378 
Advantages of One-Horse Carts. 
time by the men passing from the field to the stack, first to load, 
and then to unload, nor any waiting for the carriages loaded or 
empty. 
Tliere certainly are various things which a farmer may have to 
carry, for which one-horse carts are not adapted, as timber and 
hop-poles, which in Kent and Sussex are often carried a long dis- 
tance. In the same district many farmers bring their hay from 
the marshes, a distance of from three to eight miles ; for this pur- 
pose small carts are not so convenient ; but for carrying hay, and 
particularly where it has to be carried a considerable distance, 
a small cart may be enlarged by this expedient. The draught 
staples being generally about a foot from the ends of the shafts, by 
attaching rings to their extreme ends for the horse to draw by, the 
wheels will be thrown a foot further behind the horse, conse- 
quently the fore-ladder may be fixed a foot forwarder on the shafts. 
This will allow for the tail-ladder to lean further back, so as the 
load may balance. By thus lengthening the load, and keeping it 
a good width, as much hay may be loaded as a horse will be well 
able to draw. 
It is generally supposed that the nearer the wheels are o the 
horse the lighter will be the draught ; but it is important to bear 
in mind, that the weiglit on the horse's back will be less in descend- 
ing a hill, and the strain upon the belly-girth less in ascending, the 
further the horse is from the axletree. Hence it will be advis- 
able, when new carts are to be constructed, to make the shaft a 
good length, that the horse may be placed forward or backward, 
according to the kind of load he may have to draw. The shafts, 
terminating in an iron clasp or socket with a ring at the end, will 
not only serve for the horse to draw by when occasion may re- 
quire, but preserve them from decay when resting on the ground. 
It may not be amiss to remark, that a good belly-girth buckled 
tight is important; that a fore-ladder and tail-ladder to fasten by 
chains are preferable to fixed standards, as they may be adjusted 
to suit the balance of the cart or the height of the horse ; and that 
lor sheaves to ride safe without a rope, a right method in loading 
should be observed : the sheaves being laid in rings should ^itch 
to the centre, and nearly stand on their heads in the top. 
Looking at my carts fitted up in the rude manner they are, much 
improvement may be made in the construction of carts to suit the 
general purposes of agriculture ; and there are many persons who 
will not adopt the one-horse cart system, whatever be its advantages, 
till a cart of more sightly appearance is presented to their view. 
On the other hand, should the present low prices of produce con- 
tinue, if no advantage is to be gained beyond the saving of the ex- 
])ense of a new waggon when one of the old ones is worn out, 
there are many persons who will adopt it as an acceptable alternativCj 
