The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1882-12-06
Oxen VS.. Horses.

Patient Of cold and Of heat, enduril
the rigor Of winter and the feryor
summer, with an equanimity of temp
and strength which Providence has b
slowed on no other dumb animal sa
the camel Of the desert; the OK has bee
in all times and in all climates, Il
most faithful and indispensable ally
man in subduing and bringing und
cultivation the ruggedness of the cart
The OK Is not swift Of foot, but on II
contrary, "slow and sure" II is th
quality Of his character which rcnde
him peculiarly valuable 10 the Ne
England farmer. His slowness of M
ton in comparison with the horse III
subjected him mt times 10 some preju
Dice, and, by those who are anxious I
SEQ everything move by the force {
steam, 10 depreciation Of his valul
But ! believe generally that the farmer
nj Massachusetts, on this subject hay
adopted the proycrb illustrated j
EsOp's fable Of the "TOrtOi.c and til
lIare"-''lhe greater haste, the lc-
speed" and indeed il has been alreld
laid down rs an axiom by committc
Of farmers OF Massachusetts, men VIII,
best ought 20 know the value Of this ami
nal, that the interests Of the farmer, 70
most purposes, are best promoted b.
substituting the OK for the horse, anC
this for the following reasons: He is icC
with less expense, is more patient Of Ia
Dor, and Is moro valuable when his ser
vices are ended.
The use of the moving machine. which
renders l. nece' ary for the owner of ont
to keep n pair of horses, has diminished
pc,number Of working cattle in Eastern
| MasSselMsctts, aud | am inclined &c
think an over New England. am moi
disposed, however, TO give up oxen on
that account. The old prOycrb already
quoted tells us, "The greater haste, the
less speed" and there il certainly no
nobler sight than a row Of teams Of
working cattle at aplowing match, NOV
ing to and fro with slow and measured
tread, obcdent 10 the "haw' and "gccn
Of their drivers, as soldiers are 10 the
command of their officers, and looking
like the right arm Of agricultural power
in tilling the earth.
The philosophical German writers,
who weigh Arguments pro aud con with
great Sc entiilc accuracy and practical
skill, have discussed AT great length the
question whether horses or oxen are
most Profitable on farm.
Thaer thus gives both sides of the
question:
"lIo"c' have an uudcniable prefer.
encc in the following particulars:
They ARE suitable Tor all and every
Kind Of work OF land -husbandry, in all
ways and in all wcathcrs. One, there.
fore, when he keeps only horses, il not
obliged to choose work for them, hut
can u.c his whole team for any bust.
ness that occlrs, and leave no part Of it
10 stand still.
"Thcy accomplish every kind Of work
more rapidly, and are more constant.
One can, therefore, rot only e mpIc'r
the work in the same time more prompt.
", but also require longer days w0ra
Of them
In favor Of oxen are the following:
"Thcy perform the greater part OF
the work on the farm, ~ plowing,
and the near carrying OF loads as well
rs horses do; AID one can, in usual
days work, il they are well fed, expect
nearly rs much rom them.
"rhcy cost con, derably less; their
harness i much cheaper; their food
costs much less.
CIV hat Is IN important particular is,
that il they are well taken care Of, they
lessen not 50 much in value, but often
sell for more Than they ut first cost.
Tncy are also subject to fewer hazards
aud casualties.
"Flnally, they give grea' e. quantity
Of cXcremcnt, which affords Il more
productive manure than that of horses.
"Therc can, therefore, be no doubt
that those labors which can he proper
tionally well performed By oxen, will he
done cheaper with oxen than with
horses. But II according To recent ex-
periments another fodder than grain
can be introduced for horses, and thus
the expense be les7ened, then the qucs-
ton between horses and oxen would
probably stand differently"
The principal argument Of the advo-
Gates for horses in this country appears
To be the superiority Of speed; yet the
well-trained, understanding yoke OF
oxen will pillow an acre Of ground much
better, anu IN n suurter Tune, than &
pair of horses would do it, unless the
horses are made to trot while plowing;
and they will get in ton of hay in n
short time, il not quicker Gov Isaac
Hill, of New Hampshire, in II letjcr
dated Dee. 3, lSi3, said: "My own ev.
pcricnce IN This matter is quite recent.
and of course limited. have at thi.
time cattle of my own raising, which,
having been taught to step quickly and
having worked in the same team with
horses, will, side by side, travel as fast
aud pluw II, much in u day os the same
number o. horses. A pair of these oxen
will turn over with u plow that carried
wcIyc inches of the last years corn or
potato ground, or easy stubble land,
rom one and half to two acres in a
lay, working eight hours, four in the
orenoon and four in the afternoon.
)xen well fed with hay and n portion of
Indian corn or meal, will, in the heat OF
summer, stand working daily from
eight to ten hours"
In breeding horses the breeder has in
view the possession of strength and
speed in his animal, but true economy
comDels the farmer who breeds cattle 70
keep in view, and combine as far rs he
can, cattle which make good oxen, good
milking cows, and which take on fat
readily. While the Dcvons may make
the understanding oxen. and AYR.
snires and Jerseys may give the most
and richest milk, and the Herefords
may take on fat the easiest, the Snort.
horns combine all these qualities. One
reason why have raised Shorthorns
for many years is that | raise my own
oxen as well as my cows. ] am thus
sure Of having tractable, wel-behaved
,attle, and my team never balkS. and
$ Always ready 10 pun any reasonable