44 ECONOMY OF FARMING. 



acres of land ; the return he makes for this is, so much beef, and so many years labor. 

 The consumption of produce must therefore be divided between these two articles. 

 To find the share that should be allotted to each, the first thing is to ascertain how 

 many acres of grass and roots would produce the same weight of beef from an ox, 

 bred and reared for beef alone, and slaughtered at three or four years old. What 

 remains has been consumed in producing labor. The next thing is to compare this 

 consumption with that of the horse, which produces nothing but labor. By this sim- 

 ple test, the question, viewing it upon a broad national ground, must evidently be 

 determined. Every one may easily make such a calculation suited to the circum- 

 stances of his farm ; none that could be ofl'ered would apply to every situation. But 

 it will be found, that even if three oxen were able to do the work ot two horses, the 

 advantages in this point of view would still be on the side of the horses; and the first 

 objection (as to being unfit for a variety of labor, exposure to the weather, &c.) ap- 

 plies with undiminished force besides." 



Respecting the comparative advantages of horses and oxen, in the British Hus- 

 bandry, it is given, on high authority, that the work of 107 oxen may be done by 65 

 horses — and, in some parts of England, it is said, that 5 or 6 oxen are equal to 4 

 horses. Another person quoted in the work estimates the number of oxen necessary 

 as compared with horses as 3 to 2 on a hght soil, or 2 to 1 for heavy soils. Bailey 

 and CuLLEY, in their Comparative Estimate, to which the author of British Hus- 

 bandry attributes great weight, give it as the result of their conclusions, that 2 

 horses are equal to 6 oxen in regular work, and to 8 during the first year. In the 

 decision of this question, in respect to the national value of either animal, Messrs. 

 Bailey and Culley. also saj'', that a working animal is generally supposed to con- 

 sume the produce of four acres of good land annually ; and as an ox eats ^ more 

 in weight than the horse, his food is equal to five acres ; but as he can be partly fed 

 on straw, he might be maintained on 2^ acres a year, while at work; and 1^ acres 

 will be required to fatten him for the market. B'arm horses average for work 12 

 years ; and in that time will wear out four team of oxen used only 3 years each ; and 

 supposing 1 horse to be equal to 2 oxen, the land required will be, 



1 horse till fit for work - - - - 6 acres 

 12 years' Avork, at 4 acres - - - - 48 " 



54 acres 



2 oxen till fit for work, at 5 acres - - 10 acres 



3 years' work, at 2] acres - - - - 15 " 

 fattening, 1^ acres each - . - . 3 " 



This amount 4 times in 12 years, 28 = 112 acres. 



The difference then would be 58 acres ; but eight fat oxen would, in this time, have 

 been brought to market. 



The practice which prevails in this country, as is well known, is different in differ- 

 ent sections. In many cases both horses and oxen are used ; indeed this is usually 

 the case where the farms are of a moderate size ; as persons need horses for their 

 travel from one part of the state or country to another. Horses are more exclusively 

 used in the middle and southern States ; oxen more so in the Eastern or New Eng- 

 land States.— Tr.] 



9. Teams of oxen or horses are two or more spanned. 



10. The number of animals required for a team, must be determined by 

 the difference of the strength of the animals, and the burden or weight they 

 have to overcome. 



11. Most kinds of labor of the household (Hausehalt) demand no greater 

 exertion of strength than 2 stout oxen or horses can supply ; and since 2 

 beasts costs less to keep than 4, and one man only is needed to take care 

 of them ; therefore it is self-evident, that the use of the two-spanned team 

 is preferable to that of more. 



[By a span, the author means a single animal ; thus two span is with us a one- 

 yoked team ; four spanned, a two yoked one, and so on. Sometimes 3 are used to- 

 gether, 2 ntarest the plough or cart, and 1 before them; this is called a three 

 spanned team. — Tr.] 



