THE 'POWERS* THAT BE. 169 



come, but cheap and expeditious compared with the 

 spade, so far as regards the mere inversion, or partial 

 inversion, of the soil; though doing little towards its 

 cultivation. Again, in threshing, the application of 

 the horse's power must still be horizontal, like his 

 figure, and his work be done by lateral pulling. The 

 direction of animal power, in fact, is horizontal : and 

 horizontal draught is the only form in which it can 

 be applied*. 



' But draught is not necessary to cultivation, nor 

 is it even desirable. The plough, the harrows, the 

 scuffler, and the horse-hoe, are but processes ren- 

 dered necessary by the only possible mode of applying 

 horse-power to the turning and breaking of the soil. 



' Mechanical power is totally different : and has no 

 more business to be applied to the plough, than a 

 horse to a spade. When horses have been taught to 

 dig, the steam-engine may perhaps be taught to 

 plough : but nothing will be gained by either ; be- 

 cause it is NOT THEIR MODE OF ACTION, respectively. 

 The laws of Matter and of Motion arc imperative ; 

 and pay no sen-ice to the dull-eyed prejudice of man. 

 Mechanical power has many modes of action ; but 



* Except in the case of a turnspit dog, or a squirrel in a 

 cage, whore it is applied to generate circular motion. 



