OF LIVE STOCK. 121 



nishing in value, the ox improves till he is six or seven years 

 old, and is then easily fed, and brought to market, at a great- 

 ly increased weight and value; and in case of death by ac- 

 cident or disease, to which, however, he is far less liable 

 than the horse, even then the loss upon the ox is for the 

 most part trifling ; while, in the same circumstances, the 

 loss upon the horse amounts to his whole value. 



After the experience of upwards of twenty years, these 

 gentlemen are of opinion, that oxen are fit for every agri- 

 cultural purpose, travelling upon hard turnpike-roads ex- 

 cepted ; that when employed in the plough, or indeed in 

 almost any of the home labours of the farm, they perform 

 nearly the same quantity of work as horses ; and that where 

 any extra stock is necessary for emergencies, when a great 

 pressure of work may be required, oxen ought to be pre- 

 ferred ; that they are peculiarly calculated for any farm 

 where turnips are cultivated, and where there is no way of 

 disposing of that crop, but by consuming it upon the farm 

 itself Where turnips cannot be raised, it is more doubt- 

 ful whether they can be used with equal advantage ; but 

 the fact is ascertained, that one ox, fed with turnips and 

 straw, will do more work, than two oxen fed with the best 

 hay ; and that with turnips, particularly the Swedes, there 

 is no occasion to give any corn to oxen. 



Several other intelligent correspondents concur in re- 

 commending the partial use of oxen. 



Mr Dudgeon, Prora, had a pair of oxen which worked 

 the plough, without a driver, and never lost one step when 

 compared to a pair of horses. It was owing to the difficul- 

 ty of getting others as well broke, and of procuring hands 

 to work them, that they were given up. 



Mr Wilson of Simprin, in Berwickshire, approves much 

 of some oxen-ploughs being kept on large farms ; as the 

 oxen must improve greatly, when the weather is unfavotir- 



