Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1860-04-21
Gbt farmer.

: IDRAUGHT ABoR--H0RSES AND OMEN.
II has been o matter Of dispute for some
time whether the preference should ne gwen
10 horses or oxen as beasts OF draught, ana
both sides have contested the matter with too
much luminosity. This is one reason why the
question has not yet been decided, and why nc
positive results have been arrived at. Ana m
deed, in order to solve the question III snen =
manner AS 10 remove all doubts. we must hs
possessed of great number of actual expert
ments and observations, which would re1'"s
time, and moreover be very difficult nc 10
the disposition of us Yankees sshany expert
rnah ahead we need not ,s~of the older conn
s,aa.s n. th;s i;ne I-nents have been made
,r;as n rurnne--of responsible persons APP
"a. ~ &c government. In the year 1904,
Sa,n.s6 II experiments was instituted by one
Ffie minor governments of Germany. They
were placed under the control of Albert D,
Thaer, who was leading Agriculturist of Ger
many.
The preference must certainly be given to
horses, in most situations, on the following
considerations: LIST, They are capable Of all
kinds Of Agricultural labor I'd, They adapt
themselves to every road and to every tempe
nature. Sd, Where they are kept there is no
occasion to select any particular kind of labor
to which they may be applied, for they may be
employed in every description of Agricultural
iupori huu may Ne htilcHtu 10 any description
ofplow. 4th, They perform all kinds Of labor
very expedtiously and-are capable of sustain-
ing their speed for considerable length of
time consequently the conductors are kept in
fuller employment while working with horses,
than when working with oxen. Although less
steady in their draught than oxen, yet the ra-
pidity of their motions and their superior spirit
enable them to overcome obstacles of but short
duration which would stop team of oxen.
Oxen, on the contrary have the following
advantages: They can execute most of our
Agricultural operations as well ms the horse
and, when well fed and cared for can endure
nearly as much fatigue Many of our farmers
consider them more nsclul in blowing than
horses. Their keep is much less expensive.
The original price of an OK is much below that
OF a horse their harness is much cheaper and
their food is less costly, generally being OF
kind which does not find so ready a sale as
that Of the horse. Oxen instead Of decreasing
in value, when they are well taken care of.
generally increase in actual Evalue, and often
bring much more than their original cost, thus
paying an interest on the investment. Whereas,
the horse declines in value as he grows older,
and eventually is worth little more than his
skin and bones, and his capital is thus nearly
absorbed. Oxen are less liable to accidents
and disease than horses and they make more
manure which is thought (?l by some to be Of
better quality.
Although the operation of narrowing Is much
better performed by horses than by oxen, vet
do not think this forms a sufficient considera-
ton to induce the adoption of the former. But
on most farms there are operations which oxen
perform to greater disadvantage than horses,
or at least perform them very slowly
II is avery common hut unfounded prejudice
to suppose that oxen must not he worked dur
ing the winter, or that they must be kept in
idleness and not well fed. In well arranged
system of Agriculture, there is always work
for oxen during the winter il the roads are pas
sable
The OK is not more sensible to the cold than
horse-on the contrary, if well kept he il lively
and active. The danger of slipping down on
frozen roads may he avoided by using Il light
shoe. Oxen that are well fed and moderately
worked during the winter, are much more
tractable and active in the spring than those
which have passed the winter in ideness.
1t is mistaken notion with some farmers
that a yoke of oxen should never be kept more
than year; this think is wrong theory,
II farmer gets hold ola good pair OF oxen.
why not keep them for several years2 think
the proper plan is to raise one or two pairs
and make them good and then keep them until
they are eight or nine or even ten years old
Some say that an OK should never be kent
atbcI uc mas Ie'tcHtu Tut itHt uI seven or eight,
because after reaching that age he requires
more feed to make him fat Nevertheless sun
posing an OK does loose somewhat Of his dis
position to fatten, and his flesh becomes less
valuable, does not the work which n strong,
well trained beast of this descriptions will per-
form more than compensate his owner for n
decrease in value? think it does.
Few things require so much care and pa
thence as the raising and training of oxen.
And it is very important that the training
should be entrusted 10 n person who has entire
control of their own temper. This important
education is too often entrusted to an inexne-
rienced person, who uses the poor dumb brutes
with cruelty and induces the stubbornness so
common in oxen. If in the rearing and train
ing OF oxen, the same care and attention were
used as is bestowed on horses the improye-
ment of The OK might he carried to q very great
extent.
Some use oxen because they have hired
hands who are not suitable to work with hor-
SEES inns may be true in theory hut is il in
practice2 Is n man who is not to be trusted
with horses, fit to trust with oxen? | have
found as far as my experience goes, that oxen
as general thing, require more indcions
management than horses nlude 10 those
which are kept for several years. When a
hired man spoils yoke of oxen know they
can be fhttened and sold this is not the case
with horses.
] would not advocate the universal use OF
oxen instead Of horses, for horses, or horse
is necessary to every farmer, hui think oxen
might be substituted for many of the horses.
and that economically.
The future good qualities OF the OK depend
much on the training; it is Just as easy to train
them to step quick as 10 drag themselves along
10 the way which so many of our oxen do
In conclusion ! would say,-rase your own
oxen and raise them well and not depend on
importations from Ohio Or Virginia to sunni,
you. AFRICA.