64 THE COMPLETE FARMEH 



OXEN. Till oxen are four years old tliey are usually 

 called steers ; afterwards oxen. The signs of a good ox, ac- 

 cording to Dr. Deane, are these : thick, soft, smooth, and 

 short hair; a short and thick head; glossy, smooth horns; 

 large and shaggy ears ; wide forehead ; full, black eyes ; 

 wide nostrils ; black lips ; a thick fleshy neck and large 

 shoulders ; broad reins ; a large belly ; thick rump and 

 thighs ; a straight back ; a long tail, well covered with hair ; 

 short and broad hoofs. The best colors are brown, dark red, 

 and brindled. When an ox has completed his eighth year 

 he should be fattened. 



If oxen are worked in the yoke in wet weather, their necks 

 are apt to become sore. To prevent this a little tallow 

 should be rubbed on the parts of the yoke which lie upon 

 their necks, and also on the bows. 



The following remarks on the management of working 

 oxen are from the N. E. Farmer, vol. vi. p. 191. 



' Do not retard the growth of your beasts of draught, en- 

 danger their health, and render them insignificant in the eyes 

 of many, by working them hard while young. But the 

 younger they are inured to light work, the more docilf' they 

 will generally become. 



' An English writer recommends carding oxen, and says 

 " the ox, after the sensation becomes familiar, receives plea- 

 sure from the operation, and will momentarily forego his 

 meal to receive the full enjoyment. His feeder perceives 

 this, and brushes the part which gives the most pleasure. 

 The ox shows his gTatitude by wagging his tail ; the feeder 

 in return calls him by name, and ingratiates himself with 

 him. Thus not only an intimacy but a mutual affection is 

 formed, which at once gives attention to the keeper and do- 

 cility to the ox, and renders the labors of both pleasant." 



' Their labor and their fodder ought to be proportioned, 

 that their health and their spirits may be kept in full tone. 

 Their coats ought to be sleek ; their hides loose and silky ; 

 the flank should fill the hand, and the shoulder handle mel- 

 low. If they be overworked or underfed, slugi_,ishness 

 and disease will inevitably follow. A working ox ought al- 

 ways to be beef, that in case of accident he may be fit for the 

 table.' 



The common mode of workinsf oxen by a yoke has been 

 condemned by many agrici:ltural writers. Mr. Cooper, an 

 Englishman, according to Young's Eastern Tour, used col- 

 lars on oxen as on horses, except that they were buckled on 



