The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1825-04-28
aGRlCVAiYUR Raj.
From the American Farmer.
TIE OK AND THE HORSE.
Tier ralue aud economy. for Pennsylvania

farming c6mpdrtd.
Bucks county, Pa 28h .uarch, 1875.
Mr.. SKINNER,
have recently observed some remarks
from correspondents in your paper respec
ting the comparative usefulness of horses
and oxen. Although the subject may
seem TO lie exhausted, | am not without
hope ofbeins able to add somewhat to
the general stock of experience on this
subject. In order to understand the rrla-
| tive value Of animals of this nature, Nc
have only to resort to actual calculation and
such facts AS will not he denied by any
one who has sthe least experience on the
subject.
In The first place, then, pair of t0icra
| bly, good work horses can be bought at 5
years old for slG0-their lives may be ave
ragged At ten years more, including disea-
ses, accidents, SC. the cost OF keeping
them, rs our work horses in Pennsylvania
are usually kept, will be for grain 81 90
per week, al the present price-the grain
being ground, aud used with cut straw,
which is more economical than feeding
whole grain: in addition TO this grain, hor
ses will eat about the same hay or grass
that will sustain pair o. oxen-the latter
food therefore be estimated as common to
BOTH and ofequal expense. The cost of IA
pair of oxen -four years old is SEQ and they
| may be Used five years without the least
injury to their capacity for fattcnog- when
! If the owner did not choose to make apro
fit in that way, he might sell them for $50.
We have E ON these data the following re
suits rs to expense of the two animals
! Expense OF HORSES.
l pair of horses cost, SI60
| Interest on the same 10 years at G
per cent, 90
! Expense for grain, excluivt of cut
straw and labor for feeding at
81 0per week, 624
$3.50
EXPENSE OF oxEv.
pair cost, 500
An additional pair for the last five
years, GO
Interest on $50 TO- FIVE years-and
$40 for five years, 10
100
Deduct for two pair sold at $50
each, 100
| Total cost for ten years, 60
Balance 10 favor Of lhe.oxen, $50
-
! $3.50
There are other considerations in favor
of the OK, worthy of being taken into &c
| count: tire harness of a pair OF oxen, yoke
and chain, costs about 81; that IF a
of n pair OF horses about $50. The,ox feeds
through the summer on grass, and is ready
/ for his Iaborin the morning as soon as his
driver rises from his bed hut the horse
must be allowed ut least one hour in the
morning TO eat, which usually affords the
driver an excuse for asi,erins tWo, during
III most precious part of the day.
There is no kind of work on our farms,
except dressing corn, which oxen may not
be- trained 10 perform as well as horses
also for hauling heavy loads short distances
on the roads, they are equally as good, and
much better for hauling logs but the OK
does not naturally endure hea; as well as
the horse he seldom p.rspres, but habi,
will enable him to endure il foi all ntcessa
ry purposes. Nor does he naturally walk
so fast--much may be done in breaking 10
improving his walk. But my object is to ex
anime him rs he is usually found. Allowing
then for the difference ofhis capacity to en-
dure heat & for that of his speed, my expe
rience is, that a pair Of oxen wilIploust ID
acres while pair of horses will plough 2
acres. This difference will be allowed by
all experienced persons as liberal esti-
mate in favor Of the horse. Now, if We
suppose the same difference To exist in all
other kinds Of labOur To which the OK is
dapted, it will give the labor of the horse
To that OK as q TO Sand according to the
foregoing estimate the expense Of 8 hor
ses for ten years, their average life of use
ful labof,) will be, $3.50
That of q oxen, leo
General balance in foyour OF OK.
en-, $500
II must he admitted, however, thai there
are many purposes 10 which the OK is not
adaptcd' such RS going on distant Journeys
with dispatch, the carriage, gig and sad
! die, TO " hich that of dressing corn must be
added. No farmer can therefore dispense
with all his horses but it is bad economy
to keep single iabouring horse more
than is necessary for those PURPOSES
which the OK is not adapted for
and when the number of horses which
must be thus occasionally employed,
ID sufficient to perform, at their inter
walls of leisure, all the other business
of the farm, it would be bad economy to
keep oxen for it costs very little, if any
more, TO keep horses constantly at work,
than il does To keep them in idleness. A