205
like horses at all the operations of a farm. These two sortsof labourers cannot, therefore, be placed alongside of each o-ther, and their respective qualifications subjected to a fair trial.The most common opinion, till very lately, was, that six oxenWere required to perform the labour of two horses: then it wasthought that four oxen would be sufficient, two of them work-ed at a time, for half the day; and it is now asserted, thatthree oxen, each of them changed in rotation, and thusworking only four days a-week, are capable of performingthe labour of a pair of horses. In so far as relates to plough-ing, (for that is the only sort of work, with which any com-parison has been made), it will not be disreputable to oxen, toplace four of them against two horses, according to the prac-tice of the north-eastern counties; and when the different ex-tent of land, that is required for rearing four oxen to the ageof three years and a half, and two horses to the age ofthree years, is duly considered, and afterwards the produceconsumed by both while at labour, it will be found, thatshould oxen be thought capable of every kind of work, in-stead of ploughing only, a much greater number of acresmust be allotted to their maintenance.
At the age of three years and a half, each of the four oxenwill have consumed the produce of nearly as much land as ahorse of the same age. In so far as concerns labour, there-fore, the one instrument may be said to be obtained at halfthe cost of the other.—During the period of labour too, amuch greater extent of land is required for the maintenanceof four oxen than of two horses: ten acres of land of a mediumquality have been already assigned for the support of a pairof horses highly fed; and for four oxen, according to thestatement in the Report for West Lothian, formerly referredto, there will be required four acres of turnips, and aboutseven 'and a half acres of grass; and in proportion to theallowance of hay, in the spring months, in the precedingestimate for horses, the oxen will require at least two acres