CHAPTEE XXIII. 



TRACTION-ENGINES VERSOS HORSES ON FARMS. 



THAT horses are expensive to maintain for farm-work is now well under- 

 stood by all parties engaged in it ; hence the most intelligent and enter- 

 prising among them are anxious that some other power should be sub- 

 stituted, with a view to its being more cheaply performed. In the mean 

 time, steam-power seems to be the only one likely to take the place of 

 horse-power in farm-labour ; but before referring particularly to this, we 

 shall consider the actual cost of horses as maintained for the purpose of 

 working our farms. 



Many farmers maintain their horses cheaply that is, at a small out- 

 lay but in all such cases the animals are badly fed, and therefore unable 

 to perform their work in a profitable or satisfactory way ; while others, 

 from having a particular hobby in keeping their horses in very high 

 condition, maintain them at a greater expense than is necessary. In 

 order to arrive at a fair estimate as to the cost of horse-labour, both 

 these extremes are to be avoided, and the expense of a medium plan of 

 dealing with the subject should be taken. In attending to this, I shall 

 give an estimate according to my own experience in keeping horses for 

 farm-work ; and by reference to my account-books, the expenditure I 

 find stands as follows per horse per annum : 



Oats and hay, . . . . ' . . 18 10 



Bran, &c., 4 10 



Farrier and saddler, 200 



Blacksmith, 2 10 



Interest on value, 200 



Deterioration in value, . . . . 200 





31 10 



Of course some will tell us that their horses do not cost so much as I 

 have stated, as they put them out to graze in summer, and that does not 

 cost them much. I have even been told by farmers that their horses 

 cost them nothing in the summer season. They seem to forget that 

 their horses cannot live on nothing, and that they must consume a 



