The daily gazette., 1879-09-29
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WORKING CATTLE AND HORSES


The question Is often asked, why do
not farmers nse saetle more for farm
work, since the are kept q 90 much less
expense than horses? Tho reason Ia,
they are net more cheaply fed consider
Ing the amountq Of labor performed,
and they are too sIbw TO allow their use
to become universal, when lei o; Is scarce
and cOnseq uently b gh. The horse con-
sumes his feed, griuding 1t thoroughly,
and IL Immediately uudeTgoes the pro-
Cess OF digestion, while at work; not 80
the OK. The food 10 roughly mssticated
passes Into the frat stomachs Is there
still further softsned .and mastl cated ,aosi
passes into the secOnd stomach. It u
then raised, chewed, and, betng again
swallowed, passes into the third stomach;
true digestion, begins, and, when re-
ceived into the fourth, true digestive
stomach, the process 10 continued by
mixture with tho gs-tric 6uid from lis
walls, and To-. converted into chyie; 1t
then p: uses out and enters the first bowel
where 1t receives the secretion from the
PsDcreas and the liver, and then be-
comes shyle. Pa<ing along the bows's,
the numerous ducts and by them passed
into .he blood, BY which Il 10 distribnted
TO keep up the wear and tear OF the
body, and build up new structures whore
the labor 10 not 10 severe ~ to constant
ly exharst the food which 10 supplied.
From this IL will he seen that although
the horse consumes moro time In taking
hts food than the OK, when once taken
the auimSl Ia ready 70 labor until this
susteoance is assimlated, and the fsroe
given by 1t consumed. With the OK 1t 10
different. He must have tame to re. chew
h's food, or ruminste. Al slow work, n
not exhaustive, this may be, and often 10
De.fOrmed while at labor, II Of such .
Kind ~ TO afford resting spells, but IL the
labor be continued ami heavy, In plow-
ing, etc., the animals In prevented from
Illuminating until At rest. For this res sOn
an OK should never be employed for
i've or six hours each day IN exhaustive
labor, leaving three hours for gstheriuR
II. food, II gra.s, and az equal time for
rumtnaii0u. this with its labor and IL
hours' rest occupies the "a hours of the
day, for the OK, unlike tho horse, cauno
rest without lying down..
The horse, GU tho other hand, when at
work, is fed on concentrated food, oa's
and dc0ru, with what bay may bc necessary
fora divisor TO this food. The animal will
require from 0ne-haIf to three-quarterd
Of IN hour 10 properly masticate each
mess OF grain, the hay being principally
consumed during the night and early
nOtnsuB OcAOt0 t0oOtDk luo. IL I0O
only on Rrsss or hay he will perform no
more work than the or, ter neatly the
whole time Is consumed In gaths, ing
food enough 10 support the animal eco
nOmy. The stomach Of the horse is
small and eating and digestion 70 on
simultaneously. Therefore, in all new
countries, where grass u plenty an,t
grain 10 SCARCE, oxen are generally used;
but ~ soon ~ the farmer y able to pro-
cure grain enough TO seok horses or mule
teams, oxen are quickly abandoned for
houes, except for slow work, a. hauling
fOddor, carting manure and other worK
Of that kind for which they are always
available. -
II, however, cattle are fed liberally
with meal or other concentrated food
they will be found to do nearly % much
work one day with smother at plOwing,
narrowing and other slow work q
horses. for In this case 80 much time IL
not spent Tor rumi uation. and the food
being prepared ready so much time Is
not taken In eating. Indeed we have
known ca tie 80 fed for . considerable
length Of time to perform fully ~ much
work In cool weather 1t plowing, ETC., "a
horses, and then there Is this additional
advantage, that when disabled for active
work they are ft for human food.
We think that, on . great many farms
one yoke Of cattle might be profitably
employed to each two or three pair o.
horses, for there Il variety Of worl
that they may perform to advantage, ,bu
If so kept they should be liberai1y fed
for any auimal forced to perform labOl
At the expense OF flesh and muscle al
ready Land on does so at loss TO the
owner.