262 BEASTS OF LABOUR. 15, 



Shall we hence argue, that becaufc oxen 

 have declined, they are ineligible asbeafls of 

 draught ? It might be unfair to do it. 



There are two evident caufes of the decline 

 of oxen in this country. 



Formerly, there was not only m-uch more 

 land in tillage, but the plow of thofe days 

 was a heavy ill-lbsped implement, requiring 

 at leafl one pair of oxen extraordinary to 

 draw it ; yet, unwieldy as it was, the quan- 

 tity of land then in tillage required that it 

 fliould be worked in all feafons. At prefent, 

 the plow in ufe is admirably conftrudted ; — ; 

 light and well fomicd for paffing through 

 the foil. With this plow, and with the land 

 in feafon, it is found that the two horfes alone 

 without the oxen are fufficient for the pur- 

 pofe of tillage. This, in a country where the 

 breeding of horfes had long been an efta- 

 blifhed pradice, was a fufficient caufe of ibe 

 difufe of oxen inplozving. 



Their decline upon the road is in part ow- 

 ing to the fame caufc. Four horfes make 

 two plow teamSjandoccafionally a road team. 

 This accounts, in fome meafure, for the in- 

 crcafe of horfe-tcams upon the road j but it is 



not 



