420 



FARMER'S CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



unable to exert Lis whole power. The 

 value of the ox as a beast of burden de- 

 pends largely on his breaking and train- 

 ing, and these matters cannot be dis- 

 cussed in this connection. The strength 

 of the ox, when properly trained, is very 

 great, and he is also endowed with an 

 unusual amount of patience. It has 

 been found that oxen are especially 

 valuable in hauling loads over miry or 

 marshy places where horses would 

 plunge and thus be unable to do the 

 work. In securing oxen for a team, 

 attention must be given to a proper 

 matching in size, strength and temper; 

 otherwise they may not work well to- 



The draft power of oxen depends on 

 the method of harnessing them. In 

 Great Britain and the United States, 

 the ordinary method is by the use of a 

 yoke or collar. The chief disadvantage 

 of the yoke lies in the fact that the 

 bows are ordinarily quite small and en- 

 tirely uncovered with any material 

 which would protect the shoulders of 

 the oxen. It seems strange that no form 

 of collar was ever adopted for oxen in 

 this country which might fit the shoul- 

 ders and protect them against the pres- 

 sure of the hard bows. In Spain, Por- 

 tugal and other Latin countries, as, for 

 example, in Porto Rico and elsewhere, 



Fig. 275 — A PAIR OF DEVON OXEN 



gether. As a rule beef breeds of cat- 

 tle are used for draft purposes, partly 

 on account of the fact that the frame of 

 beef animals is somewhat stronger than 

 that of dairy cattle. In some parts of 

 continental Europe, however, dairy cows, 

 even during the period of lactation, 

 are worked on the farm and for other 

 purposes. The Devon, Hereford and 

 Sussex are commonly recommended as 

 best for draft purposes. 



In caring for draft oxen, it is a wise 

 practice to wash and clean the feet at 

 the end of each day's work, since other- 

 wise the hoofs may become soft, tender 

 or inflamed, as the result of filth which 

 adheres to them and acciimulates in the 

 cleft between the two parts of the hoof. 



oxen, as already indicated, are almost 

 the only animals employed in agricul- 

 tural labor, whether in the field or on 

 the road, and in these countries oxen 

 are invariably yoked by the head. It is 

 argued in favor of this system, that the 

 strength of the ox lies largely in his 

 neck, and that he is at a considerable 

 advantage, from a draft standpoint, by 

 having the pull come on the head. 



If oxen are to be used year after year 

 for draft purposes, it is necessary, as 

 in the case of horses, to pay some at- 

 tention to the preservation of the hoofs. 

 For this purpose, shoeing is required. 

 In shoeing oxen more elaborate devices 

 are necessary than with horses, since 

 they are spldom trained to lift the foot 



