The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-10-19
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.


arm I e0mss
Where strict economy must be prac-
ticed it is an important question with
farmers to decide whether horses, mules
or oxen shall constitute the farm teams.
The horse, for many reasons, is the most
popular animal; the mule is hardy, long
lived and easily kept; the OK is the low
est-priced animal and depreciates but
little in value for several years, when it
can be fattened and sold to the butcher
for almost, if not quite, the original cost.
Again, in favor of the OK, it may be said
that the expense of fitting out horse or
mule team is much greater than that re-
quired for an OK team. The harnesses
and wagons required for the former cost
a great deal when compared with the
yoke, chains and cart which are needed
for oxen.
Which of these animals it is best for
the farmer to keep for a team must de-
pend upon his circumstances and the
character of his crops. The different
employments, the variety of situation,
the season and the kind of stock reared
on the farm are all questions which
should be fully considered in arriving at
the true comparative advantages of the
horse, mule and OK. 1t often happens
when the farm is II large one that it be-
comes the interest of the farmer to keep
teams of each. When there is labor for
only one team the preference should be
given, of course, to that which is best
suited in most respects to the require
ments of said farm.
If teaming or work on the road is re-
l., 10
perior. Oxen are too slow for such
places. The greater speed of the horse,
even with heavy load, will amount to a
large annual saving in the time of the
driver when steadily employed. The
same fact holds good in removing crops,
manure, ETC., on the farm to remote dis
tances, where the roads admit of trotting
with an empty wagon.
Oxen have been found too slow to suit
the requirements of the great grain
growing sections. Horses or mules are
here a necessity, for it is of first import
ance to get the land prepared and seed
sown at the proper time, and delay,
though only a few days, will involve
oftcntimes heavy losses. narrowing is
always best done with a quick team, as a
quick stroke of the teeth breaks the clod
and pulverizes the earth more readily and
certainly than when slowly dragged
along.
In warm climate mules have proven
more serviceable for team and farm work
than either horses or oxen, as they are
capable of enduring much greater heat
with impunty There is no question but
that farm work can be done at less ex-
pense with mules than with horses. They
cat say onc-third less, will stand more
hard work and bad treatment, and are
rarely ever sick.
For blowing it is generally admitted
that a well-trained OK team is about on a
par with horses. They also make excel
lent teams for steep hillsides. Owing to
their small first cost, the lesser cost of
keeping and the fact that after a number
of years hard work oxen may be turned
to profitable account at the butchers, it
is wise to employ them, when economy
of money, rather than time is the main
object. On many farms, where grain
growing is not a speciality, the owners
are often better able to furnish the extra
time required to work with oxen than
they are to pay the higher price horse
or mule team will command.
On farms where the rearing of cattle is
a speciality oxen are employed as teams
and without injury to their future mar
ket. When intended for the shambles it
is not an uncommon practice to put oxen
at light work at as early an age as three
years, after which it is gradually in
creased until the animals are six to eight
years old, when they are turned on good
pasture and finally stall-fed for market.
-Nec York JlOrW.