130 ON DRAUGHT OXEN. 



head, that for the information of thofe who 

 may be defirous of raifing a breed of polled 

 oxen, I made enquiry of a falefman in large 

 bufinefs, as to the probability of obtaining 

 them ; >vhofe anfwer was, that }\e could at any 

 time, during fpring or fummer, undertake to 

 procure half a dozen good, fized polled heifers 

 and a bull, having two months notice. 



The reader will recoUeft, and I dare fay will 

 not controvert my former ffatement of the 

 true jet of this bufinefs ; namely, that all we 

 had to do was to find more a6live oxen, and 

 to abolifli an irrational cuftom, which leads us 

 to be fo attached to horfes. Gravely to fet 

 about proving the fuperior advantage, public 

 or private, of employing oxen infl;ead of horfes, 

 at the fame time allowing the equal aptitude 

 for labour of the former, would be fuperfluous 

 indeed,. Now if the above accounts are to be 

 relied on, there are oxen to be found, nearly, 

 if not altogether upon a par with horfes, both 

 at plough and on the hard road, notwithftand- 

 ing no improvement in the breed, for that ex- 

 prefs purpofe, has ever been attempted ; and 

 what in my opinion is of great confequence to 

 the point in queftion (that of aftivity) although 

 it has never yet been the cufl:ora to feed them 

 well, or to ai-m at getting them in high condi- 

 tion, as we do horfes. On that account it 

 probably is, that bullocks are fometimes fo 



dull 



