STOCK. 165 



for themselves as best they may during the cold season, however 

 full they may be fed the other portions of the year. Such cat- 

 tle may perhaps be made to grow to a decent size, but the com- 

 pactness and muscle which ought to have been attained during 

 their " starving time " can never be regained, however highly 

 they may be fed and nourished afterwards. Neither can oxen 

 grown up suddenly, after being grossly neglected while young, 

 ever attain that endurance for hard, continuous labor as those 

 that are kept constantly growing, and, without being pampered, 

 are always in a thriving, healthy condition. Many an ox has 

 been spoiled for the work he ought to be able to do, by starving 

 over poor hay during the winter, and standing in the cold and 

 sleet while young, instead of being fairly fed and comfortably 

 housed. 



It is well understood by every intelligent farmer that it does 

 not pay to starve or freeze heifers, if he desires to make good 

 milch cows of them, or to keep sheep on brush if he expects to 

 get healthy lambs and a good fleece. So he who desires a good 

 pair of oxen will find that all neglect of proper feeding and 

 shelter, and all abuse of them while young, will depreciate their 

 value when grown to working oxen just in proportion to these 

 abuses. It does not pay as well to half raise stock as it does to 

 feed and shelter them as the best good of the animal requires, 

 saying nothing about the moral guilt that attaches itself to all 

 such wrong doing. Many of the objections which men have to 

 using oxen on their farms would doubtless disappear if they 

 had proper care when young. 



. In most instances, the oxen at the trial were under good 

 discipline, and performed their work in such a manner as to 

 show that they had been carefully trained, and with a good 

 degree of gentleness. Before an ox can do what is required of 

 him, he must first be taught what it is, and how to do it. Whip- 

 ping does not do this ; it only irritates and renders him less 

 willing to learn. If the driver will carefully and patiently show 

 his oxen what he wants them to do, he will find but little use 

 for the whip afterwards. 



The Committee could but notice one fact at the trial, viz. : 

 those teams did the best where the whip was used the least. 

 The oxen that took the first premium were hardly struck during 

 the time of trial. If other teamsters had been equally careful 



