Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-10-11
Ox-TE.s.us rs. HORSES.

In this go-ahead age IL is dismal sight
to see an able-bodied man toiling along the
road at the slow pace of pair of oxen,
and we have probably had as much to say
as any one in favor of the substitution of
the faster horse or mule team.
We are bound to confess, however, that
the picture has another side which is
worthy of careful consideration. Ox-teams
are slow, it is true, but they are effective,
cheap and convenient. Horses are nee
essity for regular road-work and for many
operations on the farm, but it is almost in
dispensable to have for occasions consider
ably more team-forc than is needed regu-
larly. If the extra work of blowing, har-
vesting, and hauling manure is to be done
by horses, we may make up our minds to
have them more than half the year eating
OFF their heads in idleness, and TO be in
constant danger of loss from the thousand
ills that horse-flesh is heir to. To state the
case in a nutshell, an idle horse is idle
capital, invested in an extra hazardous
risk, without insurance, and consuming
itself month after month.
Oxen, on the other hand, if properly
working power. When not at work, they
are laying on flesh which is worth so much
per pound in a ready market if we choose
to sell, or which may be taken out again
in the form of hard work whenever we
may call upon it. In case of accident we
may realize the full amount of our invest
ment at the hands of the nearest butcher.
lie oti iio1 iba I'm ~
is safe and well insured, and his fodder IL
pretty certain to get paid for, either in
flesh or work.
The difference in returns In the two cases
is a very important one, and the extra cost
of teamster in the use of the slower animals
is probably well compensated for by the
saving in saddlery bills. And after all the
| question of speed is Of less importance
than we often imagine it to be. We have
| lately had an opportunity to watch two
| teams in use in our neighborhood, one OF
horses and one of oxen, both engaged in
similar work (mainly on the road,) and we
have come to the conclusion, against our
pre-conceved notions, that "slow and
steady wins the race" The oxen seem to
do more work in q week than the horses
They are three pairs of young cattle, grow
ing thriftily, and so paying profit on theii
keep when not overworked-costing ies'
to buy and less to feed than the single pail
of horses. When they are needed for work
they are taken up and fed enough grain t.
keep them hearty. When their work Il
finished, they are turned out to "eat, sleep
and grow fat" When each pair have 80
their growth, they are sold to the butcher
and part of their price replaces them will
younger ones.
Starting our farming life with preju
dice against the use Of ORLEANS, we hav
been induced gradually TO substitute then
for horses, until now we have only enoug
of the latter for our regular road-work
and depend on oxen for all emergencies
In work and in flesh we get full equiva
lent for all the food they consume, and W
save the heavy cost of keeping idle horses
the risk of total loss of value by acciden
or death, and the certainty of depreciation
by reason OF old age.-American Agricul
tuyist.
n. A. 4. - ii T.