240 Experimental Inquiry on Draught in Ploughing. 



day's work in his native district.* If these numbers be correct, as 

 I have every reason to believe that they are, it is clear that the 

 savings effected by these high-kept nimble horses must be very 

 great ; so great, indeed, as almost to make one mistrust the calcu- 

 lation. Still it does appear that since a pair of the Clydesdale 

 breed, kept at the same expense as three of ours, can plough five 

 quarters of an acre where our teams get through three quarters 

 only, three 2-horse ploughs at work on a farm where Clydesdale 

 horses are kept^ are equal to five 3-horse ploughs of our own. 

 Nay, if good ploughs be used by the former, and bad by the latter, 

 are equal to five 4-horse ploughs. I am bound to state the facts 

 according to the information conveyed to me, while I fully admit 

 that without further inquiry we cannot be satisfied that we have 

 an accurate view of the matter. I must, however, observe that it 

 is no question of theoretical calculation, but rests upon facts which 

 may easily be ascertained. Do the Clydesdale horses in their 

 own country plough in single pairs, with the Scotch plough, which 

 appears to be a heavy one, land of the same toughness with that 

 which is here usually worked by four horses in line? Could they 

 work that land easily with a good swing-plough, which would re- 

 quire three of our horses in line? Is their daily task on such land 

 one Scotch acre or one and a quarter English, and is the labour 

 performed by our own limited to three quarters of an English 

 acre? If these facts be correct, it follows, of course, that 6 

 horses so kept are equal to 1 5 horses that work with a good 



* The following communication has been made to me by a gentleman 

 on whose accuracy I can implicitly rely. — Richmond. 



" I have always found an English acre enough for a pair of horses to 

 plough from the 1st of November till about the 1st of March, but after then, 

 when the days are long, and the horses can work ten hours, there is little 

 difficulty in ploughing an acre and a half, which is one-fifth more than a 

 Scotch acre ; much, however, depends on the nature of the soil, and also on 

 the size of the field, as a great deal of time is lost in turning when it is 

 small : upon the whole, on dry land, a pair of horses will do a Scotch acre 

 during the year. I have consulted Mr. Walker on the subject, who agrees 

 with me in every respect, and says he always does the quantity stated on 

 your Grace's home-farm, at Gordon Castle. 



" I may take the liberty of mentioning that the farm I now occupy in 

 Berwickshire consists of 365 acres of arable land, and about 850 acres of 

 rough pasture and moor, and that I have never kept more than four pair of 

 horses, and during the last three years have drained 58 acres of bog and 

 moss land, which is now under cultivation, and that the stones, in some in- 

 stances, had to be carted about a mile. I may also mention that, when the 

 land is properly prepared, the same number of horses will drill, dung, plough 

 in the dung, and sow turnips on five-and-a-half English acres daily. I have 

 often done more, but this is sufficient for horses to continue at for any length 

 of time. The drill is made with one furrow, and the dung ploughed in 

 •with another ; this plan is only lately introduced. "—Thomas Balmer. 



