Animals powering machines

摘要

A short description is given of horse- and dog-powered machines, which freed humans from several types of hard slave labor. Horse-driven norias helped to evacuate water in the construction of canals. The well-known horse mills were mainly used for milling wheat and other grains to meal. On dairy farms, dog-powered treadmills took over from maids and peasant women the heavy task of producing butter by keping cream in rapid motion in order to separate fat. Dogs also powered very diverse ustensils such as roasting spits in large kitchens and bellows in forgeries.