Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-09-27
GEORGE M'DUFFIE.
From the Farmers Cabinet.

From the Farmers Cabinet.
Cows VS.. Horses.
Having read communication IN the last
number of the Cabinet signed H., on the
cost of keeping an idle horse" found the
sum Of sixty dollars as there set down, quite
within the mark 3; and should no. know
how to accomplish i, fo: that sum by long
slice and if H. was to take shoelng and
liability to contingencies INTO the account,
it would considerably swell the aggregate
account. On examining The subject and
looking little further into II, find that the
cost Of keeping &" one ilie horsc," will keep
two mich cows comfortably, and that each
COW during the year vii! produce, ('nclud-
ing calf a clear gain Of thirty dollars
witI,ou. any s,ra ming o(lhe point whatever.
THIS makes sixty dollars per annum prott
from the two cows, which added to the sky
dollars loss sustained by keeping an idle
horse" instead ofthe cows, q, the same cost,
makes a difference of one hundred and
twenty dollars year. or the interest OF two
thousand dollaes for ono year. aad SO on
from year 10 year as long as the
error is persiste,lin: knew very worthy
industrious, careful farmer, about fl'y
years ago, who had snug farm and every
thing apparently in good order about him.
but he didn't thrive when he died, it was
found he was not out Of deb'; and his estate
was altogether much less than was expec-
tel. Tired in vain to account for 1t. but
was unable to do so TIL, after this long lapse
Of time but now can see through II, and
understand i, thoroughly, remember, he
kept about dozen horses, on a farm OF
about 100 acres, and he kept:hem we'll, too
sleek, clean nice and well fed for he was
fond of horses, and fine ones TOO, though he
was no sportsman. H.s horse stable was
twice as large as his COW stable. The
cows wore about six in number, IT my men,
ory serves right, at this long distance OF
time. Now four or fivc horses would have
beca all.sufficient for his necessary Purpo-
es, and all over this nImber was surplus
age, as The lawyers say say seven above
the right number. which would represent, IN
the expense ofkeep, fourteen COWS. AS
butter in those days only sold for about halt
as much as il does in these latter times, !
put the profit of each cow (including The
calf, at one half, say fifteen dollars year,
and fifteen times fourteen is two hundred
and ten dollars a year, loss sustained by
keeping seven horses instead Of fourteen
COWS.
Now our schoolmaster, who is good at
calculation, says, ;ha, an annual sum OF 2lO
dollars pu, to interest al 6 per cent, and a
hke sum added to It each year, and the ln~
,erest accruing annually being put out 10 in
,cresl, that in ten years it will amount to 3d.
767 96--ani that in 20 years it will be ST..
724 97--in 25 years, Sl2070 l9-in 80
years, Sl6,6O2 2l--iu 40 year, S32. 5000
Ol. -,
Now this shows very plainly why the old
man died in debt, instead Of leaving good
farm for each Of his children. Ii is just as
plain to me now, as that grass grows /;
though for long series Of years it was quite
inexplicabe, Notwithstanding had often
thought oft. and ,ried,o solve the mystery;
bu, i now see always went in" The wrong
seem, and when you do that you will never
catch the game. now am confirmed IN
the CONCLUSION that whatever we understand
IS easy, and that whatever we don't under.
stand is difficult and mysterious. The Old
man was all his life travelling on the wrong
rack, to arrive at Independence and wealth,
and now sec many going the same road
on horseback, and there can't bel doubt but
they will come ou; at the same place with
the old farmer alluded to for like causes
always produce the same effect under SINH
lar circumstance. Some Of the old folks
who are your readers, will very likely be de-
s:rous of knowing who the OLD farmer was
,ha, kept so many horses and so few cows.
f;ha, question should be asked, just INFORM
Them that, he has been dead a great many
wears, but that ho was my father, and a
GOOD father he was too, but he didn't seem
10 think, that idle horses made no butter.
ABRAHAM.