412 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[November, 
Bulls in Harness. 
It seems rather strange that the various modes 
of usincr Hie labor of bovine auimals — oxen. 
BULL IN CAKT HARNESS. 
cows, and bulls — in all times and in all countries, 
should so universally have contemplated yoking 
or harnessing them in pairs. Horses have been 
used singly, both for light aud heavy draft, but 
only now and then some zealous utilitarian or 
some poverty-stricken peasant has applied the 
strength, the oue of his bull, the other of his 
Fig. 3.— BULL IN WAGON HARNESS. 
lone cow, to tillage of the soil or other agricul- 
tural labor. We have long had our own no- 
tions as to how bulls might best he harnessed, 
but some time ago set about finding out what 
other plans were in vogue. To this end we 
proposed the question in the Agriculturist, 
aud have heard from several of our readers. 
One who studies the form of the bull, os, aud 
cow, especially when they are walking, will see 
clearly, we think, that there are but two points 
from which they can draw a load. One is where 
the yoke rests ordinarily as cattle are worked in 
this country, — the top of the neck in front of 
the shoulders ; the other is the forehead, where 
the yoke is generally placed in Europe and 
Spanish America. "When oxen are yoked in the 
common way, they draw chiefly by the yoke, 
Fig. 5.— BULL IN SINGLE YOKE. 
and not very much by the bows, as might be 
supposed. The ox cannot draw comfortabh in 
a breast collar, that is, by a strap passing 
around under the neck horizontally, to which 
the traces are attached. It would draw across 
the points of the shoulders, or below them upon 
the brisket, and in cither case would cramp the 
motions of the fore legs and pain the animal — 
we all know how quickly 
a tight ox-how will gall 
the throat ; and besides, it 
would, we presume, inter- 
fere with hreathing and 
rumination. The natural 
aud only way for an ox or 
bull in a state of freedom 
to exert all its power is, by 
the horns or forehead, so 
that the animal canp«s/t, as 
when fighting. The objec- 
tions to this mode of yok- 
ing oxen are, that their 
heads are uncomfortably 
confined when drawing, 
that a separate neck-yoke 
or harness must be used if cattle are work- 
ed in a cart or wagon, and (which has not 
yet been proved) that they draw no easier. 
These objections, however, apply with less 
force to yoking single bulls by the head. 
The different methods we are now able to 
suggest are illustrated with con- 
siderable minute- 
ness to make them 
clearer. Figure 5 
represents a bull in 
the single wooden 
yoke, made like, or, 
in some cases per- 
haps, of half a com- 
mon 5"okc, than 
which the ends 
jj ought to he longer 
S°? and more pointed. 
sIHis They should have 
strong bolts passing 
through them, with rings or hooks attached, 
to which traces may be fastened. This is an 
awkward contrivance, but strong, convenient, 
wagon harness, and figure 4 a plow harness, 
with collars. The neck-band collar (see fig. 2) 
would work equally well for plowing. 
American preferences condemn the use of 
Fig. 3. — BULL HARNESSED WITH A NECK-BAND. 
the head-yoke, which is represented by figures 
G and 7. Figure 8 represents the head of a bull 
with the yoke attached. This yoke is made of 
hickory or ash, the wood being 20 inches long, 
somewhat curved, 3 inches wide, and l'| a inches 
thick, tapering to the tips. The ends are ironed, 
Fig. 7. — BOTTOM OF HEAD-YOKE. 
and easily made. It may be used with either 
the cart or wagon harness, as shown in figures 
1 and 3, and is not uufrequently seen in New 
England. Figure 2 is a bull harnessed to draw 
mainly by a neck-band, connected with breech- 
ing straps and traces. The harness goes in 
front of the brisket, but comparatively little draft 
comes upon it. "When cattle are thus harnessed 
in pairs, a hold-back chain goes from the breast- 
piece to the pole. We have the sketch from a 
friend who has seen it used in the Middle States. 
Figure 1 shows a bull in a regular horse-cart 
harness, the collar being simply inverted. A 
young bull may usually be harnessed in this 
way, but most old ones would need to have the 
collar widened. The shape of a bull's neck 
is such that a large horse collar, that may be 
opened, will often fit very well. The riugs or 
hooks in the hames for attaching the traces are 
in just the right places, but, unfortunately, some 
bulls cannot be harnessed with an ordinary col- 
lar; for such collars must be made, or some 
other plan adopted. Figure 3 shows a common 
Fig. 4. — BULL IN PLOW HARNESS. 
and have strong hooks attached. A leathern 
cushion is on the inner side of the curve, well 
padded with hair or moss. Straps passing 
through holes 4 inches from each end serve to 
attach the yoke to the horns, so that it hangs 
free upon the forehead. 
Coupling for Double Harrows. 
It is often a disappointment to the purchasers 
of double harrows to find that they are not 
usually made so as to turn one upon the other 
without uncoupling. Were this possible, they 
would be more conveniently handled in loading 
them upon wagons or sleds. For a special pur- 
pose now aud then, where a heavily weighted 
S. — BULL WITH nEAD-YOKE. 
harrow is desirable, as where a spot filled with 
quack grass exists in the centre of a field, it 
would often be very convenient to turn one half 
upon the other, and if more weight were want- 
