FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 357 



hides of the neck: They are so thick as to admit a rope or 

 chain to pass t rough them, by which they are fixed to the 

 yoke, and each pair of them are united by a chain, or rope, 

 under the Oxen's neck You will see that the draft is in 

 this case by ihe top of the shoulders only, and I believe it 

 is to be prefered to our bows, on that account, because the 

 bow, by pressing the shoulder-blade, impedes the motion 

 of the animal.' 



For holding back, whether they draw by these yokes or 

 by the horns, he says * the end of the pole projects con- 

 siderably beyond the heads of the cattle, and turns up very 

 much ; to ihis is fixed a leather strap that goes round the 

 horns of the Oxen, so that they keep back the weight by 

 their horns, and with much more ease than ours do by 

 twisting their necks ' 



In England, they are worked in harness, which, were it 

 not more expensive, and more troublesome, ought to be 

 prefered to ihe method practised here. 



We think it highly probable, that the great pressure of 

 the bows of our yokes against the shoulders of the Oxen, 

 and the enormous weight ihey are often injudiciously made 

 to bear on their necks, wh< n in carts, are the principal 

 causes of our Oxen moving slower the longer they are 

 used. 



In all teams, where two animals draw against each other, 

 the weaker one should have the longer end of the ox- bow, 

 or whiftletree, by which they draw, in order that when 

 drawing they may pull evenly. 



If Oxen learn 10 crowd each other, use them to a shorter 

 bow; if they draw apart, use them to a longer one. 



THA, OR TEA-TREE. This plant is mostly grown in 

 the more mountainous districts of China, and is best adapt- 

 ed to a light rocky soil. There are two kinds of tea made 

 from the plant ; the green, and the black. The latter ac- 

 quires its dark color by exposure to the sun, in drying; and 

 is also made from the coarser and more indifferent leaves. 



For raising the trees, the seeds are planted in March, by 

 puting seven or eight into a hole; out of which number not 

 more than one-half commonly vegetate. The young plants 

 are afterwards transplanted in rows, at the distances of three 

 or four feet each way. They yield crops of leaves the third 

 year after planting, and require to be renewed every five or 

 six years, as the leaves then begin to grow too hard, to be 

 any longer valuable. 



On the more tender branches grow small soft berries, of 

 a green color, filled with yellow grains; and the other 

 branches bear pods of a larger size, of different shapes ; 

 some round, 'which contain but one pea, and others of some 



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