C 1*3] 



No. XII. 



On Horses and Oxen. By Mr. R. Emerson. 



Honoured Sir, 



I RECEIVED your letter on Wednesday the 30th ult. containing the mode of 

 experiment required by the Board of Agriculture for the ascertaining the compa- 

 rison between horses and oxen, in relation to their work. I hope I shall not, by 

 offering my objections for not trying the experiment for one year under such regu- 

 lations, give you offence, but flatter myself will meet your approbation. First, was 

 I to comply with feeding the oxen with hay and corn, the same as horses, during 

 the winter, I in consequence would subject myself to a great additional and unne- 

 cessary expence, as I am already well convinced, by a considerable length of ex- 

 perience, that the oxen are capable of doing as much labour in the common work 

 of husbandry with hay only, as the horses can with their common food, viz. hay and 

 corn. Secondly, was I to reduce the feed of the horses to hay only, and oblige 

 them to do their usual work, I should in course soon sustain a considerable loss in 

 the value of my horses, as I am well assured that they in such case could not pos- 

 sibly perform their work. Under these circumstances, was I sure of being entitled 

 to the premium offered, my gain would be none, and particularly as there is no 

 certainty but another's claim might be preferred. Provided, therefore, you do ad- 

 mit that my observations are right and satisfactory, you may give a decisive opinion 

 in favour of oxen, as well now as a twelvemonth hence. 



I believe. Sir, I once stated some observations to you, giving in my opinion the 

 cause why oxen should endure their work better than horses, which may not be 

 improper to repeat, viz. that the ox in his work chews his cud, and in consequence 

 receives a supply of nutriment which continues to refresh him all day ; when the 

 work of the day is finished he hastily fills himself, and lays down to rest, and chews 

 his cud ; in the morning early he again fills himself, which furnishes him with sup- 

 port during his day's work ; when the ploughman takes a litde bread in the middle 

 of the day, even in that short space of lime taken for that purpose, the oxen often 



