The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-12-07
oxen VS.. Horses.

| slowed on no other dumb animal save
! the camel of the desert; the OK has been,
| in all times and in all climates, the
| most faithful and Indispensable ally OF
man In subduing and. bringing under
| cultivation the ruggedness of the earth.
The OK is not swift of foot, but on the
contrary, tsslow and sure.'' 1t is this
quality Of his character which renders
him peculiarly valuable to the New
England farmer. His slowness of mo.
tion in comparison with the horse has
subjected him at times to some preiu-
dice, and, by those who are anxious to
see everything move by the force OF
steam, to q depreciation of his value.
But believe generally that the farmers
Of Massachusetts on this subject have
adopted the proverb illustrated in
Ksop's fable of the "Tortoise and the
Hara' ''-"the greater haste, the less
speeds" and indeed it has been already
laid down as an axiom by. o committee
OF farmers of Massachusetts, men who
best ought to know the value of this ami
NAL, that the interests Of the farmer, TO.
most purposes, are best promoted BY
substituting the OK for the horse, and
this Tor the following reasons: He is fed
with less expense, is more patient of la.
Dor, and is more valuable when his SER
vices are ended.
The use of the moving machine, which
renders 1t necessary for the owner of one
TO keep pair of horses, has diminished
the number of working cattle in Eastern
Massachusetts, and 1 am inclined to
think all over New England. 1 am not
disposed, however, to give up oxen on
that account. The old proverb already
quoted tells us, "The greater haste, the
less speed" and there is certainly no
nobler sight than a row of teams of
working cattle at q blowing match. mov-
ing to and fro with slow and measured
tread, obedient to the ''haW" and "gee"
of their drivers, as soldiers are to the
command of their officers, and looking
like tho right arm of agricultural power
in tilling the earth.
The philosophical German writer's,
who weigh arguments pro and con with
great scientific accuracy and practical
skill, have diScu Iscd at great length the
question whether horses or oxen are
most pl oitable on u farm.
Thaer thus gives both sides of the
question:
"ilorses have an undcnable prefer
ence IN the following particulars:
kind of work Of land husbandry, in all
ways and in all weathors. One, there
tore, when he keeps only horses, is not
obliged to choose work for them, but
can use his whole team for anv busi-
ness that occurs, and leave no part OF il
to stand still.
They accomplish every kind of work
more rapidly, and are more constant.
fhorI =,
the work in the same time more prompt
ly, but also require Il longer days work
Of them.
L" In favor Of oxen are the following :
"Thcy perform the greater part of
the work on the farm, us plowino,
and the near carrying Of loads as well
as horses do; And one can, in II usual
days work, if they are well fed, expect
nearly rs much from them.
"They cost considerably less; their
harness is much cheaper; their food
costs much less.
"N hat is an important particular is,
that if they are well taken care of, they
lessen not SO much in value, but often
sell for more than they at first cost.
Tney are also subject to fewer hazards
and casualties.
"Flnally, they give greater quantity
OF eNcrement, which affords q more
productive manure than that of horses.
"There can, therefore, be no doubt
that those labors which can be propor-
tionally we'll performed by oxen, will be
done cheaper with oxen than with
| horses. But If according to recent ex-
| pcrlments another fodder than grain
can be introduced for horses, and thus
the expense be lcssoned, then the ques-
uon 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, Quick-stepping yoke of
oxen will plow an acre of ground much
OeGLer, ana Ill q suOITer Tune, than Il
pair of horses would do it, unless the
horses s(re made to trot while blowing ;
and they will get in u ton of hay in a[
short II time, If not quicker. Gov. Isaac
Hill, of New Hampshire, in letter
dated Dec. 3, 1S43, said: "My own ox-
perience in this matter is quite recent
and of course limited. l have at this
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
and pIuW II, much in u daV ss the same
number of horses. A pair of these oxen
Will turn over with q plow that carried
twelve inches of the last years corn or
potato ground, or easy stubbe land,
from one and u half to two acres in
day, working eight hours, four in the
forenoon and four in the afternoon.
Oxen well fed with hay and a 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
compels the farmer who breeds cattle 10
keep in view, and combine as far as he
can, cattle which make good oxen, good
milking COWS, and which take on fat
readily. While the Dcyons may make
the notwithstanding oxen. and AYR.
snires and Jerseys may give the most
and richest milk, and the Herefords
may take on fat the easiest the Short
horns combine all these qualities. One
reason why 1 have raised Shorthorns
for many years is that raise my own
oxen as we'll as my COWS. l am thus
sure of having tractable, well-behaved