The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-08-02
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most all kinds have increased much
faster than the human population Ths
latter has increased 80 per cent. since
the census was taken in 1870. Horses
have increased As per cent, mules and
asses 81, mich cows SO, other cattle
Sc, sheep "a, and swine go. There has
been q great decrease, however, In the
number of one kind of stock. The
number of working oxen has fallen off
% per cent. Only fifteen States and
Territories report an increase. The
States and Territories that report an
increase of working oxen are those that
have been recently opened to settle
ment, in which new portions of territory
have been brought under cultivation, or
in which numbering Is carried on in
connection with farming. The greatest
increase Is reported in Dakota, where
oxen have been in active demand for
breaking prairie. The increase there
has been 4S7 per cent. Florida shows
an increase of 157 per cent, Washing
ton rs, Oregon 60, Arizona 6S, and Ne
braska, 22. There has been a large
decrease in all the old States, where the
farmers are comparatively wealthy.
80 per cent, Ohio 65, Tennessee 81,
NAe-ooaOAa6Obeo EOr hChbuOAy hnQ
New Jersey AZ. Some of the Western
StSes show O remarkable decrease.
That in Missouri is SO per cent, Iowa
80, Indiana 72, and Kansas 10. Oxen
appear to be used much more generally
In the Southern States than in the
Northern. In Ohio there are but 8, ,226,
while in Texas there are 90,603. The
State of Alabama has 1884, while In
diana has only 500. Arkansas has
5,444, against 2, ,506 In Iowa.
Illinois is remarkable In respect to the
animals it employs for work, 1t has
1,023, ,082 horses, or about one-tenth Of
the entire numbers an all the States and
territories. 1t has also 123,278 mules
and asses-nearly tenth of the entire
number in the country. 1t has, how
ever, only 3,S46 working oxen, or about
one -hundredth of the whole num-
Der in the country. The number of
working oxen has decreased 80 per cent.
during the past ten years. Almost all
the oxen in the State are owned in the
extreme southern portion, where there
Is considerable timber and where the
land is very broken. In some of the
northern counties oxen at work would
excite almost as much curiosity as cam
els. Most of the children raised on
farms in northern Illinois never saw
oxen yoked and at work in the fields,
although they were generally employed
by the early settlers. A few years ago,
while the horse epidemic was raging in
this city, large number of oxen were
brought here from Michigan to perform
the labor of horses. The streets on
which they drew loads were thronged
by children from morning till night, who
watched them more attentively than
they would troop of elephants. The
assessors of Stephenson County few
years ago returned but one pair of oxen.
No less than 40.393 oxen are used in
Michigan, where most of the land
abounds in stumps and stones, and
where numbering is combined with
farming. Minnesota has nearly as large
q number, though it has decreased DUR
ing the past ten years 16 per cent, while
the population has nearly doubled. In
the States where the land is chiefly
prairie oxen are used 10 break the virgin
sod, but not employed afterward. They
are converted into beef or are taken
further north or west. At present most
of the breaking is done by horses, the
sod being more tender than it was when
it was composed of the roots of wild
plants.
A variety of causes have led to the
substitution of horses for oxen in differ
ent States and territories. The intro
duction of iabor-saying machinery, such
as the mower, tender, raker and loader
in hay-making; the use of the gang
plow, seeder and harvester in oonnec-
ton with grain raising, and the general
employment of the planter and culti-
vator in the-production of corn, have all
contributed to it. Farmers have gener-
ally endeavored to substitute the use of
machinery for the labor Of men, and
have also tried to cultivate all the land
possible. As the time for seeding and
harvesting is short in most of the North
ern States, the animals were employed
that could travel the fastest. The intro
duction of the cooperative or CONNER
cial system in dairying has also favored
the substitution of horses for oxen for
doing farm work. Farmers who pro-
duced milk wished to take it to the fac
tory as quickly as possible. The i'm
proved condition of the roads in most
parts of the country has also favored
the substitution of horses for oxen. As
logs are drawn further than formerly,
and the roads are better, horses are often
employed in pineries. Fashion has also
had much to do in disposing of oxen.
One farmer did not wish to use oxen
while his neighbors employed horses.
He feared that he would be regardedas
old-fashioned and behind the times.
Besides many farmers wished 10 COM
bine pleasure with labor. They were
anxious to trot to town in good style on
Sundays and other days when work was
not driving on the farm. The horse
was wanted for the road, and for that
reason was preferred for the field. As q
rule horses that were good roadsters
were preferred by farmers. Good action
under the saddle was preferred to good
work before the plow.
1t Is evident that the "patient ox' is
an unappreciated animal in most parts
of the country. He has not a fair
chance to show his capabilities. He is
not allowed to compete with the horse In
doing those kinds of work of which both
are capable of performing. Oxen are
much cheaper to keep than horses.
They require less protection and less
expensive food Harness for horses Is
expensive and short-lived, but q yoke
costs very little and will last lifetime.
In most parts of the country oxen are
not required to be shod, but the shoeing
of horses is q matter requiring large ex-
pense. Oxen are liable to fewer diseases
and accidents than horses and win stand
exposure much better. An old horse Ia
of little value, and the time comes when
it is not worth anything. Such, how
ever, is not.the case with the OK. He
can be turned into a good pasture after
plowing is done in the spring, and be-
fore the approach of cold weather will
be in good condition for the market. II
is generally affirmed that horses viii do
much more plowing than oxen and that
they travel much faster in the field. II
oxen are selected for speed, however,
and are of the sprightly breeds, as the
Devons, they will travel nearly IL not
quite as fast before the cart or pillow as
the majority of farm horses. If they are
fed as well the difference in speed viii