Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-05-04
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A good OK should have along, lean face, and
bright hazel eye which shows capability TO
receive instruction and disposition to obey it.
Large nostrils denote the capacity Of the OK
to work in hot day. Very large horns at
the base denote lazincss. Full breast straight
back, wide ribs--by which is meant ribs that
round out nearly as wide as the hip bones go
and wide gambrcl, denote strength Straight
knees, broad toes, pointing straight forward,
show an OK can travel on hard roads or pave
meut. They should be well matched, espec.
tally in disposition aud speed
The farmer who has pair Of oxen answer
ing this description has q good team
The next thing is good teamstcr. The
better the OK, the easier he is spoiled by a
man who knows not how to drive. The team
ster should have judgment in loading. Some
teamsters know no better than TO think an OK
can draw any thing until they try him. An
OK should never be overloaded to begin with.
He never should know how much he can draw,
but always have such confidence in bis driver
as to think he can draw any thinghe may ask
him TO-
A good teamster will have a name for every
OK, and no two in the same team should be
called by the same name; nor should he ever
speak one word that has no meaning but be
sure when he calls an OK by name TO make
him understand, and also to make him mind
what he says.
When breaking q new team, the best way
ever found TO make them know their names
is, when l call Star or Broad, or
4" Bright" or Buck" to just touch the one
| speak to with a spur. BY that means the
OK will soon know that heis meant Whenever
he hears his name distinctly pronounced
The driver should also have one particular
word to start his team with. Come, boys,
| ever found the best word to start a heavy
load with. Some seem to think, when they
are driving team, that they must work the
whole time either with their tongue or whip
1t would be q most desirable thing for such
to learn, when the team are doing Just right
to keep both tongue and whip perfectly still.
What would you think Of an officer who
when his men were marching along as hand
somely as possible, should keep jabbcring in
cessanty without meaning2 All the words
needed in driving are very few. ! think the
following are sufficient Come" " Taw,n
' Gee, o." Whoa, d" Back These, properly
used, are all that are needed Much talk
makes confusion. | have known some men
hollo and bawl all day long, and make them
selves hoarse, who could not at night give any
meaning to one word in ten they had said.
Such would do well to learn themselves, be-
fore they try to teach their oxen. A good
teamster will make his cattle love him This
can only be done by constant, kind treatment
such as carding, stroking their faces, and oc-
casionally breathing in their nostrls this
last is the best method to find out the dspo-
sition of an OK. When you have breathed
few times in his nostril, if he is kind he will
catch it away, and perhaps toss a horn at you
In short, make yourself sociable with them
and they will amply repay you for your kind
ness. Never strike an OK unless compelled
by obstinacy, and by proper arrangement that
necessity will occur very, very seldom.