ON DRAFT CATTLE. 323 



of horfes ; and it is well known ltow tenacious 

 people in general are of their ancient habits. 

 The next reafon is (I apprehend) that horfes 

 are more expeditious. Now, as it is a matter 

 of great national importance to employ the for- 

 mer in preference, the defideratum is, to dis- 

 countenance an ill-grounded cuftom, and to 

 mend the pace of our oxen. Both thefe ob- 

 jects, if at all attainable, are in the power of 

 our great landed proprietors and agriculturifts. 

 I think all draft oxen, ought to be polled, or 

 without horns, for convenience fake ; and as we 

 find it to be a never-failing general rule in 

 flock-breeding, that " like begets like," if it 

 were pofhble to felect. fome with rather more 

 action, and more favourable fhape towards that 

 end than common, a foundation might thence 

 be laid, for a ftrain perfectly well adapted for 

 flow draft. It will be looked upon as chime- 

 rical ; but perhaps a good breed of draft cattle 

 might be produced from the American buffalo, 

 or rather bifon, and the Englifh cow. Whether 

 or not, fuch a crofs would make good beef, I 

 muft leave ; but that the produce would be 

 more fpeedy than our Englifh oxen I think 

 extremely probable, as the buffalo will walk 

 full as fait as an Englifh horfe. 



I have always fufpecled there is another rea- 

 fon, befides that deduced from their nature, 

 why bullocks are flower than horfes. They 



y 2 are 



