190 



CATTLE— DISEASES AND REMEDIES. 



OXEN, Breaking. — The sooner this is 

 commenced the more complete will be 

 the command of the teamster. It would 

 be well, if convenient, to have them 

 named and haltered, and taught to stand 

 and to start, to "gee" and to "haw," 

 when not more than a year old, and 

 slightly worked in the summer and au- 

 tumn after they are two. Gee and haw 

 are the terms used in most parts of the 

 country. The first indicates that the 

 yoke is to incline off to the right, or from 

 the near side, on which the driver should 

 always take his stand. The yoke, how- 

 ever, should not be put on their necks 

 until they are to be worked, as they might 

 acquire a habit of running off in it, 

 which it will be found very difficult to 

 correct. 



The proper time " for putting them to 

 work, is at three years old ; and such as 

 have not been handled, as above recom- 

 mended, while growing, should be driven 

 round the field for a day or two, before 

 being yoked, so as to tire them. The 

 propriety of this is proved by the greater 

 ease with which they are broken, when 

 taken and yoked directly out of a drove, 

 before they have time to recruit from the 

 fatigue of traveling. Instead, then, of 

 being yoked two together, they should be 

 tied by the horns (with a rope slipped 

 over and resting on the top of the head) 

 to the side of a house, taking care that 

 there be no place for the horns to become 

 entangled, and stand tied in this manner 

 till they cease to pull by the cord, which 

 will in most cases be in a day or two. 

 They may then be led very readily, and 

 taught to turn, stop, or start, singly, just 

 as a colt may be, instead of coupling two 

 together at first, which any man in the 

 care of horses would condemn, as being 

 most likely to end in the destruction of 

 one or both, which has not unfrequently 

 happened with young steers when forci- 

 bly yoked together in the first instance. 



When two young cattle "are yoked 

 and turned loose with their tails tied to- 

 gether to run and plunge about, they are 

 almost certain to acquire a habit of run- 

 ning away ; and even should this not be 

 the case, one, and sometimes both, lose a 

 part of their tail in these violent exer- 

 tions. When they are sufficiently broken 

 to the halter, they may be placed side by 

 side, for the purpose of receiving the 



yoke, having reference to their relative 

 size, strength, and mastership; because, 

 if one is stronger and more free than the 

 other, he should be placed on the off-side 

 that the team may rather incline to, than 

 from the driver." 



If one should be larger than the other, 

 he will be likely to be stronger and more 

 free; and, should they be put to the 

 plow, the furrow ox being the larger, the 

 yoke will be kept nearer a level than in 

 the other case. It requires but little ob- 

 servation to see that they are easier to be 

 turned to the right, or made to "gee," 

 than to the left, or to "haw," or "come 

 hither " therefore, if the master-ox be on 

 the off-side, he will assist in controlling 

 the near or left one in " coming round ;" 

 but when reversed, and the master-ox on 

 the near side, and he not altogether will- 

 ing to "come here," the team is some 

 time stationary ; for let the then off-ox be 

 never so willing to obey the voice of the 

 driver, the horn of the near one speaks a 

 contrary language, equally intelligible. 

 After the yoke is put on securely, their 

 tails should be well tied together, and 

 they suffered to stand tied as before until 

 a strong pen is built round them, not 

 more than sixteen or eighteen feet in di- 

 ameter, taking care that the ends of the 

 rails do not extend inwardly. The ropes 

 should then be loosed, if possible, in such 

 a way that they will not be sensible of it. 

 Here they will soon learn to turn them- 

 selves about, without one violent exer- 

 tion, or the least fright. They should be 

 tied up as before, at night, their tails un- 

 tied, and the yoke removed, to be re- 

 placed in the morning as before ; and the 

 day following they may be led or driven 

 in a larger space. By this time the cause 

 will be gained in a manner calculated to 

 insure a prime pair of cattle. They may 

 now be attached to something light, and 

 led about for a few hours, daily and grad- 

 ually increasing the draft, and greasing 

 their necks occasionally, to prevent 

 galling. When put to the cart or harrow 

 with others already broken, contrary to 

 the usual practice, they should be placed 

 betore instead of behind them ; by which 

 arrangement it will be found that if 

 frightened the old cattle will not let them 

 run ; but, if otherwise, they, by running 

 against the older ones, may frighten them 

 also. 



