Experimental Inquiry on Draught in Ploughing. 243 



I now requested the ploughman who had been employed in all 

 the former trials to work, as nearly as he could guess, at the pace 

 of the Clydesdale horses. He did so, and accomplished the dis- 

 tance in 1 minute and 40 seconds, which is almost exactly 2f 

 miles an hour; his estimate thus agreeing with Mr. Morton's 

 statement. The draught-guage marked, I should say, 22 stone 

 only ; one stone less than before. That it did not mark more than 

 the former draught, 23 stone, I am perfectly certain. 



I lastly asked the ploughman to plough the length of 110 

 yards at the utmost of his horses' walk. They did it in 1 minute 

 and 5 seconds ; or at the rate of 3 J- miles in the hour. The 

 gauge rose indeed but to 24 stone only. 



The following table shows the time which would be required 

 for ploughing an acre, with a furrow 9 nine inches wide, at the 

 different rates of motion, exclusive of stoppages. 



Rate of going Time required to Draught of 



per hour. plough an acre. plough. 



Miles, Hrs. Min. Stone. 



IJ . . 7 20 . . 23 



If . . 6 30 . . 23 



2f . .40. .22 



3^ . .38. .24 



Here, then, it appears to me we have found the secret of the 

 Scotch horses' superior performance as to quantity of work done. 

 Though they are stepping briskly along at a pace which enables 

 them to work 5 quarters of an acre in one day, while the dragging 

 walk of other horses carries them through 3 quarters of an acre 

 only in the same time, they feel the weight of the plough cer- 

 tainly not more than the others, perhaps even less. Let the horses 

 be lively enough to face their work boldly, and step out well, 

 they get, or rather their master gets^, beyond the former 3 quar- 

 ters, 2 quarters of an acre more ploughed for nothing. It is true 

 that the horses have to walk a greater distance in one case, but 

 this cannot be of much consequence. In ploughing an acre, with 

 the furrow 9 inches wide, the horse has to walk in the furrow 1 1 

 miles exactly ; if then he plough 3 quarters of an acre in the day, 

 he has to walk 85 miles only ; if 5 quarters, or 1 Scotch acre, he 

 must pass over 13f miles, but 5-^ miles more than before. The in- 

 creased rate of an animal's exertion has also, of course, a great effect 

 upon the fatigue of its frame where the difference is considerable. 

 But I suppose that each animal has in some degree a natural 

 pace, suited to its conformation, which is most easy to it, and that 

 the quicker rate of 2| miles in the hour may be as natural to the 

 Clydesdale horse as a more tardy walk to cart-horses of our heavy 

 breeds. Still I do not wish to assert that, under all circum- 



