 



health of the animal, or of rendering his business a pleasure to him — an 

 attempt, the success of which is, we should think, very questionable, and 

 content ourselves with endeavouring' to check the barbarous practice of 

 working horses to death either by overdriving or overloading them ; and 

 we shall, as is generally the case, consult our own interests and follow the 

 dictates of humanity at the same time, by not injuring so useful an animal : 

 and we think experience proves there will be no danger of doing this by 

 working eight or nine hours a day. By referring to the Table above, we 

 see that the maximum velocity of the average of horses corresponding to 

 eight hours' work is five miles and a half per hour, consequently, the rate 

 at which he would travel when loaded is a little more than two miles and 

 a half per hour. There is no doubt that some horses could conveniently 

 travel faster ; but as the speed must generally be governed by that of other 

 horses, the average is, in this case, the rate to be adopted. The force 

 exerted under these circumstances depending upon thequality of the horse, 

 it is very difficult to obtain even an approximate value of it, unless the 

 experiment be made upon each individual horse : it is fortunately, however, 

 of no great consequence in practice, because if we feel sure that we are 

 employTng all the power we can command to the greatest advantage, it is 

 not of any very great importance that we should know the exact amount of 

 that power. 



In comparing animal horse- power with that of the steam-engine, we 

 estimated it at about 125 lbs., but we believe that, with tolerably good 

 horses, it may generally be taken at more than that. 



We have thus far confined our attention to the cases where velocity, as 

 well as duration of labour, was left to choice ; this is far from being always 

 the case. In stage-coaches, or other conveyance for passengers, speed is 

 absolutely necessary, and it only remains to learn how that speed can be 

 obtained with the greatest economy. The following Table, extracted from 

 Tredgold, will show the great reduction in the effect produced by increas- 

 ing the velocity. 



The first column being the velocity or rate per hour, continued for six 

 hours per day ; the second represents the force of traction of which the 

 animal is capable ; and the third, the comparative effects produced. A 

 force of traction of 125 lbs. continued for six hours at the rate of three 

 miles per hour being taken as the standard, and considered equal to the 

 arbitrary number 1000. 



Miles per hour. Force 



2 , . . . 



3 . . . . 

 3i . . . 



4 . . . . 

 41 ... . 

 b . . . 

 5J- . . . 



If, however, the' hours of labour be lessened, taking the velocity corre- 

 sponding to the greatest useful effect, the results will be much greater, and 

 the velocity may be raised much higher, as will be seen in the following 

 Table. 



Here the first column is the length of days' work, the second the best 

 velocity corresponding to that time, or half the limit of velocity shown in 

 Table (1), and the third column the comparative effect produced, the force 

 of traction being in each case 125 lbs. 



