1825.] 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



197 



COMMITTEE ON IVORKINli OXEN. 



John W. Hubbard, of Worcester, Chairman — Rufus 

 Barton, of Millbury — Asa Ciimmings, jr. of Sutton — 

 William Foster, of Southbridge— William Kagcr, of 

 Northboroiigh. — 



The Commiltee on W'orkinpr Oxen h:\vc attend- 

 ed to the duty assigned to them. It is saying 

 a great deal in praise of the show of working 

 Oxen exhibited to day, to say that it has equalled 

 that of any preceding year. And if this Couilly 

 lias never before exhibited a finer show of work- 

 ing Oxen, your Commiltee do not know where 

 they should look for one superior to it. We be- 

 lieve we might look in vain even to the coun- 

 try of John Bull himself— the country of improv- 

 ed short horns and improved long horns — of 

 the Herefords and the Teeswaters — the Alder- 

 neys and the Vigeloes — the country where 

 1000 guineas are given for a Bull, and 500 for 

 a Heiter. 



In proceeding (o remark particularly on the 

 .several pairs submitted to their adjudication, the 

 Committee cannot but notice one serious diffic- 

 ulty they were obliged to encounter, in making 

 up their opinions : this is, the very imperfect 

 and unsatisfactory nature of the trial to which 

 the oxen are subjected. The draft of a heavy 

 load on a cart for a short distance, up hill, afl'ords 

 very uncertain evidence of the real value and 

 power of the animals. Some are naturally much 

 more slow in their gait, and laborious in their 

 manner of drawing, than others; though at the 

 same time they may be capable of performing 

 more work than those which step oft, for a few 

 minutes, more handsomel}'. Some \vill perl'orm 

 admirably for a short time, but would fail under 

 continued hard service. In some, the great vig- 

 our and activity thoy display may be the effect 

 of high keeping and little service; and this 

 would not appear to the judges. Above all, some 

 are much more iiilimidated by the moving crowd 

 about thetn than others, and I'rom this cause they 

 may be prevented from showing their usual 

 power and docility. We can all see, also,, that 

 there is a great dittercncc in the skill of the dri- 

 vers. A judicious, intelligent farmer would ^vant 

 to know a great deal more respecting a pair of 

 oxen which he was about to pnichase, than he 

 could learn I'rom such a trial as we witness. — 

 He would wish to be satisfied whether they 

 would work hard, day after day, and jet hold 

 their life and flesh, eat and drink well, and fill 

 themselves readily — whether they were true 

 and ready at all times and in all places — and 

 whether they were in reality, in all important 

 properties, as well as to aj)pcarance, well match- 

 ed. But from such data as we were I'urnished 

 with, we were obliged to form our opinions ;- 

 and we submit the result, relying on the can- 

 dour of the competitors. 



Seventeen pairs of oxen were entered for 

 drawing ; bv.t from various circumstances, eleven 

 pairs only were subjected to the trial. A very 

 beautiful jiair was withdrawn from the com- 

 petition by Mr Asa Cummings, jr. of Sutton, on 

 account of his having been selected as one ol 

 the judges in This department. The perform- 

 ance of these oxen at the ploughing match shew- 

 ed that the competitors for the premiunis on 

 working oxen are much indebted to the delicacy 

 of Mr Cummings in withholding thera from the 

 trial. 

 The Committee were decidedly of opinion 



that where old and young cattle are brought in- 

 to competition, if the younger animals perform 

 as well or nearly as well as the older, they are 

 entitled to the preference. This opinion oper- 

 ated to exclude from the premiums nearly one 

 hiilf of the oxen brought to the trial ; and of 

 these some were very large, stalely, noble, and 

 valuable cattle. Of this description, Stephen 

 Marsh, of Sutton, brought to the trial a (inir, G 

 and 7 years old. Messrs. Ward &. Kice, of Wor- 

 cester, brought into the comj)etilion a pnir, 8 

 years old: these were of great size, fine propor- 

 tion, and extraordinary power ; and, considering 

 their capacity for beef as well as for work, were 

 probably worth more money than any other pair 

 on the field — but much hard service had dimin- 

 ished their activity and vigour. The pair own- 

 ed by Henry Bullard, of Holden, 3 years old, 

 though sturdy and excellent in the dralt, were 

 not well made, nor very well trained : they were 

 better calculated for use than for show — for pro- 

 fit than for pride ; though the Committee believe | 

 that smoother and handsomer cattle are more 

 easily kept, and though they may not be capable 

 of doing more work, are much more easily and 

 cheaply converted into beef. The 7 years oKI 

 cattle of Seth Wyman, of Shrewsbury, were an 

 elegant, large, vrell-matched pair, and under ex- 

 cellent discipline : tliey performed tlie service 

 to which they were subjected with great ease 

 and vigour : they were in every resjiect credita- 

 ble to the distinguished I'armer who owns them, 

 and who has exhibited them at two of our prev- 

 ious Shows. On one of these former occasions, 

 they obtained the second premium as working 

 cattle, and could not, therefore, according to the 

 rules of the Society, obtain any except tlie first, 

 litis year : they had thus but one chance where 

 all the others had four. Seth Hastings, of Men- 

 don, also sent to the trial a pair of old oxen, 

 which added to the agricultural credit of the dis- 

 tinguished citizen who is their owner. 



Of the younger cattle which entered the llsis, 

 two j)airs were 1, and tour (lairs 5 years old. — 

 Those of Silas Dudley, of Sutton, were 5 — rath- 

 er small, but well made and well trained, and ex- 

 hibited remarkable power for their weight. — 

 Those of Royal T. Marble, of SuKon, were 4 

 years old only — in every respect beautiful and 

 valuable cattle — smooth and tight built ; and, 

 considering their age and size, of astonishing 

 muscle and power. Those of Asa Rice, of Wor- 

 cester, 5 years old, were quite small and lighl, 

 and not remarkably snug and thick-mealed ; but 

 their vigour and activity fir exceeded the expec- 

 tations the Commiltee had forniod from their ap- 

 pearance. Mr Rice has been for several years 

 a competitor in this department of our Shows, 

 and has this year, as well as before, proved him- 

 self a formidable rival of the Sutton disciplinar- 

 ians. Lulher Whiling, of Sutton, brought for- 

 ward a p.-yr of 4 years old. They were remark- 

 ably large and heavy of their age ; and it was in 

 consequence of thus early attaining a very large 

 size, as the Commitlee supposed, that they were 

 rather slow, and drew laboriously : but they 

 backed the load admirably, heller than any oth- 

 ers on the field. Samuel Sibley, of Sutlon, 

 brought to the trial, a pair 5 years old — rather 

 unpromising in their appearance — light in pro- 

 portion to their height and bones; but the Com- 

 mittee were agreeably d sappointed in the vig- 

 our and promptness with which they drew the 

 heavy load on ihe cart, consisting of two tons, 



gross : but Ihey were not sufliciciitly broad, close 

 and well made to he either handsome or profita- 

 ble. The last pair subjected to the trial were 

 those of Sumner Cole, of Sulton. These were 

 5 vears old, and combined all tlie excellencies 

 of form, power and discipline for which Sutton 

 oxen are so justly celebrated. They appeared 

 and performed rather better than any others sub- 

 milted to our adjuilication ; and nothing preven- 

 lod their oolaiuing the first premium but the fact 

 that the pair belonging to Mr Marble were very 

 nearly equal to them, and a year younger. 



On Ihe whole, therefbre, the Committee re- 

 commend to the Society to give the 



1st premium, of §]5, to Royal T. Marble. 

 2d do. of gl'i, to Sumner Cole. 

 3d do. of $10, to Silas Dudley. 

 4th do. of $5, to Luther Whiting. 



On behalf of the Committee, 



■ JOHN W. HUBBARD, Cliairman. 



LEECHES. 



Few practitioners in this part of the country 

 are aware of the immense utility of the appli- 

 cation of leeches in cases of local congestion and 

 inflammation. In our cities they are used much 

 more frequently than in the country ; and that 

 our brethren who are not acquainted with the 

 facilities afforded in practice by these animals, 

 may judge of Ihe estimation in which they are 

 held among us, we would inform them that our 

 neighbour paid the apothecary Ihirty-six dollars 

 for the leeches alone which were used in his 

 family the past year. 



The cause of the inircquency of iheir use in 

 Ihe country is, we apprehend, the difficulty which 

 attends ihe application of them. The part to 

 which they are atlaciicd should first be thorough- 

 ly washed with warm water and meal, unfit the 

 matter of perspiration or the efiiuvia of any med- 

 icated liquid, is entirely removed. It should then 

 be wiped dry, and bathed for a few moments in 

 warm milk and water, and then rubbed with a 

 small fresh piece of raw beef; a dozen punctures 

 should next be made with a lancet, just deep 

 enough to draw blood, and the phial which con- 

 tains Ihe animals in pure water, should be pre- 

 sented. By holding it a few moments to the skin, 

 they will be found to attach themselves readily, 

 and much time and trouble be saved, which must 

 inevitably be wasted jf the ordinary method is 

 pursued. When ihe Seech falls ofThe should be 

 immediately put into a tumbler, in which is a 

 large spoonful of water and no more, made into 

 a brine by the additon of a lea-spoonful of salt. 

 After he has disgorged himself, remove him into 

 clear and fresh water. Into the same tumbler 

 containing the blood and brine, put every leech 

 as he falls off. Put them into a bottle, and change 

 the water twice a week, and they may be kept 

 a long time. 



EFFECT OF HOT WATER IN REVIVING FLOWERS. 



In Thomson's Annals of Philosophy, it is said, 

 that if flowers which have been 24 hours out of 

 water, and are decayed, are plunged into hot 

 water, as the water gradually cools, they become 

 again quite fresh. This fact, while many dis- 

 credit it, has long been familiar to those who 

 live in the vicinity of hot springs ; and who have 

 remarked, that decayed flowers, plunged into 

 the waters of the springs, become again fresh 

 and beautiful. 



