1803.] On Animal Labour. 319 of opinion that long aration is more prejudicial to land which has undergone the operations of paring and burning, than to any other. It you deem this letter worth a place in your use- ful Magazine, you'may insert it in your next number, Lam, Sir, yours, Sc.;

AGRICOLA NORTHUMBRIENSIS.

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ANSWER TO AGRICOLA NORTHÜUMBRIENSIS ON | ANIMAL LABOUR. To the Editor of the Agricultural Magazines, SIR,; Observe im your last number two articles from Agricola Northumbriensis, both on the Subject of the comparative utility of horses and oxen in tillage.,

It, perhaps, may appear Singular that to the last of these papers which is entitled an answer to Agricola Meridionalis on Animal Labour, 1shall pay the least attention, but my apology is found in the conclusion of my letter introduced into your Magazine for September.“ 1 am a plain reasoner, and am little accustomed to cirecumvention and circumlocution; but whenever this gentleman(Agricola Northumbriensis) will con- descend to confine himselt to insulated questions, ordinary Sub- jects, and cold arguments,[ Shall have no objection to continu- ing with him the correspondence he has commenced in your useful miscellany."

The former paper appears, page 237,' et infra, and enters into a Jong and laboured calculation on the comparative cexpence of horses and oxen, in which, tor the 5ake of bre- vity, I am not disposed to follow A. N. with coutradictory Statements. I will take tbe estimate as he gives It,(page 241.) <<"To maintain a working ox requires the produce of about four, and to Support a working horse that of about five acres of land." If therefore it can be Shewn thai five oxen will per- form the work of four horses, your correspondent will, at least, agree with me that n6 additional expence is incurred.

It is profesSed that two oxen“ driven by the ploughman can perform nearly as much work as two good horses, and for a considerable length of time."* But under my Supposition, it 1s only required that kve oxen Should perform as much as four horses.

The material mistake into which Agricola Northumbriensis has fallen is, that he has Supposed six or eight oxen are re- quired, where only two or three are necessary 3; and he has multiplied the expences on the use of oxen accordingly, with- out the Smallest foundation from Lhe comparative powers of the animals under his cousideration.

& See note to Page 243».