Live Stock Occen Proper Management of for Laksiif. 667 



the advantage of plentiful fupport in thefe cafes, that he is faid to have employed 

 two cows in rearing fomeof his belt flock of this kind. 



In raifingoxen, whether for the purpofe of fale or work, they fhould be kept 

 conftantly in tolerable condition, without ever being fuffered to become Hunted in 

 their growth, by either their winter or furnmer keep. When defigned for the 

 market, they are difpofed of at two, three or four years old when not worked, ac-, 

 cording tocircumftances. Where the intention is to work them, they mould be 

 trained as early aspoffible, and be brought into work at the age of two, or three 

 years at the furthcft. In Herefordlhire the fleers are brought into work at three 

 years old, and are worked two years, rnoftly in yokes, though harnefs has lately 

 been getting more common. In teams of fix or eight they plough fomething lefs 

 than an acre a day.* But in the northern parts of Devonthire, where the breed is 

 admirably calculated for the purpofe of labour, the oxen are yoked in at from two 

 to three years old, being worked lightly : and at four years old they are brought 

 into hard work, and from that age to fix they are capable of performing a full 

 day s labour. They there find, that if an ox is to be raifed to the largeft fize, he, 

 muft be worked : as, when kept till five or fix years old without working, he 

 will not reach the fize he would have done if he had been inured to labour. This 

 is the fixed opinion of the beft informed farmers in that diflrict. f While under 

 this fyftem they fhould be well fuppor ted with dry food ; fuch as oats in the ftraw, 

 bean-meal, good hay, or cut-chaff; and by the ufc of thefe in fmall proportions,, 

 with a few cabbages, turnips, carrots, or potatoes, they may be kept up in perfect 

 condition. It is a practice that can never anfwer to the farmer, to let his work 

 ing cattle-flock get low in condition, as the faving is a mere trifle in comparifon, 

 to the difadvantage of bringing them into flefh afterwards. 



The ox moftly reaches his full growth at fix, but the largefl-fized grow the. km-, 

 gefl. It is unprofitable to keep them longer than feven or eight years old, 



In thisdiftrict fourare theufual number in a team, andoccafionallytwo in crofs 

 ploughing ; and with a double furrow plough fur . Four plough an acre a da^ 

 and fix fully two acres every day for fix weeks. On arable farms of two hundred 

 acres from eight to twelve oxen are furHcient ; and three horfes and ten oxen, or, 

 four horfes and eight oxen, are equal to the labour of one of one hundred and fifty 



* Knight in Communications to the Board of Agriculture, vol. IL 



t Annals of Agriculture, vol. XXX. 



4QJ2 



