Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1850-05-01
NO. XIV.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

LTUkAL-oGlLNllH N
! ON THE USE OF OXEN
BY E. saJ.r. Montgomery Co., Maryland, IN dnmeer to
enquiries made by DR.. r. Il. D., q ~ mTougnh INC
PIrgh, Loom and .dnra.
Like many others with slender resources, (and in
my case with impaired health, from city liie,) }
began farming with horses to do my ploughIng, and,
indeed, the farm work generally. had also yoke
of oxen. With no experience in my new vocation,
il necessary to superintend considerable hauling
for building, and it was here was first made aware
Of the decided advantage of the OK over the horse.
The horses were not always true at the pinch, when
every effort was required and on the oxen we usu-
ally had to rely al last 10 get out oi our d'fcul1es
There were other advantages IN their tse evident az
this early stage of my agricultural education, not
SO imporian yet quite as apparent. One was the
expense of harness. eight TO one, at least III favor OF
the OK; and the time saved in getting TO work-we
could often yoke up, and get through with short
JOB, before the horses were harnessed and ready Tor
work
For the first year, had no other expectation than
TO buy grain for my family and stock. expecting al
terwards, and being determined TO use every effort to
raise at least enough for my own consumption; but
the experience Of year or two fully satisfied my
mind, that, without some change for the better,
could not get along at ALL My horses not only con-
sumed about all the grain they aided in ralslng but
was compelled to buy more for their especial use
and benefit. The farm was small, and withal very
poor, and what with their consumption, farming was
found to be losing concern. But had to make
my living, either off my farm or by my "wits," Tor
my health forbade return to the city. The idea OF
going in debt oil alternative not to be entertain
ed for moment; another alternative, and which ap-
peared quite as uncongenial to my feelings, was, TO
remove 10 the far West and reInquish every tie of
kindred and friends This ] determined never to
do, unless to avoid actual want.
In 1922 or '23, resolved to give the plan lair
trial and with this view, worked the oxen, and took
hold of the plough-handles MYSELF and began in
"midsummer" to break up lallow field for wheat.
For day or two the oxen suffered greatly with the
heat, in the middle Of the day-but by rising with
The dawn and resting two or three hours al noon,
and also feeding on dry food, found nearly as much
was ploughed by the oxen as with the horses work.
ed by hired man, and quite as we'll done. The
horses consuming about one bushel OF grain per day,
and the oxen none The horses walked faster, but
the oxen turned in less time, and the difference IN
amount of work vas not very material. The oxen.
though generally slower will probably be found the
most SURE, by those who are placed under similar
circumstances.
This was "successful experiment" in every re-
spec and has been carried out to tho letter; sane
toned also by subsequent experience and practice,
for some twenty-f years. For many years there
was not furrow ploughed on the farm except BY
oxen, which enabled me to begin, and successfully
carry out, sys.om of improving my nearly WORE
out land. This could not have been effected (at
least not bv the bes: management was capable of
by the use Of horses alone, in any thing like the
same time, or without more capital than was at my
disposal.
TO determine the best mode of working oxen to
the plough, used both the tongue and the chainj
the latter was found preferable on all accounts. The
team turns in less space. and in less time and by i
the depth is also regulated with more facility: by
merely eng!hening shortening the chain. For
the use OF oxen the beam should be set rather low
er than for horses-l4 to Is inches is the proper
height for the former, and IL to Is inches for hof-
ses-the line Of draft being lower in the one than
the other.
Oxen, if properly broken, quite as readily, it not
more so, take and keep the furrow, than horses.
We do not think of having either line or driver,
even with u double yoke, and in the plough, except
when "breaking in" young cattle-the word Of the
ploughman, or the motion Of she whip, being all
sufficient.
To Judge OF the capabilities Of the OK, by The bad
ly used, houseIess overtasked, and haf-fed animals
we sometimes see in the yoke, is doing him great in
Justice. Treat the horse in the same unfeeling man
spirit? he would speedily arrive at premature ola
age, valueess to his owner and cast-oT to feed the
earrion crows. That the OK can better stand this
harsh usage, is certainly valid sufficient reason
that he should be subjected to it. Use him with
equal care and humanity, and he will just as certain
ly, and with more profit, repay it to his owner.
] am not aware, nor do believe, from much OBJ
seryaton, that the rhinestone land" referred to, is
any difficult to plough than mine, which is
stiff clay subsoil. Much that have examined is
easier to till. In breaking up sward land for corn,
we generally work two yoke, and 60 to the depth
Of from to inches. Oats usually follow corn, in
my rotation, and to render the summer ploughing
easier for the following crop of wheat, (it is also
better for the oat CROP and eer from weed) the oat
ground is a1,cays ploughed with the bar-share-the
ufse. rio~si.;.s ID -~ateraI he the
season dry, or otherwise.
In hauling limestone with oxen, we readily make
rip Of five or six miles and back in half 10 three
fourhs of day; and we have made the trip 10 Wash
ington and back in "a hours-distance 90 miles
and light Ioads both ways resting in the heat of the
day, in warm weather.
usually keep two yoke Of oxen to one pair of
horses, the first cost being generally about the same
but here the parallel ends 1t costs much less to
keep, and in good order too the two yoke, than one
pair of horses, and they will do more work. The
expense and wear and tear of harness is fully as Sor
10 TO in favor OF the oxen and for most farm pur-
poses such as hauling rails stone, fuel and manure,
ihey are decidedly preferable. We use them exclu-
sveIy for hauling hay or grain into the barn. A
single yoke will readily 60 in with ton 10 ton and
half Of hay, and at an angle on the bridge Of So to
60 They understand the business perfectly-,here
is no need Of the whip-at single word, every NILS
cleis exertcd, and, strained the utmost,
Add 10 the advantages above enumerated, the rel
alive value of each team, after some five or six years
service, under humane and proper treatment and we
find that the horse has deprecated some 49, if not
SO per cent, the OK, with seasons rest, and good
pasture, is worth at least his first cost in beef and
uiIl sunnose (hnt such has moi heen The easa ,r.h