FAEM ECHOES. 53 



plow. My work was essentially that of an overseer, or 

 general manager, not that of plowing, or working with 

 any farm implement. 



It made a wonderful difference, putting the four plows 

 into four separate pieces of land, so that the stoppage of 

 any one, in no way impeded the others. Even the whip- 

 lashes showed the benefit of this change. Oxen that 

 dread the sight of a whip-lash have my hearty sympathy. 

 They pay dearly for its too free use at times, especially 

 if the driver happens to be in a bad humor, and has 

 nothing else upon which he dare vent his anger. I too 

 have paid dearly (many dollars) for the abuse of ox 

 whip-lashes by needless stops to "repair" them. 



I have often seen oxen that seemed fully to understand, 

 and, be in league with, their drivers, who were really 

 anything but "drivers." It was never necessary to say 

 "Whoa" twice, in order to halt them. It was long ago 

 said that omnibus horses were the only animals that 

 knew the luxury of "woe," but that is certainly a mis- 

 take and must have been said by some city man. Oxen 

 indulge in that luxury quite as heartily as do horses. 

 Those four pairs did at all events. Their "whoa" 

 became a woe to me so great as to be unbearable. 



I believe in oxen for certain farm work. These noble 

 animals, when properly trained, as in some parts of our 

 country, do a vast deal more work than do the imper- 

 fectly trained ones that saunter at a snail's pace, as is too 

 generally the case. Such lazy brutes do not pay nearly 

 as well as do the more sprightly ones. The inevitable 

 consequence of their laziness is that they make their 

 drivers equally lazy. I would not intentionally do oxen 



