264 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY OF chap. XIII. 



when they feel the obstruction ; whereas oxen 

 press forward, to the risk of breaking the plough 

 or the harness ; that, admitting the feeding of 

 the oxen to be less expensive than that of horfes, 

 a greater number, in the proportion of at least 

 three to two, will be requifite to perform the 

 same work ; and consequently, a greater num- 

 ber of servants must be kept to work them, the 

 additional expence of which will more than ba- 

 lance any profit that may arise from the cheap- 

 er keeping of the cattle. 



They, who take the side of the oxen, affirm, 

 that there is not fuch a remarkable difference 

 between horses and cattle, in respect either of 

 alertness, or of the quantity of work they can 

 perform, as has been alleged : That oxen can 

 be trained to stop as readily as horses, when 

 any dangerous interruption comes in the way ; 

 that fhey can be kept at a much cheaper rate, 

 little or no corn being necessary when they are 

 under proper management ; in short, that they 

 are liable to fewer distempters, and, when old 

 or disqualified for labour, are much more va- 

 luable. 



If the question is to be decided by general 

 opinion, I suspect the decision will be in favour 

 of the horses. There are still some, it is true, 

 who continue to use oxen in the operations of 

 husbandry. But the instances of such are com- 

 paratively few. There is not, perhaps, one ox 

 employed at present in the plough or cart, for 

 ten that were used twenty years ago. The 

 horses, at and before that period, were much 

 inferior to the present breed ; and it is observa- 

 ble, that in proportion as the breed of horses 



