OUT 



OX 



307 



or fall. If in spring, they should 

 be planted early, as soon as the 

 ground is thawed. Young sets 

 should be three feet long, and two- 

 thirds of their length in the ground. 



Live hedges may be more cheap- 

 ly and expeditiously made of osiers 

 than of any other plants. Stakes 

 or truncheons of seven or eight 

 feet long may be set in a spungy 

 or miry soil ; they will take root 

 and grow, and form a hedge at 

 once. This saves the cost of se- 

 curing a young hedge. It is with 

 great pleasure that 1 observe some 

 fences of this kind are begun in 

 the country. It is a very cheap 

 and easy method of fencing, which 

 cannot be too much encouraged. 

 The trimmings of the hedges will 

 be of great value in towns where 

 wood is become scarce, and may 

 be had yearly. See Willow. 



OVERFLOWING of the GALL, 

 a disease in horned cattle, known 

 by a copious discharge of water at 

 their eyes. To cure it, take a 

 hen's egg, open the end, and pour 

 off the white, reserving the yolk ; 

 then fill up the cavity with equal 

 quantities of soot, salt and black 

 pepper ; draw out the tongue of 

 the animal, and with a slender 

 stick push the egg down his throat. 

 It should be repeated two or three 

 mornings. It seldom fails to cure. 

 OUT HOUSES, sliglit buildings 

 that belong to a mansion house, 

 but stand at a little distance from 

 it. When it can conveniently be 

 so ordered, the out houses of a 

 farmer ought to be so placed as to 

 be all contiguous to the farm yard. 

 Then all the dung, filth and rubbish 

 they afford at any time, may be 



flung into the yard, without the 

 trouble of carrying; where they 

 will be mixed and mellowed by 

 the trampling of beasts, and con- 

 tribute to the increase of manure. 



OX, a castrated bull. Till they 

 are four years old, they are usually 

 called steers, afterwards oxen. 

 Oxen that are white, black and 

 white, or a very pale red, are sel- 

 dom hardy, or good in the draught. 

 Red and white oxen are often 

 good ; but the darkest coloured 

 oxen are generally best. Brown, 

 dark red and brindled are good 

 colours. 



The signs of a good ox are these : 

 Thick, soft, smooth and short hair; 

 a short and thick head ; glossy, 

 smooth horns ; large and shaggy 

 ears ; wide forehead ; full, black 

 eyes ; wide nostrils ; black lips ; 

 a thick fleshy neck, and large 

 shoulders ; broad reins ; a large 

 belly ; thick rump and thighs ; a 

 straight back ; a long tail, well co- 

 vered with hair ; short and broad 

 hoofs. 



Steers at the age of two years 

 and a half, or earlier, may be yok- 

 ed and trained for the draught. 

 If it be longer delayed, they are 

 apt to be restiff and ungovernable. 

 They should not be worked by 

 themselves, but in a team with 

 other cattle which have been used 

 to labour. Tlieir work should be 

 very easy at first, and only at short 

 intervals, as they are apt to fret 

 and worry themselves excessively. 

 A gentle usage of them is best, 

 and beating them should be avoid- 

 ed. 



If oxen are worked in the yoke 

 in wet and rainv weather, which 



