THE WHEAT CROP. 47 



and at a saving of three-fourths to four-fifths, as compared 

 with hand labour. Hand-hoeing is generally piece work. 

 Here the interests of the employer and the employed are 

 opposed to each other, and one generally suffers. The 

 object of the farmer is quality, the object of the labourer 

 is quantity of work, and if the latter is not well looked 

 after, or above the average honest, the one is sacrificed to 

 the other, and the soil removed by a 6-inch cut with the 

 hoe serves to cover up the next 6 inches of untouched 

 surface ; while the agreed price of say 3s. per acre, actually 

 becomes 4s., 5s., or 6s. per acre, according to the propor- 

 tion left unhoed. 



Time, too, is an important element in this operation. 

 Hoeing must not be attempted, unless the ground be in 

 a suitable condition, or it would occasion more harm than 

 good ; and this particular condition rarely exists for more 

 than a few days at a time, at the season when hoeing 

 should be done, a shower, if only of an hour's duration, 

 frequently putting a stop to the chance of hoeing for the 

 remainder of the season. Where there is a large breadth 

 of wheat grown, the labour question of hoeing becomes a 

 serious one, as a man cannot fairly and properly get over 

 more than half an acre per day, especially where the drills 

 are of the ordinary width. The horse-hoe 1 relieves the 

 farmer from much of his anxiety. He has only to regulate 

 the depth and width of the cut, and be assured that the 

 whole of his surface will be equally acted upon by it. He 

 finds that, with one man to direct and one horse to draw; 

 the implement will do on the average from eight to twelve 

 acres per day (according to the description of soil and 

 width of drills), in a superior manner, at a cost of, say - 

 horse, 2s. 6c; man, 2s. 6cL; wear and tear, Is. = 6s.; 

 which would have required the employment of sixteen to 



1 Introduced and manufactured by Messrs. Garrett & Son, of Saxmundham, 

 Smith, of Kettering, and other makers. 



