The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1826-11-08
On Working Orcn.

| On Working Oren.
| The Committee on Working Oxen, having
attended TO the duties Of thei! appointment.
J y es,o-'- --
/ That the trial and show Of Working Oxen
upon this, as on every former festival, have
| tended 10 strengthen and confirm the high
opinion. entertained by the farmers of Worces-
! ter County, OF 4,e value Of the Ok. 1t has
been, and long may it continue to be, the
boast OF this County to have exhibited teams
| of Oxen, as well trained, and as judiciousIy
selected aud matched, as any section of our
country can produce. Dor annual Shows
! have had no small influence in producing this
| effect: before they were instituted, there was
no occasion, when the training and strength
Of the Ok were publicly exhibited, TO invite
competition and comparison, aud TO suggest or
eXemplfy improvements in the selection and
education of this laborious animal for the
yoke.
The Horse has ever been a fauorife, display
| ed and curvetted on all occasions Of show and
parade and has run away with the praises,
| and too often with the purse of his owner j;
while the toilsome and unassuming OK has
been suffered to pod on the rugged tenor of
his way, neglected and unhonored. The Ok
is modest beast, without vanity or ambition ;
but, at length, he has slowly and patiently
'corkcd his way into favor and esteem; and.
we trust, the day is fer distant, when he shall
| cease to be highly appreciated by cur farmers.
| The rough soil Of New England could never
have been subdued, uor successfully cuItivat-
ed, but for the patient endurance, the sturdy
frame, and docile disposition of this useful ami
NAL, who, while he lghtens the labors of the
husbandman, is chearly kept, and handiIy
managed. Indeed, few animals combine, in
m a. ctr d,,C
! While it is hopeless 10 expect ever to sup
plant the Ok in the peculiar field Of his labofs,
! by the substitution Of any other animal, or to
supersede, TO any great extent, the necessity
I of his assistance by any labor-saving machine
ry, too much encouragement cannot be be-
slowed ON the exercise Of care and SKIN, IN
the selection, matching, and training of our
Mature breed of Oxen; for il cannot now be
doubted, that, TO this breed, we must continue
/ to resort for the supply and improvement Of
! the muscle and sinew Of agricultural labor
! Indeed, the valuable results, which have al
ready attended the judicious efforts, made in
selecting Oxen for the yoke, exhibit, in a clear
! light, how much may he accomplished for the
! improvement o. our native stock, generally, by
suitable attention to this important duty.
The Working Oxen, subjected to the ex-
animation of your Committee, have not been
surpassed, except in number, by those eXhib-
( tied at any former Show. Their strength and
/ dociity were severely tested and nearly eve
ry yoke drew, and were driven aud backed
readily and with great case. Your Commit
tee were required, by the rules of the Society
10 regard the strength, equality OF match, and
docility oft cattle, as well as Their size and
appearance and they found no little Difficult.
ty in determining 10 whom the premiums o.
Lilo boIO he ,ho1a
ed by your Committee, was eleven yokes. d
these, was yoke offered for exhibition, only
by the President of the Society, which, if moi
as stout, were as docle, and as well trained
and governed, as any pair upon the ground
and for which your Committee award to thei
pubic-spirited owner the thanks of the So
ciety. In awarding the first premium, YOU
Committee hesitated for some time, but, al
though the cattle Of Siias Dudley, that vete
ran in the training of Oxen, backed NOR,
Ereadily, and were somewhat better traine,
than MIR. Marbles; yet it was thought, that
viewed with respect TO equality of match
strength, form, and size, Mr.. Marbles yok,
were superior. Your Committee have there
fore awarded
To Royal T. Marble, of Sutton, for his
yoke years old, the first premium Of ST.
To Sias Dudley, of Nortlbridge, for his
yoke years old, the second premium Of /:
To Tyler Putnam, of Sutton, for his yoke
4 years old, the third premium OF II
10 Rejoice Newton, of Worcester, for his
yoke years old, the fourth premium of
Your Committee regret that it was not il
their power to award a premium to Stephel
Marsh, jr. Of Sutton, and cannot close their re
port without noticing the stout and valuabl,
cattle of Salmon Hathaway, Of Grafton, ant
the two yokes of Moses Adams, Of Sutton
which, if they had been trained with a it'll,
more care, especially in backing, would have
severely contested the right of their more for
tunate competitors to the premiums.
Mr.. John Temple, of West-Boylston, exhib
tied fine team of nine yokes OF stout and vel
matched Oxen, all owned and worked by hin
on his farm--probably the largest team o
Working Oxen that is owned by any single
individual in the County.
YoLr Committee cannot too much commend
the spirit OF the farmers of neighborine
town, as exhibited on this occasion in the
great Suiion Team, consisting Of siXty-n;nc
yokes Of stout and handsome cattle, all disc.
pincd and educated in that best school for The
Ok, the town ofSutton. This long and state
ly procession of the sturdy conquerors of many
a wcll-ploughed Geld, made truly trumpha
entry upon this festival Of the farmer. The
care aud skill, which were required TO rear
select, and train so many valuable Working
Oxen in one town, cannot fail TO receive othel
and greater rewards than the premiums which
have been so frequently and deservedly a
warded to Sutton Oxen.
To the great Sutton Team your Committee
award the premium of SIS, voted by the So