The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1841-06-11
AgrtruIturaI.
A GOOD TEAM.

Mr. EDIroR-Some time since noticed COM
munlcalion in your paper upon the importance Of
good tools; think that good team is of equal
importance for the advantageous working of the
farm For however good your plough may be,un
less your team has strength enough to draw it stead
lily you will make but poor work.
Some farmers appear TO act as though they
though, it necessary for them to keepa long team
to do their work. and then they act as though they
thought that every straw of hay they could cheat
their cattle oat of and keep them on their
so much clear gain. But let US look at such far
mer MS he is doing his spring work:--if he has a
piece Of ground to plough one pair ofhis oxen have
not strength to do it, The yokes up another; they
cannot move off in straight line, so he must hook
on the old mare to keep them slrght; and then
with boy to lead the mare, another to drive, and
one to hold, he may accomplish about as much as
one man would do with one good pair of oxen well
fed and trained II he has piece of hard breaking
up to do, he must have four or five such yoke of
oxen to do it. When he gets them all together
they look about as crooked, shrveled up and in
efficient as a string of dried apples, Mr. Editor,
did You ever witness the work of such team Just
commencing operations Their principle of action
appenrs to be, "one at time last the onger":--
some wishing to move in one direction, some in
another; some celebrating whether it is best to
move at all or not, moving unsteadily and crook
eddy that II would be impossible for the bes, p ough-
man with good plough, to make good work. So
it is with all the operations of the farm Twice
the time ia required to yoke and manage such
team, as is necessary to manage good one.
lonce knew sort of farmer who prded himself
much about his long team, Going to market one
day with cord of dry pine wood with four yoke
OF oxen and horse, he was thus accosted by one
Of his neis'bors: " long team to-day neighbor
e." Yes, yes three yoke more at home, and
none ofhem mor'gageJ neither" "We, should
think the erOps would soon have u bill of sale of
them"
How can farmer afford to keep such poo,
'N''' w '"''' WV" MS suCCess uepeHuS IN great
measure upon the manner in which his work is
done A good team is the cheapest; but i, is not
enough to procure a good team; it needs constant
care and attention TO kecpit good. The cattle mus,
be well and regularly fed and carefully driven.-
Much depends upon the early training of the OK.
If he Is heavily loaded while young, he usually gets
into dull and slow gait, which it is difficult to
break him of; but if he is moderately loaded and
ac'ustomed to walk quick, he will perform much
more labor on the farm. The rlrmer gains nothing
by loading his team heavily, for they acquire
habit of moving slowly while so loaded, which they
will continue in when ploughins and doing the
lighter work on tho farm. Its necessary for far
ming work That oxen should be taught to back
we'll This may usually be done very easy BY
right management, Do not strike an OK hard upon
tho nose for ifyou do, he soons learns to put his
nose down so as to avoid the blow ;and thus brings
he yoke in such II position thu, he cannot buck
An OK should be taught to throw his head NJ and
urn it II little out when he backs. This may be
lone by good teams,er in short time.--.N "
Farmer. AN ESSEX FARMER