Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-05-28
A Plea for the Patient Ok.
A STEADY DEMAND FOR MATCHED AND
WELL TRAINED TEAMs-LTTTLE COST
IN RAISING.

The country estate is joy when II
gives its owner the comforting assur.
ance that it is paying its own expenses
and returning a neat annual dividend.
The soil offers great possibilities for
pleasure and for good living and steady
pecuniary progress upward If managed
discreetly. Distance from the city and
consequently from market is no objec-
ton to the family that spends its sum-
mers only on the farm; in fact, it is con-
sidered an advantage. The most charm
ing views and the freshest air are found
ON the farms miles and miles from the
city's noise and smoke. But the ques-
ton usually arises, "What can such a
property produce profitably without too
close attention and confinement OF the
owner?" Most men entering upon the
Ownership of rural estate are stagger-
ed by this conundrum. Few men who
can choose wish to be controlled by the
exactions of product that must be sold
daily, or often.
But the raising, matching and training
of choice steers is an interesting occupa'
ton that is worthy the attention of men
with intellect and capital. Still further,
it is an enterprise that will take care of
itself between whiles, and yet calls for
the exercise of great skill, which adds
largely to the zest of life. The demand
for fancy and powerful teams of oxen
has never ceased, while during the last
half dozen years it has been greatly
stimulated by the increased call for
horses and their high prices.
The practical economy of producing
the OK in comparison with the horse is
marked. The steer is able to begin SELF
support much earlier in life than the
horse, and costs little comparatively to
sire, to rear, to train and to feed. In
case of accident the steer causes little or
no loss, as he is almost always in con-
dition fit for beef. The beauty of the
horse is greater, but utility and profit
must precede beauty. A we'll matched
yoke of oxen has beauty, however, and
it is beauty of an extremely pleasing ma
ture.
That large class who buy draft oxen to
use say they perform their labor on high
way and field with little grain, little
grooming and little outlay for shoeing
and harness. Compare the original cost
of the calf and colt. The calf is by
product of the dairy. He may be
bought singly or by the carload at SOC.
to So a head. The colt at his advent
has cost $40 to $50 for sire fees, besides
the expensive feeding of the dam, the
attendant risks and the interest on the
invested capital. Nor is this all. From
the moment of the colts appearance in
the world the costs continue, unless he
meets early death and makes a total
loss. The embryonic OK, on the con-
trary, begins life unnoticed, growing to
prominence through by-paths, subsist-
ing upon roughage in winter and rough
pasture in summer, until finally, grown
plump and powerful, he is in demand
and is easily sold. With his brothers,
the steer does all the farm work, readily
beginning when only two years old, thus
paying his way as he goes forward. At
three and half to four years he is ready
with his mate for the cattle buyer, If he
has been kept growing. Buyers OF oxen
will 90 one hundred miles to find teams,
and brief advertisement in paper
will start them. The price paid is sl4O to
5000 a pair, and l have known numer-
GUS teams to sell at the latter figure
when only two years old.
A shortage of working oxen is always
noticeable. This is the reason for the
demand. What are the profitsP Prac-
tically all the selling price, the steer
having done much toward self-support.
His growth in idleness until two years
Iof age has cost little; his food has been
chiefly farm products OF small market
value. -.
There should be no "breaking."
Every steer as calf must be taught to
Head; mastered then, he never afterward
realizes his power, and isreadily trained.
THE growing calves ought to be kept in
lsome near by pasture, so they may never
become strangers. They should be
known by name by all the children and
be their playmates. No breeds make
finer matched teams than Devons, Hol-
lsteins, Guernseys, and Shorthorn grades,
most of which are fine dairy cattle. If
person is so fortunate as to own good
dairy and high class bull, he is already
on the way toward lot OF steers that
will all closely resemble the sire and
therefore one another. The power OF
the OK has been employed in doing work
for man since the earliest recorded his
tory. 1t has been prominent factor in
the development of our great common
wealth, both east and west. The un.
promising lands of early New England
were cleared by these good friends "f
man, as the thousands OF miles of mass
live stone wall, their enduring monu
ments, bear record. To inaugurate this
Industry does not require the investment
of any large capital; in fact 1t may be
started without any extra capital by any
farmer having dairy of the heavy
breeds of cows If there is any question
about having enough summer or winter
feed. lust plant few extra acres to corr