278 [Senate 



long as he continues to eat, and thus contracts the habit of drawing 

 in a few days. He is free to relax his exertions, for whenever he 

 recedes, the weight reposes on the ground. 



" In many respects," says Mr. Oilman, " proud man must look up 

 to the beast as his superior: man's reason is replete with error; but in- 

 stinct, or the inference drawn by a biute, from certain sounds and mo- 

 tions, after having once learned their purport, is infallible. I have 

 seen the best drilled soldier mistake, for the instant, advance arms for 

 recover arms, but never saw a well-trained ox mistake gee for haw^ or 

 haw for gee — hence, system is indispensable in the management of 

 working cattle. He who would work them with ease and facility^ 

 should maintain a strict uniformity in his conduct towards them. They 

 must have names ; therefore, calves intended to be raised for working 

 should be named while young, to which they become familiar by the 

 time they are ready for the yoke. Anything appropriate to their 

 color, shape, &c., is proper ; such as bright, broad, line, spark, back,^ 

 star, turk, golden, &c." 



" The buffalo breed of cattle, or those without horns, will not answer 

 well for working, as horns are necessary in backing a cart, and in 

 carrying it down hill. This may be obviated by having a plain har- 

 ness with breeching fastened to the yoke of the oxen to the tongue, 

 as is the practice in Pennsylvania. Oxen should never be changed 

 in the yoke after having been broke ; the near and off-ox should 

 always remain as such ; by changing them, they become confused, 

 and all the benefit of their tuition is lost." 



" A temporary change, however, can be made in one instance to ad- 

 vantage ; this is when they hang off from each other, as they are apt 

 to do in bad traveling, when they get fretted ; they then cut each 

 other's feet with their shoes ; shifting them puts this out of their head 

 for that time." 



" There are, however, several ways in which oxen may be geared 

 for work ; they are willing to earn their bread any way ; they have 

 been tried and found to pull by a yoke on the neck, by a shaft lashed 

 across the forehead, and traces to its ends ; by traces fastened to the 

 horns; by harness like horses ; and they will pull by the tail. From 

 these various modes, it is the husbandman's duty first to study the na- 

 ture and convenience of the ox : secondly, economy and his own con- 

 venience, and then select that which embraces most of these desirable 

 objects." 



" There are but two of these modes mentioned that can be adopted 

 with any degree of satisfaction or success ; these are the yoke and 

 the harness. From the former being in general, not to say universal 

 use, the inference is a natural one, that some inconvenience must at- 

 tend the latter. The form of the ox is one objection to harness ; his 

 belly is so much wider than his shoulders, it is embraced so hard by 

 the iron traces as to impede his wind, as well as to be injured by gall- 

 ing. The yoke, on the other hand, being of hard wood, appears to 

 be an instrument that would gall, but I never knew any injury done 

 by it. The neck of the bullock seems by nature fitted for the yoke j 



