OWY'HEE, a co. in extreme s.w. Idaho, bordering on Utah and Nevada to the s. and Oregon to the w.; drained by Snake river, which forms the n. boundary, and by the Bruneau and other small streams; 13,600 sq.m.; pop. '80, 1420. The Owyhee mountains traverse the surface, which is in most part timber land, and in the valleys is well adapted to grazing cattle. Gold and silver abound. In 1870. 14 mines were in operation and the product was reported at P52,835. Co. seat, Silver City.
OX, Dos (corns, a ruminant quadruped of the family bovzria? (q.v.), the most useful to man of all domesticated animals. The species is distinguished by a flat forehead, longer than broad; and by smooth and round tapering horns, rising from the extremities of the frontal ridge. But among the ninny varieties•or breeds which exist, there are great diversities in the length and curvature of the horns, and some are hornless. It is probable that the ox is a native of both Asia and of Europe, perhaps also of Africa; and not improbable that it may have been domesticated at different times and in different countries. It cannot be confidently asserted that it now exists anywhere in a truly wild state; wild oxen are nowhere so abundant as on the pampas or great grassy plains of South America, where it is certain that they are not indigenous; and it is not impossi ble that the wild oxen still existing in the parks of a few noblemen in Britain may he also descended from domesticated animals. Whether or not the Urns, described by ancient authors as an inhabitant of central Europe, was the original of the domestic ox will be considered in the article The very early domestication of the ox is attested by the mention made of it in the writings of Moses, and by the worship of it in Egypt, Which the Israelites imitated in making their golden calf at mount Sinai. Yet oxen do not appear to have formed any part of the wealth of the patriarchs. The ox was probaly used as a beast of burden or draught before it was valued for its milk. It is mentioned by Cmsar as a principal part of the wealth of the Britons at the time of the Homan The ox is more frequently employed as a beast of burden and of draught in some parts of the continent of Europe than in Britain. From the earliest historic times the horse has been more generally thus employed in Britain, and has now almost entirely superseded the ox. The gait of the ox is slow and plodding, but its strength enables it to perform a great amount of work, and it is not easily exhausted. It needs, however, intervals of rest inconvenient for the farmer; and it is not capable of exertion nt all equal to that of the horse on any occasion of emergency. The ox is chiefly valuable for its flesh and its milk; but almost every part of the animal is useful—the fat, skin, hair, horns, latest ines.
The period of gestation of the ox is nine months, or 270 days. It rarely produces more than one calf at a bit th. It attains maturity in two or three years, becomes evidently aged at ten, and seldom lives more than 14. Cows are seldom kept for the dairy after they are seven or eight years old, as after that age they yield less milk and of inferior quality. Modern husbandry has also found means to fatten cattle for the market at an earlier age than was formerly usual; and although the beef is not quite so good in quality. the profit is great, both to the farmer and to the community, through the increased productiveness of the laud.
The ox is gregarious, nud where circumstances permit, as in the South American plains, associates in very large herds. Herds of oxen defend themselves with great vigor against the large feline animals and other assailants, the younger and weaker animals being placed in the middle, whilst the bulls in the outer rank confront the adversary with their horns.
The varieties or breeds differ very much in size. Among those which occur in the Pritish islands, the Shetland breed is not much larger than a calf of some of the others. Some of the breeds of the torrid zone are also very small; but the fatty hump on the back may probably be regarded as indicating a connection with the Indian ox or zebu (q.v.), which, although it has been generally regarded as a variety of the common ox, is perhaps a distinct species.—The " wild ox," now existing only in a few parks, as at C7hillinghain and Hamilton, seems, whatever its origin, to have been for merly an inhabitant of many forest districts in Britain, particularly in the n. of England and s. of Scotland. The C'hillingham wild oxen are of a creamy white color. much smaller than many of the domestic breeds, of a graceful form, with sharp horns, which are not very long, and not very much carved. The uniform white color is to be ascribed
to the care taken to destroy every calf which is not perfect in this respect. The habits of these wild oxen are very similar to those of the domestic races.The West _Highland breed, or Kyioe, differs very little from the Chillingham or Hamilton wild ox, except in being generally black. It has short muscular limbs, a wide and deep chest, wel•arehed ribs. and a strain-lit back: the horns are often somewhat long; the muzzle is short but not broad; the skin is closely covered with shaggy hair. The milk is very rich, but the quantity is so small that this breed is very unsuitable for dairy farming. The beef, however, is of the finest quality; and great numbers of cattle, reared in the Highlands and Hebrides, are annually conveyed to other parts of the country, to be fattened on rich pastures. The breed is a very hardy one, and peculiarly suited to the region in which it prevails.—The Galloway breed is very like the preceding, but larger nail desti tut• of horns; and many cattle reared in the hilly parts of Galloway are fattened on Eng lish pastures for the London market.—The Pembroke and other Welsh breeds are not unlike the West Highland; but the crews yield milk more abundantly.—The diminutive Shetland breed is very hardy, and is celebrated for the fine quality of its beef. 'yhe Shetland ox is easily fattened, even on scanty pasturage. The milk which the cows yield i is also remarkably abundant in proportion to their small size.—The Ayrshire breed is particularly celebrated for the abundance and excellence of its milk, but the beef is of inferior quality, and the animal is not easily fattened. Great care has been bestowed on this breed in Ayrshire and neighboring counties, where dairy farming is much practiced. The horns are smaller than those of the West Highland breed. the hair much smoother, and the color chietly brownish-red, with large patches of white.—The Alderney breed much resembles the Ayrshire, lint the milk is comparatively small in quantity, and remarkable for the richness of the cream, on which account Alderney cows are often kept for the supply of private dairies. The milk of an Alderney cow, mixed with that of a dozen other cows, will sensibly improve the quality of the butter. But this breed is worthless for the purposes of the grazier.—The Suffolk Dun is a- polled or hornless breed, of clumsy form, and of little value to the grazier, but yielding a very large quan tity of milk, on which account Suffolk has long been celebrated for- its dairy produce.— The North Devon is a pretty large breed, with rather short horns, very muscular and powerful, and also very gentle and docile, so that it is particularly adapted for draught; and much agricultural labor is still performed in Devonsuire by teams of oxen of this breed. The North Devon breed, however, is surpassed by others, both for the purposes, of the dairy farmer and of the grazier.—The Hereford breed, of stouter form than the Ayrshire, but in some respects not unlike it, has long been in great repute both for its beef and its milk; but in the districts where it once prevailed, it is now giving place to the Short-horn breed, one of the new breeds which are the result of care and attention. The short-horn breed, so called because the horns are shorter than in almost any other, originated about the beginning of the 19th e. on the banks of the Tees, and has spread very widely both in England and in Scotland, in the districts of richest pasturage. The color varies from pure white to bright red; the head is short and very broad; the chest is wide, deep, and projecting; the fore-legs are short, the back straight., and not very long, the " barrel " full. The ease with which oxen of this breed are fattened is one of its great recommendations. The beef is also of excellent quality. For dairy purposes the short-horn is surpassed by some other breeds; but a cross between a short-horn bull and an Ayrshire cow is found useful both for beef and milk. The short-horn breed is now cherished in Britain with peculiar care; genealogies are registered, and prodigious prices are given for first-rate animals. It is thzo in great esteem in many parts of the continent of Europe, and in America.—The Long-Itorn breed, long prevalent in the mid land counties of England, and still prevalent in Ireland, was brought to great perfection by Bakewell, one of the first to show what could be done in the improvement of cattle; but is rapidly giving place to the short-horn, by which it is much excelled. The length of the horns in this breed is very remarkable.