Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-11-28
AMONG THE FARMERS.
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10 solieisesi. Address all oommunieastons In.
tsnded Tor this department W likNnN ID. HAN
nonD. Agricultural k.iisor Oxford DeDocras,
OXEN FOR FARM WORK.
I heartily agree with Mr.. Donnell,
that 'oxen could certaluly be made ex-
eeedlngly profitable ON many places
where they are no longer TO be seen, !"
and that ION an uneven farm, moreover.
oxen can work where it 10 hardly possi-
BILE to use horses" l car remember
when every farmer In this part Of Penn
sylvanla kept a yoke Of oxen for doing
all kinds Of farm work aud numbering.
and but few kept any horses. The
farms generally were new, and the
fields, excepting the Oats along the river,
had but lately been cleared, and were
full Of stumps and stones, 90 that oxen.
owing to their cool temperament and
patient disposition, made much the
for cultivating them.
For many years my father did not
keep any horses. II he had business
away from home he hired horse, but
he always planned to have on hand
yoke Of good, young, fast-walking oxen
well broken for the plow, aud useful st
all kinds Of farm work. I went with
him once when he took load Of apples
Ave miles to market, and another time
when he went eight miles for lumber
with his oxen, and the trip In both cases
Was made about as quickly as it could
have been done with horses on the same
road. For numbering, skiddlng logs or
drawing wood they are much handler
and pleasanter to use than horses.
They will wade through brush heaps,
and get around In the woods over logs
and rocks much better than horses, and
with less cutting Of roads. For drawing
loads through soft swampy places or
deep mud holes, oxen are far superior to
horses. They are not nervous, do not
become frightened II they sink to the
knees, but with calm stolldity they
wade through and draw the load II
possible.
Except In the very hottest weather,
oxen will do as much plowing, harrow
Ing or drawing In hay or grain, as horses
and do Il on much cheaper feed. A
good yoke Of oxen viii pillow an acre Of
sod ground, or two acres Of stubble, In
a day, without any other feed than a
good pasture field at night, aud balt-
Ing Of mOwn grass at noon. ! have
seen yoke of oxen and span Of horses
plowing on the same land, each team
draw ing Its own plow, and the oxen
kept close up To the horses all day, and
did not seem much tired at night. Au
OK at five or six years oil, accustomed
To labor, will endure IA much hardship
as horse or mule. have frequently
used an OK team and horse-tram to-
gether when I wanted to plow sod
ground deeply, and they worked to-
gether as well as two spans OF horses,
and the bovlnes endured the fatigue as
well as the equines. The horses had
three feeds Of grain per day, the oxen
but oue-a mess of cut hay With little
meal on Il, at noon. As Mr.. Donnell
says, they do not require expensive
harness like horses. A good yoke, cost
ing but three dollars, will last nearly a
lifetime without oiling or repairs, and
two-dollsr chain, with little repairing,
will last about as long.
Mr.. Donnell states that oxen OF the
~
the state of Maine. and there IL no doubt |
that where heavy cattle are require,i for
NUMBERING. or To move heavy loads, the |
Herefords and short Horns can "fill the
bill;" but lighter and more active cattle
are preferable for farm work.
The oxen that were the most popular
In this rrgion when every farmer used
them, were deep red, with long, taper
ing horns, and undoubtedly descended
from the Devons. In some parts OF
New England where oxen are still kept
for farm work, IL IL said the Devons are
preferred ON account Of their greater
ambition aud activity.
A good many farmers have more work
to do at certain seasons Of the year than
can be done with one span Of horses, and
get Il done In time, aud well done. The
consequence Ia that their farms are not
worked to their full capacity, or the
work IL hurriedly (snd presumably not
well done. Other farmers, In order To
cultivate all the land they desire to, keep
two spans Of horses the year round, but
excepting In the spring and TALL work,
putting In crops, they have only work
enough for one team In the summer, and
not half enough for one In the winter.
Under such circumstances the extra, IDLE
team Of horses will seat their heads on"
and be Of no profit to their owner. En-
eryetic farmers would like to raise ss
much from their farms every year AS
they are capable OF producing, but they
are well aware that IL cannot be done
With one team, aud they feel reasonably |
sure that IL will not pay to keep two.
am Of the opinion that most farmers
who have over 80 acres OF arabic land,
would find Il greatly to their interest to
keep a span Of horses and n yoke OF
Young, active oxen. Ayoke OF oxen be-
tween I and 8 years Of age, where q
horse team MAS kept, would do all the
extra work on the farm, on u feed OF
hay, eornstalks and pasture, Without
any grain at all. At 3 years old, when
they began to grow sluggish, they could
be sold to the butcher for enough TO
buy yoke Of l-year.olds to supply their
place on the farm. Aspan Of old horses
when they get past profitable work can.
not be sold except for n pittance, anu
the ouly men who will invest In such
venerable horse flesh belong to = class
Who would misuse or hslf starve them
so that the humane owner, unwilling t0
shoot his faithful servants. frequently |
keeps them several years at u loss.-l