Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-03-06
AUGUSTA. MAINE, MONDAY MORNING.
Dailp ksnnebri 5ournaI.
Oxen VS.. Horses.

Ii is safe to say, that 30 years ago when
the most of the farms of Maine were COM
paratively new, 75 per cent or more OF
the farmers poSseSSsd yoke of oxen.
There was hardly a tie-up but what could
boast of its steers. These they used for
everything in the tea ming line. The
oxen did the plowing. hauled the wood
aud dressing. and even occasionally went
TO market. But since those davs, the
tables have been TUNED. Oxen have been
discarded. and now not over 25 or 50 PER
cent of our farmers keep oxen; some
hing like - per cent del ending upon
horses exclusively 10 do their teaminr
Is this an economical plan which so many
OF our farmers have ATOP d? Can they
do Their teaming rs cheap or cheaper. all
things conside ed. with horses rs vi h
oxen? We believe that they cannot 4 II,
in the long run oxen will do more work
with less cost TO the iaT ner han horse.
There are many WAYS N when the % H.
er possesses advantages over the la e.
TO begin with, the oIioinal cost OF oxen is
only about one-half that OF horses. While
a good yoke of c',tle cen be purchased
for Sl50, 4 span of ser, iceable horses W lin
harnesses will cost $500. The difference
in these figures is no small item % the
average farmer. 1t may perhaps ne said
that the pIioe of The horses is set 10 high
But ii does not pay by any meaas 10 keep
old plugs in the country now. We know
of many farmers who year in and year out
keep two or more t these animals, which
would not sell for $50 apiece. This class
of farmers wherever found almost in
vaiiablv has hard time t. Get li,in".
the trouble lying in the fact tha, his
horses eat up all he can earn. and re urn
him no;hog for 'ie'r io3G. Ear ,hei more
if the farmer wishes II sell oxen they will
always meet With a ready sale for beef
al what they are worth. Il an cx breaks
his leg, meets " ith an accident. or is ole
he can be killed and sold to The butcher
On the other hand it is otlsntimes difficult
to dispose of horses or what they are
worth. and every year added 70 their age
diminishes their selling value. They are
also much more liable to iniu,v than oxen.
and quite often a slight accident or a
strain which cannot be avoided W II take
$50 from the value of a horse The diff
ference in value be ween OK and horse
manure is no small item Horse manure.
as treated by most farmers. is well
nigh valueless. tits left 10 heat and burn
in the heap all winlcr, end when hauled
out in the spring is not much better than
so much straw. Ok manure, however, is
one of the best in use on ,he farm, and
produces some of the best results of anv.
This keeping Of so many horses and the
scarcity of oxen is one of the couscs which,
combined with several others, has pro-
duced so many run out farms throughout
the State. If the fertility of our farms is
kept up, lie elements which are drawn
from the soil by sue g live crops must be
returned. The s'rawy. burn. hors e manure
which is and has been the product of so
many bal n-yaids diG not supply the de-
mands of the soil, and the result was that
the iaIms ran down. Had oxen been
kept in ed of horses the results in many
cases would have been different To Sc
cure manmal elements " It'll which T. feed