Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-02-11
USEFULNESS OF OXEN.
Why Oxen Might BE Used More Generally
With Excellent Profit.

not more frequently used in the West.
We can not say, except that for general
work the animal is too slow. But they
might be used more generally than they
are, with excellent profit. In some por-
tons of the country the ox's usefulness
is still estimated at its proper worth,
and he is made to earn his living. But,
generally speaking, in the West he is
either thought to be too slow, or is re-
garded as the philanthropist regards the
Indian, as too good to work. We. can
not, it is true, say much in praise of his
speed, but we think we can safely say
that in the field he will get along with
as much speed as a vast number of our
horse teams will. To pillow the OK will
do as much as many farm horses, and
in many other places on the farm it will
fit as well as the horse. But if it is
admitted that they are altogether infe-
rior to the horse, their cost would large
ly Offset the advantage. 1t costs but
little to keep the OK, and all that
is necessary to supply him with the
means for making himself useful is in
expensive. A yoke and whip or CAD,
are all the harness he needs, and he does
not need near as much of the latter as
he sometimes gets. In fact, the abso-
lutte abuse of working oxen greatly les
sens their efficiency. Comparatively
few of them are handled as they should
be handled, and generally they receive
no care at all. They are slow of mo-
ton, and it has probably been noticed
by everybody that some men never get
in hurry until they begin to drive an
animal. Then if things do Onot move
along like flash of lightning, they be-
come angry, begin to swear and to abuse
the beast that is at their mercy. Such
men always have dreadful time with
the OK under a yoke, especially if they
have no interest in the OK; and if the
animal was not the picture of docility-
which is one of the characteristics which
recommends him as working animal
he would make it his special business to
hook the daylights out of many driver
just as soon as his yoke was off No
animal can do as good work under
uuuoC uo IL Cui IL uICducu hihuly. lHC
OK being guided wholly by the word of
mouth and the whip or CAD, especially
requires kindness and reasonable
amount of patience ON the part of the
driver. Excite him and he will do
wrong because he is confused. But if
he understands what is required of him
he will readily comply with any demand.
We have heard of stubborn oxen, but it
is due to them to say that we never saw
a stubborn OK team. They are very
willing and faithful workers, and that
trait is to be wondered at while the VIC
tins Of so much brutality and bad driv-
ing. The care that should be accorded
to this animal when he is through his
work, is under no circumstances as
great as horse requires, but it will pay
to give him some care. He will do bet.
ter work and do it with less fatigue. He
should be sheltered, well fed, and even
grooming win do him no harm we car
be assured
1t costs nothing extra to rear an OK fol
work. One objection often urged agains
oxen, is that the farmer must keep horses
for driving and for other work for which
the OK is not fitted, and, therefore, the,
might as well be made to do the worl
which the OK might just as wei
do. The same kind of argument woult
place the OK under yoke. We fee(
steers for profit, and to the extent tina
we can make them useful and pay theil
way we ought to raise them. Having
them, then, we might as well use them
1t requires no special treatment to rails,
an OK for work. They require, Will
calves, the same food that other youn,
cattle require. After they have reached
A-the age of six months their training ma,
be commenced, and that will not b.
found very difficult Obtain small
yoke and accustom them to wearing it
1t will be fun for the boys to do tn
training, if they take any interest il
such matters 1t is not always practi
cable to farmer to begin the trainin,
at this age, but, like colts, they are NOR
readily trained when young than whel
they have obtained considerable age, a
which time they are more unmanage
able and may do themselves OF their al
PENDANTS injury while being trained.
After reaching lineage Of three year
they should not be trained to work, Blu
up to that age they may be. When the
have reached the age of two years, an
training is desirable the first thing t
do is to make them gentle. Tie ther
side by side, and let them stan
together in this way, until the
become perfectly accustomed to eac
other in that position. Accustom ther
to the yoke by placing it upon ther
while in the stall. When there are oxe
on the farm that are already broken,
is a good plan to yoke one of the ur
broken oxen with one that is broken
putting them to no hard work at frs
and not even hitched to a wagon. Whe
they become perfectly used to the fee
ing of the yoke, fasten chain to til
yoke, and drive them about little. ]
will require several weeks to get ther
properly trained-that is to get them t
understand what is wanted of then
Professional steer breakers say that the
can break yoke of green oxen in a day
so that they will be efficient workers
Perhaps they can, but we are not writ
ing for professionals; and we do not b,
lieve that the thing can be done either
There are no rules for driving then
Every driver can make his own rules
He will likely use the same words {
command that he uses to horses, an
any system which he chooses to adoI
as to the use of the, whip or CAD wi
answer, if he reduces the use to sy.
tenn, and gets the animal to under
stand it. The yoke should fit well. Al
OK can not do its work any bette
with poorly-fitting yoke than tn
horse can with a poor-fitting collar
Some people do not seem to think {
this. A yoke is yoke to them. BIZ
it should fit nicely to the breast an
shoulders so that the animal can exel
his full strength and do it comfortabl,
As to the breeds from which to seleI