132 Comparison between Horses and Oxen. 



Europe, that will enable oxen to walk with ease and safety on hard 

 dry roads, or on frozen ground. The great difficulty in forming- 

 such a shoe is, that the iron must be divided, otherwise sand may get 

 between the iron and the hoof, and create wounds and sores. 



7. It is thought best, to begin to break in oxen at three years old, 

 and to give them full work at four. In the northern counties of Eng- 

 land, four oxen are commonly used, the two foremost in harness, the 

 other two in yokes. In Scotland, it is not uncommon to work two 

 oxen in harness, and without a driver. They are sometimes worked 

 till they are from eight to ten, and even twelve years of age ; but it 

 is generally considered to be more profitable, to begin feeding them 

 earlier. 



8. Some people prefer free martins *, and spayed heifers, to work- 

 ing oxen. They are found very strong and active, and it is said they 

 will, with equal feed, work nearly as well as a horse. 



9. It was remarked by the late Sir Charles Turner, that the ad- 

 vantages of working oxen, depend much upon the breed ; and he pre- 

 ferred the Lancashire sort, as they were not only active and hardy, 

 but lengthy in the carcase, which enable them to go four inches fur- 

 ther than almost any other kind. 



10. The supposed necessity, of beginning to feed cattle at an early 

 age, is a great objection to oxen being generally used, as they are 

 hardly properly trained to labour, for the purposes of husbandry, be- 

 fore it is thought necessary to fatten them, after which they do very 

 little work ; but in consequence of the improved mode of feeding with 

 oil-cake, &c. there is no difficulty in fattening oxen, even at twelve 

 years of age, which is a material circumstance in favour of working 

 oxen. 



No. XIII. 



HINTS ON TURNIPS, AND THE BEST MEANS OF PREVENTING THE 



RAVAGES OF THE FLY, the Chrysomela Remorum, LINN. BY 



SIR JOHN SINCLAIR. 



THERE is perhaps no vegetable, from the introduction of which, 

 the agriculture of these kingdoms has derived such essential benefits, 

 as from that of turnips. They are not only of use as a fallow, for 

 cleansing the soil from annual, and checking the growth of root -weeds ; 



tish agriculturists ; to whom, (as Mr Pickering with much liberality observes), 

 " the farmers in America are so much indebted for instruction and examples, in 

 the most approved practices of husbandry." (See " The American Farmer," 

 vol. ii. p. 139). It is to be hoped, that such friendly feelings of reciprocal 

 good will, will not only exist between the farmers, but will be felt by all the 

 other classes in the two countries. 



* Free martins are cow calves, cast at the same time with bull calves, which 

 are never known to breed. 



