Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-04-12
Work Oxen on the Farm.
THEIR SLOW MOTION THE CHIEF OBJEC-
TIoN TO THEM, BUT THERE ARE COM
PENSATIONS.

1t has been so long since oxen were in
general use on the farm that many peo-
pie do not remember having ever seen a
yoke of these useful animals at work.
Yet the older of our farmers do remem-
Der when yoke of good oxen was
thought indispensable on each we'll culti-
waited farm. The OK was considered
somewhat slow when placed beside the
quick motioned horse OF the mule; and
it was largely this slowneSs that exclud-
ed him from farm work animals. How
ever, he was always considered great
puller, and he drew much larger loads
than the horse or even the mule. The
difference of time was against him.
This, perhaps, was greatly lessened
when we take in consideration the extra
weight he draws at each load. 1t will
also be reduced when we count the diff
ference in cost of the gearing for him
against that of the horse. Next, we may
count the cost of his feed as much less
than that of the horse or mule.
In the item of gearing it takes about
sl.5O to equip him fully for his work,
while it takes about $50 to harness a
pair of mules for the same purpose.
His gearing will last him all his life
while that of the mule needs to be re-
paired often, and replaced every four
wears or oftener. Itcosts far less to feed
him than it does to feed the mule. In
spring, summer and fall his feed bill
amounts to little, especially when he is
not at regular, hard work. In all of
these seasons the OK will do fairly good
work on the farm with little feed at
noon and pasture to run on at night;
or, if the farmer has two pairs of oxen,
he can work them alternately without
any feed at all, except pasture, and if
these are good, young animals, they will
increase in weight and size all the time.
In this case, the farmer should have one
yoke little older than the other and
sell the older when fully grown, and
have the young team broken so as to
keep up the rotation of work and sales.
We further find the OK one of the most
sturdy of all work beasts and one that
we may depend upon in all cases where
heavy, rough work is to be done. Wind
and cold weather make little difference
with him; he is always the same. He is
easily harnessed, having no frozen hame-
strings to tie and unite in cold weather.
Then, quite another advantage is
found by his always being ready and
willing to 90 over all kinds of ground.
The farmer who has either hilly or
marshy land finds him better than the
mule. The worst objection urged
against him is his slow gait. This de-
pends largely on his training while young.
If broken to walk fast he will always do
so. This also depends somewhat on his
breeding as we find the well bred OK
superior to the "scrub." We also COM
pare the OK of forty years ago with the
highly bred horse of to-day, forgetting
that the OK has improved as much as the
horse in that time, and possibly very
much more.
Then, at last, when the horse or mule
has outlived his usefulness as a work
animal, he becomes worse than worth
less to us, as he is then burden, but at
that stage the OK may be fattened even
better than when he was four or five
wears old, and sold readily to the butch
er at good price. think all farmers
especially those having hilly or marshy,
stony or stumpy land-will find it
economical to work the OK as our fa-
theirs did in the settlement of this coun-
try. However, if any one wishes to try
it he can do so, and if he gets tired of
the venture he can quit at any time and
sell his oxen for more money than they
will have cost him.-Tribune Farmer.