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aaore steady in the machine than horses. His oxen, when 

 employed in the threshing -mill, were fed in the usual 

 way ; only from being so near the shed, or court, they 

 were unyoked in the middle of the day in winter, and got 

 a few turnips, in lieu of the hay they were accustomed to 

 get at mid-day, when employed in the field. A single 

 tree was fixed to the beam, or what is commonly called 

 the start of the mill, and the oxen were yoked to it by 

 chains, in the same way as in the plough. For six or 

 seven years, he never had a horse in the mill, and each ox 

 was employed nearly three years, one out of three being 

 annually laid off for feeding, and a young one trained in 

 its place. When not 'employed in the threshing-mill, the 

 oxen ploughed or harrowed as usual, and sometimes were 

 employed in leading dung, turnips, &c. 



The advantages of using oxen in threshing-mills, are 

 represented in the strongest point of view by Mr Wood of 

 Mill-Rig in Linlithgowshire. 



In a communication to a useful institution, the Salton 

 Agricultural Society, he observes, that threshing-ma- 

 chines are so much connected with the farming business, 

 that it cannot be carried on without them. They are in 

 general drawn by horses, and are found to be very inju- 

 rious to that valuable animal ; for which reason, he ad- 

 vertised some time ago, to have one made, to be driven 

 by oxen, so as to suit their natural step. This he 

 happily effected. For two seasons he threshed with 

 oxen, and found, upon trial, both the mill and oxen to- 

 answer particularly well. It was thus in his power to 

 have his threshing carried on, without interrupting any 

 work wherein his horses are engaged, besides exempt- 

 ing them from the severe labour of threshing about 100 

 acres of wheat annually, which proved destructive to his 

 horses, though they were very high fed. He found 



