194 



THE farmers' cabinet. 



vol: 



is consumed by horses ; including the un- 

 giown ones ; and not less than one half by 

 other than pleasure horses. By getting free 

 from this consumption, one half the labor, 

 and of the wear of the land, would be saved, 

 or rather more than one half; for on most 

 farms one half of the corn crop grows on not 

 more than two fifths, and sometimes a small- 

 er projortion, of the cultivated fields; and 

 the more fertile fields would of course be re- 

 tained for cultivation. Every one can figure 

 to himself, the ease and conveniency of a 

 revolution which would so much reduce the 

 extent of his corn fields ; and substitute for 

 the labor bestowed on them, the more easy 

 task of providing pasturage and hay. But 

 will not the ox himself when at work require 

 grain food as well as the horse T Certainly 

 much less, if any. Judging from my own 

 observation, I should say, that a plenty of 

 good grass, or good hay, will suflice without 

 grain, where the labor is neither constant 

 nor severe. But I feel entire confidence in 

 saying, that a double set of oxen alternately 

 at work, and therefore half the time at rest 

 might be kept in good plight without other 

 food than a plenty of good grass, or good 

 hay. 



" And as this double set would double the 

 supply of beef, tallow and leather, a set-off 

 is found in that consideration for a double 

 consumption of that kind of food. The ob 

 jections generally made to the ox are, 1 

 That he is less tractable than the horse. 2 

 That he does not be?r heat as well. 3. That 

 he does not answer for the single plough 

 used in our corn fields. 4. That he is slower 

 in his movements. 5. That he is less fit for 

 carrying the produce of the farm to market. 



"The first objection is certainly founded 

 in mistake. Of the two animals, the ox is 

 the more docile. In all countries where the 

 ox is the ordinary draught animal, his do 

 cility is proverbial. His intractability, where 

 it exists has arisen from an occasional use of 

 him only with long and irregular intervals; 

 during which the habit of discipline being 

 broken, a new one it to be formed. The 2nd 

 objection has as little foundation. The con- 

 stitution of the ox accommodates itself, as 

 readily as that of the horse to diflferent cli- 

 mates. Not only in ancient Greece and Italy, 

 but throughout Asia, as presented to us in 

 ancient history, the ox and the plough are 

 associated. At this day, in the warm parts 

 of India and China, the ox, not the horse, 

 is in the draught service. In every part of 

 India, the ox always appears, even in the 

 train of her armies. And in the hottest parts 

 or the West Indies, the ox is employed in 

 hauling weighty produce to the sea ports. 

 The mistake here, as in the former case, has 

 arisen, from the efiect of an occasional em- 



ployment only, with no other than giee 

 food. The fermentation of this in the ani 

 mal, heated by the weather, and fretted h 

 the discipline, will readily account for hi 

 sinking under his exertions ; when gree 

 food even, much less dry, with a sober habi 

 of labor, would have no such tendency. Th 

 third objection also is not a solid one. Th 

 ox can, by a proper harnes8,|_be used singl 

 as well as the horse, between the rows c 

 Indian corn; and equally so used for othe 

 purposes. Experience may safely be aj 

 pealed to on this point. In the 4th place, i 

 is alleged that he is slow in his movements 

 This is true, but in a less degree, than i 

 often taken for granted. Oxen that are we 

 chosen for their form, are not worked aft« 

 the age of about 8 years, (the age at whic 

 they are best fitted for beef,) are not worke 

 too many together, and are suitably matchet 

 may be kept to nearly as quick a step as th 

 horse. May I not say a step quicker tha 

 that of many of the horses we see at worl 

 who, on account of their age, or the leannes 

 occasioned by the costliness of the food the 

 require, lose this advantage, where the 

 j might have once had it? The last objectio 

 has most weight. The ox is not as we 

 j adapted as the horse to the road service, ei 

 pecially for long trips. In common roads 

 I which are often soft, and sometimes su( 

 [denly become so, the form of his foot, an 

 I the shortness of his leg, are disadvantages 

 land on roads frozen, or turnpiked, the rougl 

 ness of the surface in the former case, and ii 

 hardness in both cases, are inconvenient 1 

 his cloven hoof. But where the distance t 

 j market is not great, where the varying stai 

 jof the roads and the weather can be cor 

 suited ; and where the road servicv^ is in les 

 proportion to the farm-service, the objectio 

 is almost deprived of its weight. In cast 

 where it most applies, its weight is dimir 

 ished by the consideration, that a muc 

 greater proportion of service on the fan 

 may be done by oxen, than is now con 

 raonly done ; and that the expense of shoein 

 them, is little different from that of keepin 

 horses shod." 



Oxen are very extensively used in som 

 parts of Great Britain — the farmers of thi 

 country having found a great advantage n 

 suiting from their employment. A syster 

 has been adopted on many of the large farm; 

 by which a certain number are turned ove 

 to the grazier or the butcher every year, an 

 their places supplied by an equal number ( 

 a suitable age. In many portions of our ow 

 country the prejudices existing against th 

 employment of oxen for farm service i 



