SUMMER [Chap. 



a plough, or drive a cart or a wagon, with crea- 

 tures so gentle. You have no growling fellow to 

 share in the mastership of the concern with your- 

 self; and you expose none of these to act un- 

 justly and ungratefully. Fifth : food which the 

 ox requires is, any tolerably good meadow or 

 grass-field in summer, or, which is better, clover, 

 lucerne, or even mpadow grass cut up and brought 

 in by himself, to be eaten out of a crib in the 

 yard; because here the manure remains; and 

 because, especially in the busy time of the year, 

 the ox gets his iReat quietly, and lies down and 

 rests. Here is no cutting up of chaff, no going 

 to the granary for oats or beans ; or, for what 

 is a great deal better, corn : no bins are wanted, 

 and there is no sharing between the working 

 cattle and the rats and the mice, both of whom, 

 invariably, partake of the meal administered in 

 the manger. In winter time, when there is no 

 grass, coarse hay is sufficient for the ox, corn- 

 tops, or even stalks, which latter may serve in the 

 fall of the year, unless the oxen work hard. In 

 times of leisure the ox is getting flesh, notwith- 

 standing the cheapness of his food. White tur- 

 nips, tops and all ; mangle wurzel, and its tops ; 

 and, towards the spring of the year, when the 

 work is required to be hard, and before the 

 grass has arrived, or even the clover or the 

 lucerne, Swedish turnipSy is the proper food for 



