J 804. in the Bajfes Pyrenees in France. 1 79 



equally good in .every refpeft with tliofc of the uninfeciecl, fo that 

 no difRrejice can be perceived. ' R, r. 



N. B. Further extracts from this curious memoir will be given 

 afterwards. 



TO THE CONDUCTOR OF THE FARMERS MAGAZII^E. 



On the Comparative Utility of Horfcs and Oxen for Draught* 

 Sir, 



As it is evident, notv/itliftanding the undeniable utility of good 

 draught oxen, that they are now nearly out f fafjion^ (and when 

 that is the cafe, a good old fafhion is as obfolete as a bad one), it 

 might have been prefumed, that the long continued difpute, on 

 the comparative merits of them and horfes, was dying away. How- 

 ever, being in fome fort called upon by your correfpondent M, 

 Vol. IV. p. 293., who, in a Itrain fomewhat exulting, aOcs, what I 

 fliall fay to his llatement of work performed on his farm by two 

 horfes only, I venture once more to aflert the utility of my old 

 favourite the ox. 



If your correfpondent vv^ill have the goodnefs to look again at 

 the paper he alludes to, I believe he will there find it ftated, that 

 my oxen conihmtly laboured with the heavy draught horfes, and 

 a(^ually performed as much work, and to as good purpofe ; and I 

 have ftill no doubt that the like quantity of work might be obtained 

 from a pair of good oxen, as he ftates to have been performed by 

 his pair of horfes. 



The point at ifTue appears to me to be this •, whether it be pof- 

 fible to obtain as much labour from oxen, as from the heavy black 

 cart horfes now io much the favourites of moll farm.ers, even on 

 fnall i2.xmSj (for many of thefe do not exceed 100 acres), not as 

 from horfes of a lighter and more a6i:ive defcription, fuch as the 

 light fandy foils of Norfolk are worked with. If the quefiion is 

 difcufll^d en thefe grounds, I have httle or no doubt the refult v/ill 

 be in favour of oxen. 



A difcufhon of the comparative propriety of large and fmall 

 farms, in this country, wouid lead us into a very wide field of 

 controverfy ; for I am by no means an advocate for the moncpcly 

 fyftem, that fome feem ib partial to, of large farms univerfally, 

 provided the little farmers, efpecially thofe of lefo than 100 acres, 

 wouid have the wifdom aJid patience to ufe oxen, inilead of ti^eir 

 ruinous favourites the heavy horfes, for what little labour they 

 can want, on fuch fmall parcels of ground : though it mufL be 

 allowed that they are induced to plough a great deal more 'than 

 they can ^UiX manure for, on account of the hc4vy burden and 

 ^oft of thofe animals. Take the country as it is, and not, as many 

 ' M' 2; • great 



