152 THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. BOOK i. 



work was equally well performed ; but the ploughing must have 

 been very light, as the last match was completed in four hours and ten 

 minutes. 1 



So far as this experiment may be considered decisive, it re- 

 established the equality of the teams ; but had it been tried with 

 more severe labour, or on hilly ground, it might have proved different ; 

 and, in steep ascents more particularly, the yoke would probably have 

 been found best adapted to the animal. It is a prevalent idea in 

 England, that oxen are unfit for draught in hilly countries ; a large 

 portion of the Peninsula, however, is mountainous, and there they 

 draw heavy weights in carts of a very rude construction. Being worked 

 in yokes, they possess the power of preserving the line of draught, by 

 lowering the head according to the inclination of the ground, an ad- 

 vantage which is lost in the application of the collar ; and their chief 

 strength is, also, supposed to depend on the joint power of the neck 

 and the base of the horn. 



The Earl of Egremont, also, put his cattle to the test at Petworth, 

 in both road and field-labour, and his experience confirmed the opinion 

 in favour of the old Sussex yoke, of which fig. 48 is an illustration. 



Connected with the subject of draught is another, which has only 

 received of late years the attention that it deserves viz. the shoeing 

 of oxen ; a necessary operation that, when carefully executed, will not 

 only conduce to the animal's comfort and health, but also to the 

 farmer's profit ; for he will be enabled to draw both with greater speed 

 and superior effect. According to the old practice, the animal was 

 first cast, or thrown, and his legs bound together in the usual manner ; 

 he was then forced nearly upon his back, and his feet hoisted up to a 

 convenient height by means of a forked pole, the forked end taking the 

 bandage that bound the feet, while the opposite end was firmly fixed in 

 the sward upon which they were thrown. The farrier then proceeded 

 to affix the shoes in a manner similar to that practised on horses. By 

 this contrivance the shoes were easily and firmly applied, but it was 

 attended with the disadvantage that accidents sometimes occurred 

 in the operation of casting ; the other oxen were also apt to become 

 unruly on seeing their companions roughly treated, and many 

 valuable cattle were rendered completely useless. To obviate such 

 accidents, an ingenious appliance, of great simplicity, was adopted at 

 Mr. Bakewell's farm at Dishley. It merely consisted of four posts, 

 A, B, C, D, fig. 49, fixed firmly in the ground, and furnished with 

 strong side-rails. 



The animal having been led in, is confined by four straps going over 

 the back and under the belly. The two projecting branches are hollowed 

 on the top, for laying on the fore-legs one at a time ; the hind-legs are 

 severally held out, when wanted, by a long wooden lever, and thus the 

 shoes are applied without any possibilit}^ of injuring the beast. It has, 

 indeed, been suggested, and we think the plan might be easily carried 

 into effect, that if calves intended to be reared for work were ac- 

 customed, while young, to have their feet taken up, and their hoofs 



1 See "Agricultural Survey of Sussex," p. 261. 



