353 On Ammal Labour.[Xov.

Tf he could Stiew that the power of a Single horse is equal to three o1 four oxen, L:Should give up controyersy, and admit the validity of his conclusions, but while ie"natural history of these animals contradicts this position, it.cannot be Supported.

I am willing' to admit that discretion must be employed by the farmer to Select the most powerful oxen for the purpose of tillage, and.I am likewise dis SPOoSed to allow that the fit atten- tion 1 not been paid to the breed of these animals, to adapt them to that duty. The difference is perhaps as gieat between the paliry and the cart horse, as beiween the oxen now em- p WEG and those which me be applied to tllage, if rhe Suitable attention were paid to their breed. But this operates in favour of my argument, for if five oxen can perform as much as four borses under this obvious disadvantage, when that regard St hall. be paid to ihe breed dam it may be found that thrce oxen may perform as much as four horses, and a new motive is afforded for the encouragement of this Species of anima] rr EEE itleinen yn have ex- amined the gigantie Streng 1 of these animals f cimens which IOAVE been 1156 duced from his 1 will not conceive the conjecture extravagant,“ but it is vot at all neCe8Sary t0 INy purpose.

Lam a little acCqu: ainted with Frevch farming, and I can- not couceal the pleasure[ have received from the Iintro- ductory Paper in your Magazine of August lJast, where a new

method ot yoking by the horns 1s propos;ed, in Imitation of the expedients of the"French Peasantry, 1 vil venture to af- Srm that we can form no idea of the powers of the ox, from he manner in which he is connected with bis labour in this 'ountry. It is confidently asSerted in the paper to which 1 have just re eferred, that“ by this mode of yoking, at least one third more of"Ho power öf the animal is obtained. In the common way, the Shoulder being bn uised by the unyielding bow, no vigour is exerted, excepung what 1s imparted by ihe goad, and ie Sinews ofthe neck are not brought imto€ wp»loy- ment: hence the subline and gigantie force w ith which be is endowed, is not rendered Sübservient to the important duties he bas to perform, for the Supply of human SubsSistence. The cattle proceed inthe I French team bold and erect; no pain op Presses tbem, and they chew the cud cehearfuliy as thev pace along the ſfurrow. On the contrary, in England the painful Preszure obstructs the progress of be animals, bey lean against each otthlier, SCarcely BAH oi Supporting their own weight,

and the 258 intelligent eye which nature has given them to express the generos!ty of their tewper, 1s clouded witli anxiety."*

1

“om Se ne SPC=

MaJesty's farms,

*« The tackle here recommended for twelve ofen would not amount te