NEAT CATTLE. 



173 



once bend that tree, yonder ? " said the son to the father. 

 " Yes, with the greatest ease." " Can you bend it now ? •'' 

 " No, 1 cannot move it." " Neither can you move this 

 chap ! " retorted the son. 



On this subject, Blr. Sheldon remarks, that the best 

 pair of oxen he ever knew were trained before they 

 were six months old, and that cattle that are trained 

 early are worth twenty-five per cent, more for hard 

 labor than those that are grown before they are broken. 

 In learning cattle to back, he strikes them on the nose 

 with the hands, instead of a stick. 



If steers or oxen are sullen, and lie down, and refuse 

 to move, do not strike them, but place the palms of your 

 hands light upon their nostrils, and stop their breath. 

 In this way, we have started them up more suddenly 

 than it can 'be done by whip or goad. 



If steers run away, do not thrash them, as this will 

 induce them to run the faster next time ; but feed them 

 with a few nubs of corn, or something else that is good, 

 and treat them kindly. 



We once noticed that a teamster, who was offended 

 with the nigh ox, in unyoking him, took out the bow as 

 easily as possible, and then with the bow gave him a 

 sudden and violent blow. For a long time after, that ox 

 would start suddenly, as soon as the bow was out of the 

 yoke, knocking away the yoke, frightening the other 

 ox, and sometimes nearly knocking over the teamster. 

 This shows the effect of bad management in producing 

 bad habits. 



The charge of stupidity and tardiness that is often 

 made against cattle is unfounded, or must result from 

 want of training and good usage, so as to call out their 

 natural instincts, faculties, and powers. The Hot- 

 tentots use oxen in the saddle, and train them to war, 

 and they make terrible havoc among the enemy. They 

 are also used as dogs, to guard flocks and herds, which 

 they faithfully perform, caressing friends, and attacking 

 enemies with great rage If trained to the purpose, prop- 

 erly fed, and never over- worked nor heavily loaded, cat- 

 tle would travel fast, instead of their usual slow motion. 

 In Africa, they generally travel on a trot, and frequently 

 16* 



