Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-12-25

| OK TEAMS vs.. HoRsEs The Amsric1H Ag-
ricuiturist shows that oxen are preferable to
| horses Tor certain purposes on the farm
Ia this gO-ahead age 1t Is a dismal sight To
see an able-bodied man tOilIng along tho road
at the slow pace of d PAIR OF oxen, and We
| nave probably had as much To say as any one
IN favor OF the substitution OF the taster morse
OF IL ule team. " e are bound u confess
however, that the picture has another side
| which is worthy OF care al consideration
Ox-teams are SLOW, it Is true, but tuey are
effective, cheap, and convenient. Horses are
a necessity Tor regular road work, aud Tor
many operations on the farm, bat IL is aIm Dol
! lad spenslble u have for UccI eIOus CONSIDER
ably more tea force than is neeIcd regular
! iy. Ii the extra work Of plOwIug, harvest
! ing, and hauling manure Is 10 be done by
horses, we may make up our mIuds t. have
them more than nall the year eating - I their
head 10 ldleress, aud 10 be IN constant 1lu.er
ot loss from the thousand Ills IaJ hOr, ed ;sn
Is heir to. 10 state the case IN u nutshell,
IN idle horse Is IDLE capital, invested IA al
extra haz .rdOHs risk, without Insurance, and
consuming ILselt mouth after month. Oxen,
On the other hand, II properly treated, are a
uOierably sale stOfehOuse vi working power.
When not work, they are laying On h.sh
which Is worth 50 mucn per pJuud ia re 4dy
market II we choose 70 sell, Or which may be
taken out again IN the form Of hard work
whenever we may call upon It. Ia case OF
accident we may realize the tulI amount OF
our investment at the hands Ui the nearest
butcher An idle OK Is active capital, The
investment IS sale and well insured, and uIs
fodder IS pretty certain 10 get paid Tor, either
in ;sh or WORK Inc difference IN returus
III the two casts Is a very Important one, ami
the extra cost VI teamsJ,r IN the use Ot the
eli
Tor BY the saving IN sadIlery bills. Anl
after all, the question Oh speed is OI less con-
sequence than We often IN t5sne It ~ be.
" 4 have iate.y had an opportunity to watch
TWO teams IN use IN our uclgubJruUJd, Que
OF horses and one OF oxen, btu engaged IA
similar work (maIuly Ol the rOadJ, aud We
have come 10 the cOuclusIOl, against uur
precOnceIyed notions, that SOW aud sJcl.v
wins the race. he oxen seem % do mOle
work Ia d week than the horses. Iuey are
three pairs OF young cattle, growing thsIItily,
and 20 paying profit on their keep when
not Ov,rSurked- costing lees To bay and less
70 Iced than the single PAIR Ot hJr,es. Nneu
they are needed Tor work they are ,aken up
anu fed enough gram to keep them hearty.
" hen their work II flushed they are turned
out to ''eat, sleep, and grdw ttt. Wnen
each pair have gOE their growth, they are
sold 10 the butcher, and part u their price
replaces them with younger ones. S-artIng
our farming lie with a prejudice against tne
use OF Ox-tedms, we have been induced
gradually 70 substitute them Tor horses, uutu
now we nave on'y enough Oh the latter Tor
our regular road work, AMI depend On oxen
Tor all emergencies. Ia WORK and nj flesh
We get iull equivalent Tor all tue TODD they
consume, and We save the heavy cost Ut Keep
ing Idle horses, the risk OF u total loss of
value by accident or death, ami tile cerLAl n V
vi depreciation by reason OF oil age.