Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1856-01-23
aQritaltqraI un0 Doulestit.
oxEN FoH FARM TEAMS vs.. nor.

Oh EN FOR FARM TEAMS VS. AAOASS |
SEES.
The relative economy of oxen or horses
for Ihe work OF a farm has frequently
been discussed but, as we believe with
out presenting many facts which should
be considered in deciding the question.
Perhaps it may be assured that on an
average, span of borses costing two
hundred IcIIars will last ten years and
then be worthless. The interest on this
sum ten years, at six per cent, will be
one hundred and twenty dollars. And
the keeping and shoeiog alspan Of horses
cannot be less than one hundred and fifty
dollars per annum, or fifteen hundred dol
lars in the ten Years. The whole will be
10 the farmer a. cost Of eighteen hundred
aud twenty dollars for the entire period,
or one hundred and eighty-two dollars
annually.
"A prime yoke OF oxen will cost one
hundred dollars the interest on this sum
ten years, will be sixty dollars, aud the
feed seventy dollars year, or seven hum
died dollars for the whole time, making
in all eight hundred and sixty dollars
Blu the oxen, at the end OF the time will
be worth sixty dollars for beef, so that
the cost wien the latter sum is deducted,
will be eight hundred dollars ; less by one
thousand and twenty dollars than the cost
Of span oil 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 average, es-
pecial!y in their prime, more than four
per cent, $40 in the time, though chang
ed once more in the period.
The above estimate cannot be far from
the reality. If so, the labor of span OF
horses ON farm must be worth hundred
dollars more than that of prime yoke Of
oxen annually, or there is II gain in favor
of the latter, the amount of which is TO be
regulated by the difference in the annual
value Of the two. True, there is some
work 20 be done on a farm which cannot
be done by oxen. A horse is also need
ed for a family. 1t is necessary, there
fore, TO keep at least one good horse on a
farm, if the main dependence for labor is
on oxen. And if q farm is sufficiently
large. or if there can be other uses for
them, it is perhaps advisable that IA span
of horses be KEEP: in addition 10 the oxen.
y common, and perhaps prominent
objection urged against the use OF oxen,
is that they are constituLonally slow OF
motion, and not to be depended upon in
the Ottcn-limes hurrying operations on the
farm. AS oxen are usually handled, there
is something in the objection it is be-
Iieygd, however, the fault is not a consli
tulipna! one, but the effect OF injudicious
training.
The common method Of breaking steers
tends 10 make their movements SLOW
They aIe usually put into the yoke when
two or thrce yeals old, and fastened at
once to an old yoke of cattle, rendered
tlolhlul by labor or habit, where they are
worked until broken" and forced to ac-
Commudatr their movements to the tardy
motion Of The team that controls them
After having been tanned, and rendered
Obe3lcnt III this way, they are usually put
to labor quite to" severe for their age and
strength. and soon become broken in
spiit. Oxen us well as horses, can be
taught to travel in any gait desirable for
farm labor, and any one acquainted with
Tue ctio'' of careful training, with rete-
renee to rapIdIty of movements, will be
metuui.h.d 10 see the difference produced.
Tie Devon breed OF cattle has ever
, been esteemed Tor its working qualities
in their native country ii is SAID they are
not untrcquently trotted, with an empty
wagon. at the rate Of six miles per hour.
From this valuable stock many OF the
working oxen OF New England are belev
81 70 have sprung their color, form and
',c'r betrayirg their origin. Although
the bulls Of Inns breed are generally light,
and the cows rati er small, the oxen are
large, furnishing all the size necessary
aud prof able for the yoke, and f;dling lit
lie, II amy behind their more pretending
rivals Tor the SHAMELESS Well directed
experiments have demonstrated, that with
proper treatment and training. the differ
euce in speed between horses and oxen
Cd farm labor is very little: