396 
One-horse  Carts. 
Now  as  more  land  was  certainly  broken  up  during  that  time 
than  has  been  laid  down  to  grass,  I can  see  no  other  cause  of  the 
decrease  than  the  reduction  of  plough-teams ; and  if  so,  putting  the 
expense  of  each  horse  at  only  1 0/.  a-year,  though  it  is  set  some- 
times at  20/.  in  those  fanciful  statements,  the  estimates  of  farm 
expenses,  we  get  three-quarters  of  a million  saved  yearly  to  the 
farming  body  at  large.  I believe  that  two-horse  ploughing  can  be 
carried  no  further ; it  is  a mistake  to  suppose  that  clay  land  can  be 
worked  by  two  horses  abreast,  one  of  them  stepping  on  the  whole 
land  and  poaching  it  at  every  step  ; and  it  is  far  better  that 
three  or  four  horses  should  draw  at  length  in  the  furrow.  But 
there  is  a similar  change  which  gives  a yet  greater  saving  of 
horses,  which  has  been  proved  to  do  so  over  and  over  again  in 
this  Journal,  which  might  be  used  almost  everywhere ; but  about 
which  farmers  have  been,  to  say  the  least,  rather  slow.  I mean, 
of  course,  the  exchange  of  waggons  for  carts.  In  Northumber- 
land light  carts  with  a single  horse  are  used  for  all  farming  pur- 
poses. In  Bedfordshire  they  have  light  carts  too.  In  the  south 
we  have  well  made  waggons  ; but  with  three  horses.  The  Lin- 
colnshire waggon  is  like  a railway-truck  on  the  broad  gauge.  I 
will  not  again  describe  the  trial  in  which  five  of  my  horses  with 
carts  beat  ten  horses  with  waggons  at  barley  cart,  the  number  of 
men  being  the  same  ; but  here  is  another  trial  which  has  just 
taken  place,  with  the  same  numbers  and  the  same  issue,  on  the 
challenge  of  Sir  John  Thorold,  at  Grantham,  this  year. 
“ The  trial  was  made  to-day  [Aug.  27],  in  a field  of  mown  oats  on  Mr. 
Fisher’s  farm.  The  extent  of  the  ground  cleared  is  twelve  acres;  the 
crop  was  a heavy  one,  and  the  distance  from  the  stack-yard  is  a mile  and 
u quarter.  On  the  way,  the  river  Witham  is  crossed  by  a ford,  and  the 
.approaches  on  either  side  are  steep  and  almost  frightful.  As  in  the 
former  case,  the  men  and  boys  were  equal  on  both  sides,  and  the  number 
of  waggons  and  of  carts  on  either  side  was  Jive.  The  horses  used  in  the 
carts  were  FIVE,  while  those  used  in  the  waggons  were  TEN.  The 
time  occupied  in  clearing  the  ground  was  four  hours  and  three-quarters. 
Hath  parties  began  and  Jinished  together , and  it  was  found,  by  measurement 
of  the  stacks,  that  the  carts  had  conveyed  about  two  loads  more  than  the 
waggons. 
“ The  trial  of  last  week  proved  favourable  to  carts  on  -level  and  up-hill 
ground,  while  this  day’s  result  is  equally  favourable  for  both  up-hill  and 
down.  In  going  down  to  the  river,  it  was  found  necessary  to  lock  a wheel 
of  the  waggons,  and  to  arrange  the  horses  so  as  to  allow  of  an  additional 
leader  in  going  up ; while  the  carts  went  straight  on,  without  stop  or 
change  of  circumstances.” 
The  saving  of  horses  by  the  use  of  Northumberland  carts,  it  is 
now  quite  clear,  is  one-half.  What  is  the  saving  of  outlay  at  the 
wheelwright’s  on  entering  a farm  ? I have  obtained  the  prices 
of  the  old  conveyances  from  a village  wheelwright;  they  areas 
follows  for  a farm  of  200  acres  : — 
