Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1856-04-17
CIR farnltr.
Oxen for Farm Teams VS.. Hsrses.

The relative economy of oxen OF
horses for the work of farm has fire.
quently been discussed; but as we
believe without presenting many
facts which should be considered in
deciding the question. Perhaps it
may be assumed that on an average
a span of horses costing two hum
dred dollars williast ten years and
then be worthless. The interest on
this sum ten years at six per cent,
will be one hundred and twenty dol
lars. And the keeping and shoeing
span of horses cmnot be less than
one hundred and fifty dollars per an
mum, or fifteen hundred dollars in
ten years The whole will be to the
farmer a cost Of eighteen hundred
and twenty dollars for the entire pc
Rod, or one hundred aad eighty-two
dollars annually. A prime yoke Of
oxen viii cost one. hundred dollars;
the interest on this sum ten years
will be sixty dollars, and the feed
seventy dollars a year, or seven hum
dred dollars for the whole time ma
king in all eight hundred and sixty
dollars. But the oxen at. the end of
the time will be worth sixty dollars
for beef, so that the cost when the
latter sum is deducted, will be eight
hundred dollars; less by one thousand
and twenty dollars than the cost of a
span of horses. 1t may be remarked
that the oxen should not be kept at
work ten years, Five or six years
is long enough; but the wear will av-
erage, especially in their prime ,nomore
than four per cent, $40 in the time
though changed once more in the Pc
Rod.
The above estimate cannot be faI
from the reality. If so the labor of a
span Of horses on farm must be
worth an hundred dollars more than
that Of a prime yoke of oxen annual.
ly, or there is that gain in favor of the
latter, the amount of which is to be
regulated by the difference in the an.
nual value Of the two. True there is
some work to be done on farm
which cannot be, done by oxen
A horse is also needed for. a family
It is necessary, therefore, to keep al
least one good horse on farm if the
main dependence for laboring is or
oxen. And. if farm is sufficiently
large, or if there Can be Other use
for them, tits perhaps advisable thai
a span Of horses be kept in addition
to the oxen.
A common and perhaps a promi
nent objection urged against the use
of oxen, is that they are constitution
ally slow ofmotion, and not to be de
pended upon in the often-times bur
rying operations ofthe farm. As OK
en- are usually handled there is some
thing in the objection, it is believed
however the fault is not constitu
t;onal one but the effect Of injudiciou
training.
The common method of breaking
i steers tends to make their movement
slow. They are usually put into tht
yoke when two OF three years old
and fastened at once to an old yok,
Of cattle rendered slothful by labo,
or habit, where they are worked unit
'broken.' and forced to accommodate,
their movements to the tardy mo
ton of the team that controls them
After having been tanned and render
ed obedient this way, they are usual
iy put to labor too severe for thei
age and strength, and soon become
broken in spirit 1t is not strange
that under such treatment, oxen al
well as horses, can be taught to trav
Ell in any gait desirable for farm la
Dor, and one acquainted with the eff
fort ofcarefal training with reference
to rapidity of movements, will be. as
tonished to see the difference pro
ducsd.
The Devon breed of cattle has evel
been esteemed for its working quail.
ties; in their native country it is said
they are not unfrequently trotted
with an empty wagon at the rate Of
six miles per hour. From this valu-
able stock many ofthe working oxen
Of New England are believed to have
sprung; their color, form and action
betraying their origin. Although
the bulls of this breed are generally
light and the cows rather small, the
oxen are large, furnishing all the size
necessary and profitable for The yoke