1921.] 



The Cost of Horse Labour. 



811 



balance sheet prepared, from which the yearly cost of upkeep of 

 various head of stock can be readily determined. When the 

 results from each farm have been thus obtained, the whole 

 results are collected into one table from which the average cost 

 of horse labour, if that is required, over the "whole of the farms 

 concerned can be determined for that particular year. 



In 1919-20, on eleven farms whose total area amounted to 

 2,057 acres, 66 working horses were kept, and according to the 

 time sheets these horses were engaged during that period in 

 performing 14,278 days' work. 



From Table I it will be seen that during the year 1919-1920 

 the net cost of maintaining 66 working horses amounted to 

 £4,028 15s. 5d. The detailed summary of the costs is given 

 in Table II :— 



Table II. — Summary of Cost of Horse Labour. 





Total cost of 

 upkeep per year 

 of 66 horses. 



Cost per 

 horse per 

 year. 



Cost per ^ 

 horse per 

 week. 



Cost per 

 working 

 day. 



Per- 

 centage 

 cost. 



Grazing 



Hay 



Straw 



Boots and vetches ... 

 Home-grown corn . . . 

 Purchased corn 



£ s. d. 

 371 16 2 

 417 12 8 

 213 11 7 

 115 10 6 

 746 19 9 

 761 19 4 



£ s. d. 



5 12 8 



6 7 

 3 13 10 

 1 15 



11 6 4 

 11 10 7 



£ s. d. 

 2 2 

 2 6 

 1 5 

 8 

 4 4 

 4 5 



s. d. 

 64 

 7 

 4i 



2 



1 1 

 1 1 



8-8 

 10-2 

 5-9 

 2-9 

 191 

 19-1 



Total food 



Labour 

 Depreciation 

 Incidentals 



2,657 13 

 213 6 2 

 493 5 

 664 11 3 



40 5 5 

 3 4 8 

 7 9 5 



10 1 4 



15 6 

 1 3 

 2 10$ 

 3 10£ 



3 10 

 3 

 8i 

 11£ 



66-0 

 4-5 

 125 

 17-0 



Total cost ... 



£4,028 15 5 



£61 10 



£13 6 



5 9 





Table II shows that the yearly cost of upkeep per horse on 

 the 11 farms amounted to £61 0s. 10d., the weekly cost £1 3s. 6d., 

 and the cost per working day 5s. 9d. Of the total cost the food 

 bill represented 66 per cent., incidental expenses 17 per cent., 

 depreciation 12.5 per cent., and the labour bill 4.5 per cent. 



The average food consumption per horse varied considerably 

 on the different farms, as shown in Table III. 



The roots consumed would allow for a daily consumption of 

 12 lb. for a period of 5 months; hay for a consumption of 10J lb. 

 per head for 8 months; straw for a consumption of 12 lb. per 

 head for 8 months ; and the concentrated foods for a daily ration 

 of 9} lb. per day for the whole year, or 13 lb. per day for 8 winter 

 months and 3 lb. per day for 4 summer months. 



