112 
The Labour Bill in Fariniiu/. 
will plough about 1| acre with a double-furrow plough. But 
this — perhaps the only implement recently introduced which 
saves an appreciable amount of labour in the cultivation of land 
— can only be used on light and medium soils. 
The farmer whose estimate has just been quoted reckons that 
tlie cost of keeping and replenishing a horse, and of paying 
farrier and harness bill, amounts to 18.«. per week per horse, say 
47/. per annum each horse. " It would be fair," he adds, " to 
assume that a farmer keeps in regular work from three to four or 
more horses per 100 acres." " Horse-labour, therefore, costs from 
about 28s. to 42s. per acre per annum, varying with the nature of 
the soil." But the cost of horse-labour must vary also according 
to the machinery used on a farm, and the cost price of raw 
material in the shape of young horses. " My horse-labour," 
says another farmer, " has decreased in cost by about 6 per cent, 
within the last seven years ; but this decrease is caused bv 
machinery provided in the form of well and pump, with water- 
pipes about the yards ; 150/. being spent in this way to save the 
daily expense of pumping and distributing." Another farmer 
writes : — " I should put the diminution in the number of horses^ 
kept within the last few years at from 5 to 10 per cent., partly 
owing to the great advance in their price, and partly to the 
extensive use of the double-furrow plough, which has also caused 
a great saving in manual labour." 
The following is " the estimated cost of horse-labour per acre on 
a mixed-soil farm of C)90 acres at Fornham St. Martin, Suffolk : — 
Apits. 
oaO Arable net. 
90 Pasture gross. 
50 Roads, farm-premises, house, gardens, hedges, ditches, 
<S:c., works out about : — 
£ X. il. 
1 16 0 on 550 acres of arable. 
4 7 on 90 acres of pasture. 
'* This calculation is made on the following basis : — The 
present price of both horses and horse-keep is very high ; 
22 horses, each costing 46/. per annum, exclusive of horse- 
keeper's wages (which would come under the item of manual 
labour) ; and no charge is made for straw, the manure being, 
considered an equivalent :— £ s d 
Death, risk, and depreciation 7 0,0 
For 38 weeks' corn, chaff, hay, &c 28 14 6 
For 14 weeks' corn, green food, (S:c 6 8 10 
Interest 2 10 0 
^'eterinary, shoeing, fire insurance, «S:c. . . 16 8 
£46 0 0 
