Economy in Cultivation. 
or lad at 2s. per day, the cost would be 4s. per acre, assuming 
that an acre per day were ploughed. This means a very consider- 
able saving, such as cannot be ignored in times like the present. 
But it appears to me that in the development of this system 
there are even greater possibilities of economy. Supposing, for 
instance, the farmer is busy with hay or corn, and wishes to 
concentrate as many of his hands as possible on some special 
operation, he might take two out of three of his horsemen, put 
them on this particular work — let one man work two sets of 
three horses each by the “ job ” on the gang plough — and get six 
acres a day ploughed, the driver earning 5s. at 10c/. per acre. 
I see no difficulty in obtaining such a result. I know that 
some object to the system of driving three horses abreast, saying 
that they tread each other and bring side-bones. With proper 
“ spreaders ” there is no more risk in this respect than where a 
pair is driven, aud if two men instead of three can work six 
horses, and get only the same work done, the saving must be 
worth effecting. 
The mere saving of so much cost per acre, however, is not all ; 
expedition is sometimes all-important. A good or a bad crop 
may depend upon the fact of its being got in properly in the 
“ nick of time,” which it might be impossible to do without 
means such as I have described ; success or failure may depend 
on this. The cost of a pair of horses, man’s wages, interest of 
money and depreciation to horse and harness, varies from about 
75/. to 100/. a year: if, therefore, as I am convinced, one team 
out of every four can be dispensed with by adopting the most 
suitable labour-saving implements, it is clear at a glance how 
great that saving is, and what a proportion it bears towards 
rent. Besides this absolute saving, in place of the horses cattle 
or sheep might be kept, which may be presumed to pay some- 
thing. Then there is often great waste of time in unnecessary 
neatness, in mathematically measuring out the “ lands,” finishing, 
&c. All this may be necessary in ploughing for a winter crop, 
where surface drainage is required ; but for spring crops, roots, 
&c., I see no reason why the plough should not go continuously 
round the field, where the conformation of the land is suitable, 
and so save great waste of time in turning at “ land’s end.” 
Again, with this gang plough, where the gradient is bad, the field 
might be ploughed three ways, the plough going idle up the hill. 
Of course it will be said that though so many horses may not be 
required for the actual ploughing, there are the other operations, 
such as harvesting, &c., in which the full complement of horses is 
required. In reply, I would say that, in harvesting, waggons 
are still very generally used when (whatever farmers’ prejudices 
