CAEE AND MANAGEMENT OF ANIMALS 777 



work this exceedingly heavy amount might be performed 

 yet for the faster paces it is impossible. 



Morton,* from a series of observations made on the 

 draught of ploughs, and statistical data furnished by several 

 farmers, gives a table showing the amount of work per 

 horse in farm labour. Taking the mean of Morton's table, 

 it amounts to 3,795 foot tons of work per day of eight 

 hours. The remark that though the draught of an ordinary 

 plough may be one-horse power per head per minute, yet 

 there are various reasons why the effective work of horses 

 barely exceeds half the calculated work. 



We believe the normal daily work of the horse to be 

 about 8,000 foot tons ; that this is often exceeded is 

 undoubted, but it is seldom that horses are not overworked. 

 It may as a rule be said that, with few exceptions, they are 

 worked up to the limit of their power, and frequently 

 beyond their power. 



In fixing 3,000 foot tons, if we have erred it is on the safe 

 side, this amount of work will not shorten the useful life of 

 a horse, nor wear out his legs before their time. That it is 

 impossible to fix an amount of daily work which all horses 

 should perform is manifest ; many will do more, some less 

 than the standard, the personal equation plays an impor- 

 tant part, and the willing horse is sure to be imposed upon. 



The following table will convey an idea of 3,000 foot tons 

 of work. It assumes the weight of the horse with the load 

 carried or drawn amounts to 1,000 lbs. 



But the question is by no means as simple as this table 



might indicate. This assumes a level surface, a good road, 



and an even pace being maintained ; in fact it assumes a 



combination of conditions which are rarely met with, but 



* 'Labour on the Farm ': Mr J. C. Morton. 



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