ANIMAL LABOR ON FARMS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 878, 7 February 1879, Page 3 (Supplement)

ANIMAL LABOR ON FARMS.

Although, much has been said' at various times about the eseesaive cost of manual labor required firv Cafnvs in the Australian i-nhniu's..'reference U Sehtom made to the expanse of the animal tabor-employed" in thy same places, and yet it is probable that the one is pwt as worthy of «i->nsideratton us the other. The difference between the estimation of the eost of eat;lt kind" of tabor may bo likened, perhaps to- the difference in the tax tefied through th# medium of the Uustouvhonso from- another one cottecfied by the tate-wlteetor. In one easy tlu* money is taken dtireetty out of the purse of the ratepayer- ft tut in th& other instance it is abstracted almost wicfioitt hi* knowledge. So with the eost of tinman labor and of bntfo sem«e on the farm—iino taken hi.* pa/ in- mil, the other in keep. Without a snftwient sttppty of animat- tabor it i* impossible, to sarry on the work of the farm property, and the great point to bo considered w the sttppty that i* realty neeessary. Anything beyond that isSo miu;h, waste of power ami keen ; but on the other ham. to err in the opn<>s\te direction involve* a Eosa in many \vay3 to the owner. It will readdy be understood that it would be cheaper toemploy and, to feed four g'.'d string horses than to* have sis or ey-ht inferior animals beeauso the cost of feeding and the trouhte of working »mt tending the tatter would be nearly double- that of the former, ft wouW be difficult to lay iwn an arbitrary rule as to the number of horses that would b« repaired to work * given are* of tand, but it is unite safe to assort that the best stock obtainable mmlrt in the end be found by far the cheapest. A ureal: cleat depend* npon the farmer apportioning the strength of the teams to the work f.i> be performed ; and there- i* m» part of a farmer's business that demands ivdonmlereseruiseof judgment than the seteutioO and management of hta working stock. Thfy strength of hi* teams should never be below the"work required of them, for if such b» the case tho work wtM not outybe imperfectly Jr»nff, but Kijiwy to the animaL* wilt axexxto ; whttst it the power emptoyed i* in excess of what■ ta neerssary (or * proper performance of the dntiy a portion of it is wasted. Another point in economy U that of feedmg. Jt th» ho«*ts are fett too Uightf they b«t«nv too fat ta worfc property, antE there » » mncb f*'..d thrown »w»r;i! they are stinted in the props? q,rt*ntir.y they Uo»ma lean weak,. an«t nnftt for work, to th*t there i* *»> maeh tuefnt tabor d«»troyed. The point t* to hit the happy niedtntn. Th» farmer who- go«a to the extreme in •ifefacr «w» mttuot hope to get good work ; bat if ha hwb nb horses woll wiwrfcs thera wall at tht> same time, he wiM hnrt tliat ttiey wit! keep thsir e»ndttion, and by this nisati* tmljf wilt he get th* trttc wlttc of Hi* outlay* Sotnetimea it will happen ; that extra iibor i* rsc|ntrKd from the teams. : fa that «Mtv estr* pay mnst bw gi*cn thvnt in the shape el! aclditionat food and care, amli when the work has been eione; a little extr* re»6 should ba jrimrn j for if horse* are t>nc» altowerf to get stown m e-mdition it rennire» nv<re to restore them in their proper condition than th* vattto- of the time- tot»t tn givim,* them the rest necesiapr to refresh their energies. _ In i tha c »biate« the atmost universal plan is to fi«,n«»apon grain *;ut or ( : «n«hed pf wliofe, awl tiay. cither ' ,ivt, *« >J or tiffed : int in other part* of the"•.nisse » w ratae of man.}'other

n irlit ti, ivntUmf v. «| carr«>t*, potatoes, .mf.it the v bpaw, peas, mangolds, {nrnip», parsn tj XK «t with almost ant* straw have n> j 6 wot i!d be »aomathetnatienl j>teet- at present, but less cwgt>mt»«h'i*q» n these roatter* the day* wilt ci'mo * conwiU fee thniwfht rfeaervM... sicleratioft in South Aaatra. wofi( u, at lf«t it ia net alone («©« *• . c%inon iy a have to be considered in th» «■ f(la y f, c animal laW. The greatest can to th«sw item*, ami yet the remit be tat through bad «taHe ma. me at. A farmer a stable should lw rno» ' . dean, welt veatibtaS, and n»t ffnll * itmascato. After the h»»e» fcwe come id , frontfce field it is manifestly inexpcdwot to leave them standing in a place with ha» a sale of w"wl M»*«« n P on thcra I, n wit! it their health to turn them int*» dirty stable, with all sort* of bad odour* arising from taedampand moisture

of then-own making Th«y ought to be. frequently cleaned:-in- their coaU, and especial care should be taken to have the stable dry nnder foot as well as above, with roomy *u!b. so that they may lie down if so t:ic:iued. But by far the beat plan with farm hones is that of dispensing with the stable and keeping them in open sheds, or in yard* with sheds for them to go tinder at pleasure. Where pienty'of litter is spread under the roofs they will ",«" found to thrive much butter than iu tin-.do-r-t .».iU.-; but the 01.j.e!i..!i to this plan t- «.:■.• prwiitility of tin ir doing injury to eaeh oiiter. All these little matters ought to be well considered by the employer of animal labor, because, although the cost of feeding, of management, and !of labor done by the animal is only in- ! directly borne by the owner, yet it really : affects his pocket very directly, and the 1 outcome of good management is a tangible '< gain to him, whilst the result of careles3- | ness in these mattcre is the very opposite. j —'* Adelaide Observer."