Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1870-05-19
farm aud 8pasehold.
a Steer and Dump Cart
Breaking q Bull.
From the Csrolina Farmer.


Xsssrs. Editors:-.The use of OK
en-, instead Of horses, for general
farm work is an open question and
will dsutless remain so-some be-
lieving one way and some another.
As a practical question our small
farmers-and in the middle coun-
ties of the State we arc nearly all
small farmers-must have at least
two horses to do the riding and driv-
ing, and the farm work besides, and
for which steers cannot be substi.
tuted. But there is one place that
a steer fills to admiration. A third
horse or work animal Of some kind
is almost absolutely necessary, e.
ven on a two horse farm, and il his
owner is a live farmer, this "hack
horse" will have work a plenty to
do. The milling jobbing about,
hauling of litter for stables and
barn-yards, hauling Of dirt for COM
post, hauling out of manure, not to
mention the gathering up of bark
and dry wood from the woods on
wash days and ironing days, &C.,
an occasional conveying ofthe chill.
dren to a neighbours to spend the
day; these things are ample to keep
astrong farm horse almost steadily
employed, and it is for this purpose
that there is no question about the
advantages of steer, but most es-
pecially of"the BUR- over a horse
or mule. A steer costing at least
500 less at first, and $50 less
per year in feed, will do all this
work just as well as any horse, or
better. He will be more docile
than a horse-more steady than a
horse-and any half-grown boy
can work him: his gearing-a SIM
gle yoke--will cost considerably
less than gear for a horse: and
when he gets old, he is still worth
his original cost in beef But my
special purpose is to call attention
to "Ae bull" and-to induce your
readers to make a hack horse of him.
As side issue l also call attention
to the vast importance of this
dumb cart work. Our farmers
pay very little attention to max
ing manure, bacause they say
they "can't afford the horse pow
er in plow time to be hauling lit
ter and dirt for compost"-but the
dump cart solves the question of
ehorse power'-and while one
hand is doing the winter blowing
with the two horses, (mine is only
a two-horse FARM the other, or
others, as the case may be, can be
employed collecting material for
manure making. "The bull" is
necessary even on small farm
and be is almost always vicious,
because he is idle-and besides
being entirely unemployed; the
farmer has no control over the
time when his COWS will calve.-
But break this idle and vicious
fellow, this necessary nuisance on
the farm, and he becomes a most
patient, docile and effective SER
want, stronger than an OK, much
more easily kept, and just as good
and some say actually better for
his special service, as bull-and
as he il employed most of the
time, and does not run with the
cattle, and may be confined at
any time, the calves are dropped
lust when the farmer chooses
To the objection that Ga bull can
not be readily broken" / reply
that / have just. broke one and
seen another broken-and it is no
trouble at adjust put him in a
asweep" and let him stay there
till be is thoroughly subdued and
.obeys the word of command, and
YOU have only to train to the use
Of the line. The t:sweep" is q
very simple thing. A post cut