70 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



WORKING OXEN. 



As already observed, the working oxen of New England are 

 deservedly renowned for their activity, strength, docility and 

 training. In these respects they are, perhaps, unsurpassed by 

 any in the world. Sprung as they have from the greatest 

 variety of sources, with a strain of blood from tlie old yellow 

 Denmarks, another from the early importations of the colonists 

 from the mother country, another from the black Spanish cattle, 

 traces of which remain to this day, another from the imported 

 and valuable long-horns, and the importations of short-horns, 

 which have been frequent within the last forty years, and others 

 still from the Devons, unrivalled among the pure bloods, for 

 working cattle, they are eminently adapted in many respects to 

 the climate and the wants of our farmers. This high character 

 of our working cattle is due to a variety of circumstances, one 

 of the most important of which is, perhaps, the fact that the use 

 of oxen instead of horses on the small and often hard farms of 

 New England, has led us to rely almost exclusively upon them, 

 and made it necessary to train them. 



A celebrated agriculturist and breeder, of Pennsylvania, John 

 Hare Powell, once said: "I should ascribe the extraordinary 

 performance of New England cattle to the skill, sagacity, singu- 

 lar steadiness, and peculiar firmness of the men — to care in 

 selection, and to the face of the country in which they are bred." 

 Mr. Powell, who was well known in his day as a man of large 

 practical experience and extensive and careful observation 

 on these points, gave his opinion with regard to the compara- 

 tive merits of the working cattle of old and New England as 

 follows : — 



" Have any instances been brought wherein it appears that, 

 in activity, patience or strength, they have in Great Britain, 

 surpassed the oxen of Massachusetts or New York ? I have never 

 seen in Europe performance of oxen comparable to that, wliich 

 in Massachusetts would scarcely be remarked." 



This high encomium is probably very just, since it is con- 

 firmed by the testimony of many intelligent Englishmen who 

 have witnessed the splendid performances of our cattle. On a 

 recent visit to Kentucky aiid some of the western States, I had 

 occasion, in one or two instances, to sorvo ou committees on 



