34 WORKING OXEN 



cattle is better paid than any labor wbich the farmer or his sons can bestow. 

 But let it not bo overlooked that the high pecuniary advantages we 

 speak of flow only from certain primary conditions. We shall be borne 

 out in saying that it is morally impossible to attain that height of profi- 

 ciency which the best oxen have shown, except upon the conditions of 

 exact likeness of temperament, " spirit," size, physical strength and 

 intelliojence. The matching; of cattle designed for work should take 

 place early — primarily for purposes of training, but if it proves imper- 

 fect should not be adhered to — divorce and re-mating will often be wise ; 

 without it, indeed, we cannot often secure the desired conditions. But 

 as responsible moral agents who 



" Live to iiail that season, 



B,v gifted minds foretold, 

 When man shall live by reason, 



And not alone for gold," 



It becomes us to consider, as a final argument, the moral advantages 

 which flow from the proper education of the ox. 



One of the gieat prerogatives of man is his mastership of the inferior 

 animals — the power to make them subserve first his lower needs, his 

 comfort, and redound to the glory of the Creator. It seems to be a 

 law of the moral universe that the virtues are largely the product of 

 education. In a state of nature, animals have few, if any, what 

 may be called moral virtues, and rather rule than are ruled hy, man. 

 Take the useful domestic animals, as the horse and ox, if their strength 

 and activities are not available for the needs of a high state of morals 

 and science, u not man needlessly defrauded of his due, and in some 

 sort a dupe and dependent ? We have in mind a striking illustration 

 of this :view, in the case of a man driving a pair of oxen woefully 

 addictad to hauling, by reason of which, alone, they could not be made 

 to travel more than one third as fast as an ordinary walk. The man 

 bad no choice but to walk on ahead of them, say five or six rods, wait 

 till his patience gave out, then go back and whip them till patience gave 

 out, and — repeat the performance as before. lie was completely at 

 the mercy of an inveterate habit in his team. Juit here let us glance, 

 for one moment, at the looses which ao ill trained pair is liable to. Has 

 it never occurred to those who are so apiit'ietic resjDCCting the discipline 

 of oxen that the entailed expense from accidents to carts, yokes, plows, 

 &c., and the greater cost for shoeing awkward cattle, is usually so 

 great as to make the cost of training tliem properly bat a mere trifle V 

 We know a man who has never considered this matter in its true light, 

 whose expenses froni the breakage of farai implements are truly appall- 



Bat we cannot refrain from making what we conceive to be a great 

 point here, viz : Bg neglecting to train the ox. we become responsible 

 for the sufferings and cruelties which fall to the animaVs lot. Scores 

 of working oxen are broken down, or else maimed seriously, where one 



