36

Implements of Ilujbandry .— Single-Horfe Carts.

of the lighter kinds, by which more work may be performed in an equal lengthof time, and with much greater eafe and convenience.

Single-Horfc Carts .—The large wains, or heavy four-horfe waggons, which are'.ommon in many of the fouthern counties, are not only reprobated, but ina great meafure exploded in thofe of the north, where one and two horfe carts,with fome variety of conftruftion, are moftly made ufe of. One horfe with thefecarts draws from twelve to twenty-four hundred weight, and on good road fome-times thirty, with great facility. In the mod improved cart of this fort, the bottom,when placed on the axle, projects, on each fide, over the inner heads of the naves,fo as nearly to touch the fpokes of the wheels; from w 7 hich acquifition of breadththe capacity of the cart is much increafed, while the fide ftandards, by being broughtnearer to the perpendicular fituation, are enabled to fuftain confiderably moreweight. This is termed the Clofe or Coup Cart , and is about five feet three inchesin length, four feet in breadth below, and four feet three inches above, having adepth of one foot three inches, and containing about a cubic yard. The wheelsare commonly about fifty inches in height, and the axle-tree moftly formed of iron,though w'ood will anfwer the purpofe tolerably well.

A very intelligent agriculturift, who has paid much attention to the importanceof carts in hufbandry, found in conftru&ing fingle-horfe ones that the capacity ofwaggons w 7 as by no means a juft rule for them. From thofe with which he w'asacquainted, containing in the bed, or buck, ninety-fix cubical feet, being twelvefeet long, four feet wdde, and tw 7 o feet in depth ; it was fuppofed that to give onehorfe the fourth of the load of four, it would only be necedary to give them a fpaceof twenty-four cubical feet, or to make them four feet by three, with a depth oftwo feet; but it was foon obferved that the power of a horfe was fo much greaterIn working fingly than in a team, that they might be enlarged fo as to have the dimen-fions of five feet one inch in length of buck, three feet feven inches in breadth, twofeet in depth, and to contain thirty-five cubical feet and a fraction. This placesin a ftriking point of view the advantage fuch fmall carts have over large ones inthe quantity of w r ork performed *.

On the fubjett of fingle-horfe carts it is alfo obferved by another practical writer,“ that thofe which are in ufe in various parts of England appear to be the bed; cal-culated for the purpofe of carrying all kinds of goods, except fingle trees, blocks ofdone, or any other article whofe weight may be too much for the drength of fuchcarts, and which cannot eafily and without lofs be divided into feparate loads; fnall or mod; places where the roads are particularly bad, either arifing from fofc

* Annals of Agriculture, vol. XVIII,