88 On the Beduction of Horse Labour by single Carts. 



4. The manageableness of one-horse carts compared with 

 heavier implements is greater than I can describe. Every opera- 

 tion appears facilitated by them. Improvements are more easily 

 carried into execution through their means. I doubt whether I 

 could get through my present work by means of the old imple- 

 ments Avithout an increase of the original number of horses. 



On an average three in six are saved, in the proportion of one 

 in the quantity carried, one in the weight of carriage, and one 

 in quick movement, saving loss of time, and manageableness. 

 And that this is not done by over-taxing the powers of my horses 

 may be believed, by five out of my present number of eight 

 averaging somewhere about 20 years old; and they are a light 

 kind of cart-horse, of fair height, without any remarkable quali- 

 ties. Nor is it done by extra feeding ; for most of their carting 

 work falls within the five summer months, in which they live 

 entirely on broad clover, &c., without any portion of corn. 



I now come to a very material point, — the expenses of carrying 

 the practice into execution. Though I can with propriety range 

 it under the head of saving, yet it is not of that low scale that 

 will induce a person for its own sake to adopt the system. Were 

 he to follow my steps, it would depend on the goodness of his old 

 implements, whether the disposal of them would repay him for the 

 expense of the change. The fairest view is by a comparison with 

 a new set of each. A full set of implements under the general 

 system of this district for employing the original horse power on 

 my farm to the best advantage, would be 6 dung (3 horse) carts 

 at 141., two Dutch (mould) carts at 10/., one marketting cart at 

 16L, and 5 waggons, at 35/.; total, 295/. Under my present 

 system I require 8 dung-carts at 15/., and 6 skeleton carts at 18/.; 

 total, 228/. 



The advantage of buying second-hand carriages exists under 

 the general system, which is not available in a new one ; but my 

 vicinity to the stage-coaches of Oxford enabled me to turn to 

 account their cast off wheels and axletrees — the latter to me are 

 as good as new, and the best of the former last many years in my 

 slow work — so that I had only to furnish myself with new broad 

 wheels. My expense in providing myself with seven dung-carts 

 and six skeleton-carts was 182/. A complete and well made 

 skeleton-cart will be about half the cost of the best made Berk- 

 shire waggon, and will probably last as long, and perhaps longer, 

 from its not being required for marketing ; and a waggon is said 

 to last as many years as it costs pounds. The wear and tear and 

 repairs of a two-wheel carriage of simple frame work must neces- 

 sarily be much less than one of four with numerous parts, whether 

 it be from the shocks of the road, or the process of natural decay. 



It is necessary also to exhibit, as far as they have been disco- 



