160 ESSAY ON THE 



in the rack. The animal, when pressed with hunger, approaches his 

 food, in doing which he raises the weigiit, and keeps it suspended as 

 long as he continues to eat, and thus contracts the habit of drawing 

 in a few days. He is free to relax his exertions, for whenever he 

 recedes, the weight reposes on the ground. 



" In many respects," says Mr. Oilman, " proud man must look up to 

 the beast as his superior: man's reason is replete with error; but in- 

 stinct, or the inference drawn by a brute, from certain sounds and mo- 

 tions, after having once learned their purport, is infallible. I have seen 

 the best drilled soldier mistake, for the instant, advance arms for recover 

 arms, but never saw a well-trained ox mistake gee for haw, or haw 

 for gee: hence, system is indispensable in the management of work- 

 ing cattle. He who would work them with ease and facility, should 

 maintain a strict uniformity in his conduct towards them. They must 

 have names ; therefore, calves intended to be raised for working 

 should be named while young, to which they become familiar by the 

 time they are ready for the yoke. Anything appropriate to their 

 colour, shape. &c., is proper; such as bright, broad, line, spark, back, 

 star, turk, golden, &c." 



" The butfaloe breed of cattle, or those without horns, will not an- 

 swer well for working, as horns are necessary in backing a cart, and 

 in carrying it down hill. This may be obviated by having a plain 

 harness with breeching fastened to the yoke of the oxen to the 

 tongue, as is the practice in Pennsylvania. Oxen should never be 

 changed in the yoke after having been broke ; the near and off-ox 

 should ahvays remain as such ; by changing them, they become con- 

 fused, and all the benefit of their tuition is lost." 



" A temporary change, however, can be made in one instance to ad- 

 vantage ; this is when they hang off from each other, as they are apt 

 to do in bad travelling, when they get fretted; they then cut each 

 other's feet with their shoes ; shifting them puts this out of their head 

 for that time." 



" There are, however, several ways in which oxen may be geared 

 for work ; they are willing to earn their bread any way ; they have 

 been tried and found to pull by a yoke on the neck, by a shaft lashed 

 across the forehead, and traces to its ends ; by traces fastened to the 

 horns; by harness like horses; and they will pull by the tail. From 

 these various modes, it is the husbandman's duty first to study the 

 nature and convenience of the ox; secondly, economy and his own 

 convenience, and then select that which embraces most of these de- 

 sirable objects." 



" There are but two of these modes mentioned that can be adopted 

 with any degree of satisfaction or success; these are the yoke and 

 the harness. From the former being in general, not to say universal 

 use, the inference is a natural one, that some inconvenience must at- 

 tend the latter. The form of the ox is one objection to harness; his 

 belly is so much wider than his shoulders, it is embraced so hard by 

 the iron traces as to impede his wind, as well as to be injured bj 



