The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1883-06-22
Deer Creek Farmers Club.
working Oxen.

were Messrs. Amos Gilbert, Richard Lohin, Jas.
M. Jacobs, A. Preston Gilbert, w. Scott Barnes,
s. w. Barnes, Edward Gilbert, Geo. j. Finney,
Bennett Gilbert, w. Il. L. Taliaferro, Thos. II
Barnes, Of Baltimore, Wesley Gibson, Harry
Archer and others.
The inspection committee Messrs. Thomas A.
Hays, Moores and VIM. D. Lee, were accompanied
over the farm by the entire club Mr.. Barnes has
l20 acres of land. which produces large crops of
wheat, corn and hay. He has two fine fields of
While all three varieties promised good yield,
the FultZ appeared to be earlier. Some of the
heads of the Russian wheat measured 81 inches
in length If it proves as valuable variety as
crop for seed.
Mr.. Hays, in reporting for the committee, said
he did not intend to make embarrassing re-
port but would speak of everything as he saw it,
place was farmed and said his battle-ground wheat
was the besthe had seem He thought Mr.. Barnes
corn was too thick in spots, while Mr.. Barnes
had suffered from bad stand. The garden
looks fairly well. He wondered why Mr. Barnes
did not paint or white-wash his barn every year.
Instead of having weeds in his orchard he thought
it would pay better to have orchard grass, which
will grow in the shade. Mr.. Barnes has 10 horses
and colts on his farm of l20 acres. He had been
profitably engaged, he observed, in pulling up
docks and weeds, and noticed the fences were in
repair and everything in good shape. In short he
could find very little to condemn but much to
praise.
est fields of wheat to be seen anywhere. If the
heads fill out as they did last year, they would
produce 40 bushels to the acre.
II.
horses, among which are some fine animals. A
clean-lmbed, handsome yearling colt, by Marshal
Ney was much admired.
WORKING OXEN.
Mr.. Hosea Barnes said oxen seemed to be going
out of use and he regarded it as loss to the far
mer He drives his oxen from to 10 miles on
the road and finds they will do as much hauling
| in given time as pair of horses. He prefers
oxen weighing from 5000 to $500 lbs, and had no
| choice of breed. He lately had yoke of half
Attorneys, weighing from $500 70 $500. which
would haul two tons of hay to Havre de Grace, a
blowing rough land, oxen are better than horses
| You can haul manure, stones, rails, &C., with
them in one-half the time you can with horses.
| When done with your oxen they are worth as
much and often more than they cost. They may
be nsed until they are ten years old. He has II
horses. but thought it would be more profitable
to have ten yoke of oxen and only three horses.
| Raising fast horses Is poor business in Hartford
county; Every farmer ought to have at least one
| John Moores said he was an OK man too. On a
small farm in nice condition you can get along
| without them, but on a large place where there
| is stone to handle, fences TO move &C., oxen are
| indispensable. Oxen should not be worked on
| the road, on account OF their feet getting sore.
| They require no shoeing and no harness, and
| their feed is not missed. He had never seen any
difference IN the breed, but had used prime West
ern cattle, weighing from 1000 to $500 He thought
black oxen have better hoofs than Others After
| keeping yoke of oxen until they were IL years
old he had sold them for three times their cost.
| When working he feeds them good hay or fodder,
| with meal three times day. When not working
they need not be feed grain.
|
and believed in having them on the farm. He
preferred them years old and weighing from
$500 to $500 lbs. After eight years old they are
apt to get slow and are not 80 saleable to the
butchers. 1t is generally admitted that Devon
cattle make the best oxen, being the quickest
and most enduring but any clean, well. bred ami
all his rolling with oxen. He has II bed on bis
roller, and thus haus off stones while rolling the
ground. Rhe cost of keeping oxen Is not to be
compared with that of horses or mules.
Amos Gilbert believed oxen valuable, and fol
some work better than horses. He would select
good travellers, good clean cattle, weighing about
5000 lbs. 1t is not profitable to keep them after
they are from to 10 years old. After that they
get slow and are depreciating for beef.
VIM. F. Hays regarded oxen AS the. cheapest
work stock on the farm and thought too much
could not be said in their favor. They are conve
that pair of horses can compete in strength
with yoke of good oxen.
large farm could scarcely get along without oxen
The cost of keeping them is not one third that OF
a horse. In fact you do not miss their feed. They
do not require the same attention as horses anc
mules and when done with them you can eat them
They are of great advantage on u rough place
where stones are to be hauled and Stumps pulled
up. On a small place they might be dispensed
with. He prefers Devons of good size and goot
s.eppers They carry their age better, but SHOULD
not be kept after 10 years old.
X. John Rogers does not keep oxen. On small
place man must keep horses or mules TO hau
his produce to market and he had found tina
when oxen are at work the horses are idle. HI
! had not found it paid to keep oxen. Much of th
time, when the ground is rough, oxen can not OF
used. He has a4O acres and farms with fou
horses On large, rough farm however, oxeI
James Lee advocated the use OF oxen. So man,
things can be done more conveniently with then
D than with horses, such as hauling corn, stone, &c
Resides when through with them they wort
something, and not like an old broken-down horse
Devons of high grade, weighing 5000 to $50
lbs, make quick, strong, servicable good-look
: ing oxen. In harvest one yoke OF oxen with larg
. hay carriage will haul in as much hay as pair O
horses. 1t take too much time for him to brea
i his own oxen, as he mas no idle boys about tn
" Alex. NJ Fulforl regarded oxen as desirabl
i under some circumstances. On II small farI
| where only two animals are required, they shout
be horses On II large farm, requiring say 81
e mules or horses it would pay better to have onl
J. | four-horse team for the road and a yoke c
oxen Farmers stand in their own light In nc
S using oxen where the size OF the place renders
l. desirable.
X size of the farm. On u large farm II man can NJ
= get along without oxen. but on n small farm
horses are preferable, MS you can do work wit
$ them which can not he done with oxen. In winte
. oxen are of little use. In very hot weather
' had found horses better. He preferred horse
Is even for hauling in the woods, usnga shaft car
n with one horse ahead of the other.
Bennett II. Barnes said he would not like to
without oxen. In moving rocks they are ind
pensabe. He haus in most of his harvest wit
one yoke of oxen. He prefers the large-bree
y Alderney cattle, as they are quicker and stan
IL the heat better than others.
. X. Harris Archer said he had always been an
u still is in favor of oxen, but II they are as vaiut
~ |
=, use lessenng every year. The enlightene
d farmers of Lancaster and Chester counties, Pa
don't use them atal. They regard us as one hui
bred years behind the time. When we see an ole
7. established custom discarded by progressive pee
h Pile there must be some good reasons for 1t.
= 30 years ne thought there would he no oxen
F. Hartford county.
# Hosea barnes wondered if oxen were not to
slow for this fast age. He thought no team 9
from to horses pays unless You have stead
>, hauling for them every day. Two yoke OF uXe
will do more work thnIi iour-horsc team;
;. James Lee supposed oxen were discarded
q Lancaster and Chester counties because III
farms there are small,
n John Moores suggested that they nave a nom
Or market for their produce.
q Is. II. Barnes knew II man who plows, work
d corn, and in fact does all his farm work with
), yoke of oxen He not only raises large crops bl
has money 10 invest
e Geo J. finney regarded oxen as indispensable
l. to his mode of farming. He has, also, team {
J. out they may be fattened for beef, and often sc
# for more than they cost. They are no expens
- for harness shoeng There is so much id
It time when q team is going astray, while oxen al
improving when not at work.
w. II. L. TaliaferrO said that he was not faru
er, but had lived on farm, and had found oxe
e Indispensable for heavy hauling on place; The
are too slow for the road. For steady hauling
l. heavy weights they are better than horses On
+ small farm where two horses only are require
;, oxen will not pay The cost of keeping oxen Is
4 Thomas il Barnes said he would not farm will
out oxen. They arc less expensive TO keep an
e feed than horses. When done using. oxen 20
:, | can realize something OUT Oh theHl. As 10 oAe
being discarded, he thought it was because peop
. had gotten beyond common sense and regarde
, horses as more fashionable. On farm of II
acres oxen can be used to advantage, but on
q so or go acres, where two horses will do the wor
oxen may not he necessary. A man who cuts II
e tons of hay and has 40 acres to pick over wi
;. find oxen useful and economical. He prefer
Devon CATTLE weighing from $500 to $500 lbs,
g. b. Silver. the President was very much
/ favor of using oxen. On a large farm where
number of work animals are necessary oxen fin
| a place. They are not profitable on the road.
hauling stone, moving fences. &c. he can not d
l. without them. He prefers oxen six years OLE
a able to do six good days work in week. La:
year one driving horse and two yoke of oxen di
all the work on the place, from the middle of Ser
TENDER to Christmas, his team being kept busy o
the road. Prefers medium-sized oxen, weighin