USE OF OXEN. 163 



distance from the house on a rising ground, with a yard opened to, 

 and descending a little towards the south, if such a spot be near ; it 

 being thereby warmer, kept cleaner, and the wash enriches the adja- 

 cent ground. The barn has two large doors opposite each other for 

 the convenience of driving loads of grain and hay; on one or both 

 sides of this thoroughfare is a stall for cattle, say ten feet wide and 

 six and a half high, and running the whole width of the barn; so 

 that if a barn were forty feet long, the stalls would take up ten feet 

 on each end, and twenty would of course be the width of the tho- 

 roughfare; which latter being also used as the threshing-floor, is 

 floored with two-inch plank, well joined. 



The partition between this and the stalls is only three feet high, 

 for the convenience of feeding cattle, whose crib joins the partition, 

 and is thus made : — A piece of timber, the length of the stall, about 

 four inches thick by eight wide, is laid down on edge, parallel with 

 the partition, and two and a half feet from it; this makes a crib on 

 the floor, being the most natural one that cattle can have to feed at. 

 It is perfectly clean, as the stall-floors have a gradual descent of about 

 three inches. Immediately over this timber is another smaller one 

 of the same length, fixed to the joist above; in both of these timbers 

 from end to end holes are bored at three feet distance, and smooth 

 round stations or studs, three inches in diameter, are fixed therein ; 

 round eacli of these stations is bent a small hickory hank or hook, 

 sufficiently loose to play up and down thereon ; a wooden bow passing 

 through this hoop, embraces the neck of the ox, who is thereby kept 

 at his post, yet still has every rational liberty. He has room to eat his 

 food, lay down, or stand at his pleasure. (See drawings on page 1G4.) 

 These stalls have small windows, four feet from the floor, and a con- 

 venient distance from each other, through which to throw the manure. 

 Satisfactory experience of the safety and economy of this mode of 

 housing cattle has made it universal in that quarter. 



On tying up cattle for the night, respect should be had to mastery 

 among them; the strongest should be put in first, and at tiie further 

 end from the door, and so on, according as they hold dominion over 

 each other, leaving the cows, yearlings, &c., next the door, in case 

 of civil war among them. 



It is interesting when " the curfew tolls the knell of parting day," 

 and the farmer's boy opens his stall-door and gives a nod of invitation 

 to his " leading characters," to see them forming a line of march, 

 entering the door, and taking their places precisely according to rank, 

 without martial music, word of command, or confusion. 



The thorough-bred teamster never suffers himself to partake of his 

 repast before his oxen have begun theirs. They require little else in 

 winter but good wholesome hay and water; but when sufiicient time 

 cannot well be allowed them to dine on hay, then corn in the ear is 

 the best thing that can be given them. Pumpkins are also very grate- 

 ful to them, and being remarkably prolific, may be raised with little 

 trouble. In winter, cattle are tied up and fed at about sunset; fed 



