The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-11-18
Yokes: Their Insuf1ciency
and Their Cruelty.

and Their Cruelty.
1t is astonishing with what perth.
acity people, even in this progressive
age, will stick to old things, simply
because they are used to them, and
not at oil because these old things are
the best things. Nearly every far
mer in the United States, whom he
wishes to use his oxen, thinks there
Is no other manner OF Harvesting
them to the plow or ox-cart but BY
the yoke, which is smoothing more than
an ancient instrument Of torture in
ftiodorn use. The yoke is absurd be-
cause the OK cannot apply his full
power to it, and it is cruel because he
cannot apply what power he can ex.
hibit without causing himself actual
suffering. What moro humiliating
siglt can be presented to the eye Of
. humane iiAh, thai d pair Of oxen,
toiling along country road, with o
great heavy bar of wood over their
necks, on which depends the greater
part of the load of q two.wheeled
cart2 These poor beasts are obliged
to draw this load simply and solely
by means of this awkward and bar
RAISING yoke. The whole forward
weight of the load comes upon the
back of their necks, and by the back
of their necks they draw the cart
No one who sees them pushing along,
turning and twisting their heads,
continually shifting their position as
they clumsily walk, and giving every
evidence Of a desire to rid themselves
of an uncomfortable feeling, can doubt
that they suffer from that hard, un-
yielding bar of wood, so unsatisfact-
orily fastened to the back OF their
necks. Besides this, as we have said
before, the tractive power Of pair
of oxen, pulling under yoke, is by
no means the measure of their capac-
ity. Both farmer and oxen suffer
from this old-fashioned and inhuman
practice.
1t is perfectly easy to harness an
OK SO that he will pull as comfortably
and as freely as horse. l have
seen in Pennsylvania, pairs of oxen
stepping along as easily and freely,
though of course not so rapidly, as
a team of horses, and drawing cnor-
nous loads with no apparent discom.
fort to themselves. But these oxen
did not draw their loads by means OF
a yoke; they were harnesscd, in q
sensible and Christian like manner, to
o four-wheeled wagon. Their har-
ness was very simple, and was very
much such as would suggest itself to
any sensible practical man aoho neve,
heard Of a yoke A broad band OF
leather passed over the chest of the
steers; this was connected to chain
traces, and the animal pulled, as all
animals should, against swingle-
tree, (or singletree, if any body likes
that better).
Of course, if it is considered abso-
lutely necessary TO use two-wheeled
cart whenever ox-labor is required,
a yoke may be used simply to enable
the oxen to bear the great weight
upon the tongue, but they should new
er be expected to draw by this yoke.
There is no doubt. however, that the
heavy old two.wheeled denominations
would soon be . thing of the past il
. few sensible farmers in every coun.
~ should show their neighbors how
comfortably and profitsbly q pair OF
oxen could pull in harness heavily
loaded farm-wagon, such as is gener.
ally thought proper only to be drawn
by horses Should the oxen be in.
clined to worry each otner, a light
yoke might be worn in connection
with their harness. By this method
of attaching oxen to . load, the
who!, Of the resisting force is met by
their strong chests, directly backed
by their powerful limbs. BY the old
method, tho yoke gives no oprortuni.
ty for the exhibition of the entire
strength Of tho animals, and offers
every obstruction to their easy and
natural gait. The leather harness
gives this opportunity, and offers
mono of those distractions.
1t has been proposed by some who
have been anxious to do away with
the cruel system of yokes, to attach
the load to u strap across the fore
head of the OK. The principle of this
method was that bovine animals
when at liberty, use their heads and
strong necks in their various exhibi.
tions OF strength. l doubt the force
of this argument. The use of the
head referred to is only incidental
in case of combat or otherwise
where tits impossible for them to use
any thing but their heads and horns.
Besides, even were this the best meth
cd of securing the greatest amount
Of power from an OK, it would be a
cruel method. When at labor, we
should at least give our domestic an.
imals the privilege of moving their
heads and nocks. If the traces were
attached to the head of an OK, he
could not move it to either side while
he was pulling at his load. This be
sides the evident propriety of the
other method of Harvesting, should
condemn the plan Of attaching load
to the heads Of oxen.
1t is to be hoped that the day is
not far distant when ox-yokes for the
purpose of traction shall be general
~ condemned as cumbrous and awk
ward appliances, inadequate for the
purpose to which they are applied
and harrassing and often torturing
to one of our most useful domestic
animals.-He0rM and Home.
| Lieut.. Gen. Sheridan telegraphs