{[ 149 J 
CATTLE USED IN PLOUGHING. 
Oxen are not in general ufe in this diftri@t; and 
in fome parts of it, perhaps, not fo much as for- 
merly, when there were more common cow-downs ; 
and itis very probable, that the gradual decreafe of 
cow-downs, which will be the confequence of the 
lands being put into feveralty, will tend gradually 
to reduce the ufe of oxen, efpecially in the hilly 
| parts of this diftrict. And although thofe downs 
_ might, in many cafes, be much more profitably ap- 
plied to the keeping of working oxen than cows; 
yet, if the prefent rage for fine fheep continues, 
every other kind of ftock muft give way to them, 
and as foon as the cows are driven off the downs, 
the oxen muft immediately follow. 
In the faid veins, where the land runs kindly to 
pafture, the putting the common-fields in feveralty 
will, perhaps, have the contrary effect. It is not 
that the arguments, which have been fo often and 
fo fuccefsfully ufed on the comparative advantages 
of ufing oxen inftead of horfes, are not known, or 
not underftood, in Wiltfhire. There are local rea- 
fons peculiar to many parts of this diftrié, which 
Will’ prevent oxen from coming into general ufe. 
The firft and principal is, the prefent /carcity of 
inclofed paflure land, and the inaptitude of a large 
portion of the foil of the diftri€ét to make more. 
The next is, the peculiar difficulty of ufing them on 
the 
