HORSES. 209 



of farm work. Although there are still many pairs of good oxen 

 at the sliows, we sec a gradual increase in the number of horses. 

 It is but a few years since a single horse, on almost every farm, 

 must do all the work done by a horse, both on the farm and on 

 the road, and a farmer's horse must be selected with reference 

 to both kinds •f work ; now, on many farms, several horses are 

 kept, and the farmers may have a pair horses suitable for all 

 kinds of heavy farm work, and another horse to use on the 

 road. We believe that in all cases where a farmer keeps a 

 team the whole year, he will find it for his advantage to keep 

 horses. 



"We think it is a mistaken idea that, on rough farms and for 

 certain kinds of work, oxen are better than horses. If a farmer 

 makes a good selection of horses, and has a proper pair for 

 heavy work, they will do more of any kind of work, on any 

 farm, however rough, than the best oxen. A. good pair of 

 horses will plough in grass land where one yoke of oxen cannot ; 

 and if they are well taken care of and well driven, they may 

 be used ten hours every day, however warm it may be, and 

 they will do one-fourth more ploughing than the best oxen. 

 All farmers know that in the spring, when warm weather 

 first comes, it is necessary to be very careful with oxen, espe- 

 cially if they have not been worked much in the winter. There 

 are many days when they cannot bte worked all day, and they 

 must be driven slow. With a good pair of horses, it is different ; 

 they may be taken out every day, and in any field where one 

 yoke of oxen can plough, used all day, and plough much more 

 than the oxen. All ploughmen know that a team that moves 

 reasonably fast will turn a sward better than a slow team. If the 

 land is free from stones, there is little danger of the team going 

 too fast. A man driving a horse team, with reins, has a better 

 command of his team than he can have over an ox team ; they 

 are quicker turned and more easily brought back to the work if 

 they start wrong. In carting, one horse will do almost as much 

 as a yoke of oxen. If the distance is great, the horse will save 

 much time in going and returning, and will take much more 

 than half as large a load. The greatest advantages of oxen 

 are, that tlie first cost is much Jess ; the cost of harness is less ; 

 in case of accident, where they would have to be killed, they 

 can be sold for beef. Still, we think that where the team is 

 27 



