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Ox
Power
From: Hare Krsna dasi (Brunswick, Maine -
USA) Hare.Krsna.dasi@bbt.se
Sent: 23 February 1999 17:30
Subject: Tillers International - Spring/Summer Ox Power courses
[Text 2116530 from COM]
Tillers International, a Peace-Corps training,
historical and hobbiest ox-training school in Kalamazoo, Michigan, has
published its curriculum for Spring and Summer 1999. There are a couple
dozen courses. Here are a few. I've also listed the website address, where
you can find among other things a drawing of the ox-powered sorghum crusher
they use to make sorghum syrup for sweetening.
Communities gearing up for self sufficiency may want to raise funds to put
together a scholarship to send one or two young men. Tillers also has a
scholarship program that could supplement costs. (Typically, those who have
the energy to participate in this type of activity never have the funds to
do so.)
your servant,
Hare Krsna dasi
Harvesting Grain and Hay NEW!
Both the making of hay and the cutting and threshing of grain are important
to many small farms. Animal powered hay making is used at Tillers to help
manage intensive rotational pastures. There is great potential and new
strategies and implements for making hay productive on a small farm with
animal power. In both haying and grain harvest you will work with historical
and adapted techniques. Grain harvest starts with a restored reaper, flails,
and a fanning mill to threshers and combines. We'll finish the class by hand
grinding wheat flour and having a wholesome bread bake off!
#173 Fee:$ 220
July 20-24, Mon - Fri, 8:30am - 6:00pm
Enrollment: 4 - 12 persons - ages 14+
by Roosenberg, Abbey
These hands-on classes are a chance to put your dreams of working with
animal power to the touch stone of reality! A number of teams of oxen or
draft horses are waiting for you to try. We find working draft animals
enjoyable and productive. But we want you to test that out for yourself
whether for rural development, historical reenactment, or small farm power.
Tillers' animal power classes initiate you into another world of
empowerment. Come enjoy the thrills!
Ox Driving
These classes are an introduction to working oxen. Learn to drive teams
using voice commands. Seasoned oxen and drivers build your skills and
confidence through sequential activities beginning with the easiest driving
teams and moving up to a variety of field tasks such as plowing. The class
concentrates on driving skills, but also introduces yoking, training,
hitching, and options to voice control systems. (Check about bringing your
animals.) The June session adds the Ox Drovers' Gathering and the presence
of Drew Conroy and other guest instructors.
#221a Fee:$ 90
Enrollment: 6 - 20 people - ages 10+
April 4-5, Sat - Sun, 8:30am - 5:00pm
by Roosenberg, Waldo, Collisi
#221b Fee:$ 120
Enrollment: 2 - 20 persons (ages 10+)
June 19-20, Fri - Sat, 8:30am - 5:30pm
by Roosenberg, Conroy
#221c Fee:$ 90
Enrollment: 2 - 20 persons - ages 10+
August 22-23, Sat - Sun, 8:30am - 5:00pm
by Roosenberg, Waldo, Webb
#221d Fee:$ 90
Enrollment: 6 - 20 persons - ages 10+
November 7-8, Sat - Sun, 8:30am - 5:00pm
by Roosenberg
Ox Drovers' Gathering
Get together with many of the over 100 ox drivers who have formed the new
Midwest Ox Drovers' Association to trade tricks. Join or watch the parade of
teams. Challenge others to an obstacle course. Offer inspiration for the
students in the Ox Driving and Oxen Basics workshops.
#200 Fee:$ 0
Enrollment: Open - ages 00+
June 20-21, Sat 1:00pm - Sun 5:00pm
by VanOrd, Johnson, Collisi
Tillers International
5239 South 24th Street, Kalamazoo,
MI 49002
Call Dick Roosenberg at 616/344-3233 or 1-800/498-2700.
Send email to TillersInt@aol.com
URL -
http://www.wmich.edu/tillers/
From: Gunagrahi das Goswami
Gunagrahi.das.Goswami@bbt.se
Sent: 19 August 1999 20:38
Subject: Training of Oxen
[Text 2568312 from COM]
Dear Prabhus,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
This past eight months I have been working with the devotees in Argentina on
a rural community project on our land outside of Buenos Aires. I just joined
this conference and am very enlivened by all the relevant discussions.
One question: We acquired two oxen about five months ago. They are about
nine months old now. The devotee who was supposed to train the oxen and one
of the farm devotees to work them has been very sporadic and unsteady. Thus,
we are very concerned and are looking for someone new to train Gaura and
Candra. We are willing to pay airfare and expenses from any part of the
world. If any of you know of anyone who could do the job well and might be
willing to take the time to help, kindly put us in touch with him.
Also, is there anything written on how to train oxen? We would appreciate
any material we could get our hands on.
Thanks in advance for any help you can give, and thanks again for all your
input on the conference.
Your servant,
Gunagrahi das Goswami
From: Ananda Maya (dd) SDG (Derrylin - Northern
Ireland) Ananda.Maya.SDG@bbt.se
Sent: 23 August 1999 22:50
Subject: Training of Oxen
[Text 2577729 from COM]
Harobol Maharaja,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
We've a younger ox, and it will be interesting to see how you get on. Could
you keep me posted, as we take ours for a couple of daily walks on a lead
each day. He's two months old now. So it'll be great to keep track of Gaura
and Chandra.
In Ireland we have one untrained ox, who now has weak legs because he had no
consistency in his carers. So it's a problem which I have inherited. He is
moody and not responsive to many people because of this. So it's taking time
to build trust and confidence. It's a total essential for even the cows to
have constant association as they are just like your children, they become
reliant of you being there and having stable relationships. So although not
experienced at training oxen (yet), I would advise that the consistency be
there, as it is harder to deal with later.
YS
Ananda Maya dd
From: Madhava Gosh (das) ACBSP (New Vrindavan - USA)
Madhava.Gosh.ACBSP@bbt.se
Sent: 24 August 1999 03:39
Subject: Re: Training of Oxen
[Text 2577995 from COM]
It's a total essential for even the cows to have
constant association as they are just like your children, they become
reliant of you being there and having stable relationships. So although
not experienced at training oxen (yet), I would advise that the
consistency be there, as it is harder to deal with later.
YS
Ananda Maya dd
When I was a young bhakta, I got a set of young oxen
to train. Although it was pretty much by the ascending method, they did turn
out pretty good. The most important thing, IMHO, is to become their friend.
During the morning program, I would go out with them and feed them grain,
and chant a few rounds of japa with them while they ate. Just a simple thing
like that and we
actually got pretty close.
From: Hare Krsna dasi (Brunswick, Maine - USA)
Hare.Krsna.dasi@bbt.se
Sent: 25 August 1999 20:07
Subject: Establish a Good Relationship from the Very Beginning
[Text 2582481 from COM]
When I was a young bhakta, I got a set of young
oxen to train. Although it was pretty much by the ascending method, they
did turn out pretty good. The most important thing, IMHO, is to become
their friend. During the morning program, I would go out with them and
feed them grain, and chant a few rounds of japa with them while they ate.
Just a simple thing like that and we actually got pretty close.
From: Ox Power - Ki Jaya: An Ox Power Handbook by
Paramananda dasa Adhikari
copyright 1992 Ox Power Alternative Energy Club ** DRAFT**
(Originally published in the ISKCON Farm News)
ESTABLISH A GOOD RELATIONSHIP FROM THE VERY BEGINNING
There is an old saying, "The horse is as good as the driver." So, the first
thing to consider is: the effectiveness and utility of the oxen are limited
by the ability of the driver. Working the oxen can be very productive and
rewarding if it is done properly, but if the animals are abused physically
or verbally, or on the other extreme, not controlled with a strong enough
hand, then they will rebel in one way or another, and not perform up to your
expectations. Unless the oxen are well trained and well driven, they aren't
very useful. They have to be trained to be cooperative enough to work very
hard, because that is the nature of farm
work.
The animals are going to be pushed to work at their maximum ability, like an
athlete. He trains himself to work under great stress all the time. That's
what you want with the oxen. They should be prepared to be under stress all
the time. Whenever they pull, you'll want them to pull with their maximum
strength, as hard as they can, and as long as they can, without spending
excess time resting. In order for them to do this, there has to be a very
strong relationship between the driver and oxen. The relationship is that of
master and servant. The master is firm but kind. He never abuses his
servant, but he is very demanding and he expects him to perform nicely.
This kind of relationship has to be built carefully and deliberately. And it
has to be very clear to the ox that you are the master and he is the
servant. It is more difficult to establish roles with an ox that to
establish roles with another human, because an ox is a dumb brute. This is
perhaps the most difficult thing in training oxen-- to accept that you are
not working with another human being. Although there is also a spirit-soul
within the ox, and he is quite conscious, still he doesn't speak your
language. You have to over-emphasize all your commands and instructions or
he won't even hear them. You have to be sure you have his attention. That
means you have to magnify all your emotions about a hundred times more than
if you were dealing with another human being.
When a good relationship is established with the oxen, they become very
loyal and hard working. They love to work. It's their dharma -- their
intrinsic nature -- as long as you don't allow them to be on the mental
platform. In other words, they can't be debating in their mind, "Do I really
have to follow this order or not?" Just like us, they have a tendency to be
lazy. It seems that, like us, they can to fall-down from the platform of
dedication and hard work. The tendency is to just stand around and eat. But
if you take them off the mental platform, by giving them strong, clear
commands, they will work very hard, be loyal servants and come to fully
depend on your instructions, following them without hesitation. On the other
hand, if your instructions are vague and unenthusiastic, they will adopt all
kinds of bad habits, just designed to avoid hard work.
The person who is training the ox should be the same person who is going to
work the ox. This is an important principle that the ox should have only one
master. In the beginning, if you have different people training and working
him, the training will not be effective, and the ox won't be a good student.
He won't learn the commands properly. After you have worked an ox for a
couple of years and he's well trained, then different people can work him,
as long as they are consistently using the same commands and the same type
of procedures. But in the beginning, during the training period and the
initial working period, there should be only one person working with the
oxen. Anything else is much less than ideal.
I always like the person who does this training to have worked with cows for
at least two years. When you have worked with cows you will see that it
takes a person about two years to learn how to handle them properly. There
is a certain rapport that you develop with the cows. You understand how they
think and act and what they can and can't do. In other words a communication
develops after a long period of time. It doesn't happen quickly with anyone.
So, ideally, anyone who is going to work with the oxen should have worked
with cows for two years. Otherwise, the training will be less than ideal. It
will not be so effective.
The next consideration is naming the ox. He should be given a simple one
syllable name. This name is a practical tool. You will use it constantly
while working the ox, to address him specifically. He may be in a group of
oxen, in a big team of five or ten oxen, and you may want to give him an
instruction. He may step out of line so you shout his name and he
immediately responds. He can understand that you are talking to him, because
he has learned his name.
In order for this to be effective, the ox must have a name that he can
distinguish from other words and sounds. It can't be a four syllable
transcendental name or three syllables even. It should be one syllable or,
at most, two syllables. But you will find that in the heat of the moment
when you need to maneuver the animals quickly in a working situation, even a
two syllable name is too much. You will abbreviate it into one syllable.
As Hare Krsna devotees, sometimes we have an aversion to using a mundane
name. This is worthy of some comment. We like to have everything remind us
of Krsna, but it may not so appropriate to give an ox a name of Krsna
because often you are
not addressing him in a reverential mood. Sometimes he may even be treated
roughly. Even though rough treatment should not be common, because the ox is
a dumb brute, it may be required in order to get his attention. If you are
an expert ox worker, it will almost never be required. Nevertheless you
should choose a simple, one-syllable name. Maybe it will be Rock or Buck or
Jai or Red; some simple sound.
Whenever you address the ox, use his name. Don't address him by different
expressions or exclamations, such as "Boy," or "Come on, boy." Don't use
anything other than his name. Always say his name: "Get up, Buck." That way
he will learn to know his name and distinguish it from other names. This is
essential for getting his cooperation. Before the first lesson, the ox's
name should be established. He must be used to hearing you call him by his
name. Then, once training begins, always use his name along with your
commands.
It is simplest to start training an ox when he is very young, before he is
big enough to overpower you. You can't work the ox at hard labor until he
has grown up, because you can stunt his growth can be permanently. If he
begins hard work at too young an age, his body will use his food for working
energy rather than for growth of his body. [[Bhisma gives this rule in the
Mahabharata...(cite passage)]] Before he engages in hard work, the ox should
be almost his full size, which is at about two years old or maybe a little
younger. Even at two years, the ox will still continue to grow some for
several more years. His body fills out and gets bigger.
Once a calf is trained, you can go back to him every few months and refresh
his memory, work him a little bit, drive him around so that he doesn't
forget his lessons. You can actually have a little calf pulling a small
wagon around. That way, by the time he is big enough to work, the training
will be simple. When we start with a full-grown animal, which sometimes
happens due to circumstances, then more forceful methods of subduing the
animal may have to be employed, for instance putting a nose ring in. If an
ox is full-grown he is so big and strong that if he wants to walk away from
you. You won't be able to stop him physically with just a halter. So you may
have to put a nose ring in just to control him. Also, at Gita-nagari, we
train an ox in a confined area, in a little corral. That also helps control
a big animal.
I would recommend the use of a training ring in all cases, to make things
easier, but it is not always necessary. You should always use a confined
area with no foreign objects in it, but it could a less formal arrangement
than building a special training ring. It could be inside a hay barn with
everything cleaned out. It should have no foreign objects, nothing on which
the animal could injure himself if he ran or became frightened, and it must
have no outlet where he could escape.
Otherwise, if he is not in a confined area, then you have to have a rope on
him all the time, which is very restricting. In his working condition he
won't have a rope on him, so to train him like that -- always having to hold
him by a rope -- is conditioning him to a bad habit.
A training ring should be twenty-four feet in diameter. Particularly if you
are going to train any older animals, the fence should be made of hardwood
board, 1" by 6" or 1" by 8" [[give metric....]] boards. It should be high
enough so an animal will not consider trying to jump over it. That means it
should be six feet high. Some animals, out of fear, will try to jump over
anything, regardless of how high it is, but they can't succeed if it is high
enough. So this training ring has boards nailed to fence posts which are
spaced every six to eight feet in a circle. At the entrance is a four-foot
gate that closes very securely.
[[If you will be training only young animals, a much simpler arrangement can
be created, using a simple chicken wire fence...]]
In any case, a fence has to be strong enough and high enough so the ox won't
even think about getting out. You will see that he will put his nose up as
high as he can on the fence and consider whether or not he can jump over it,
or he may try to crawl underneath it if there is a little space.
The first thing a cow or ox does when it is put into a confined area no
matter how big it is -even a twenty-acre pasture-is to walk around the
boundaries and calculate the limits of her confinement. You may have heard
the expression "The grass is greener on the other side." This comes from
cows. No matter how big the area of confinement their instinct is always to
try and get out of that area. So as soon as you bring the animal into this
training ring he will automatically try to escape.
The training ring should be set off from the residential area or any area
where there are a lot of people around because outside activity will be a
distraction to the ox when he is being trained. Also sometimes you may have
to discipline the ox. That may not be understood by innocent bystanders. So
I recommend that it be located off from the mainstream of activities as much
as possible. This provides an ideal facility for concentration and
confinement.
The trip to the ring from the barn or the pasture or wherever you are
keeping the animal should be done carefully. Now that means you don't want
to try to teach the ox anything on that trip. That is not part of the
lesson. We just want to somehow or other get him to the ring without having
to hit him or drag him. As much as possible make it an uneventful trip. We
want to minimize his anxiety.
For an animal that has not been handled much, the trip to the ring can be
very traumatic, and his first impression of you may be lasting. So if he is
just standing and he won't move he doesn't want to be led, just go very
slowly. You should have a strong halter on him and a lead rope, and you
should have one or two people with you.
The best thing with an ox or a cow is to push him, not pull him. With most
oxen or cows when they are pulled, their reaction is to pull back in the
opposite direction -- and they are much stronger than we are. Even ten men
can't pull a cow or an ox that wants to go backwards. You can even hook a
tractor to them and if they are stubborn enough they will just lie down and
you will have to drag them, which certainly we don't want to do. Cajole the
ox along to the ring, and by no means let him get away.
It is important to understand that when you start to take the ox into your
hands, you must control him. You are making a commitment. If you let him
control you in any way, you are encouraging the worst possible thing:
disobedience. So once you set out to bring him to the ring, you have to get
him there. You cannot let him overpower you; you cannot let him drag you
around the field. You have to have enough people and if necessary two ropes
on his head so that there is no question of him overpowering you and running
away. That would be a bad way to begin the first lesson.
You should have a halter on the ox which has a lead rope fastened near his
nose. The way to control an animal who is much bigger than you is by turning
his head. If he tries to run away, you can usually pull his head around and
in that way control him. If you just have a rope around his neck it won't be
possible to restrain him, because he is pulling with his full strength and
bodily weight, and no man or even group of men can restrain an animal tied
around the neck if he really wants to get away. If you have him by the nose,
then you can control his direction by turning his head. At worst he will run
around in circles until he gets tired of that.
So somehow coerce your animal toward the ring. When he gets very close to
the gate, he will understand that he is being brought into a confined area.
He won't want to go in. At least most animals won't go in easily, but you
may come across one who will become very curious and willingly walk right
into the ring not realizing that the gate will be closed, locking him
inside. Once again, if the animal is very young then none of these problems
exists to a very great degree. You can forcibly cajole a small ox to the
ring without any big traumatic experience, because you are as strong as he
is or stronger.
The next installment will be lesson one in the ring.
From: Hare Krsna dasi (Brunswick, Maine - USA)
Hare.Krsna.dasi@bbt.se
Sent: 15 October 1999 20:28
Subject: Drew Conroy: *OXEN - A TEAMSTER'S GUIDE*
[Text 2703607 from COM]
I thought the devotees on these conferences would be
interested to know that Drew Conroy, one of the world's foremost expert on
ox training has a new book at the publishers: *Oxen - A Teamster's Guide* -
360 pages, $29.95 (includes shipping within the US)
Which will shortly be available from:
Doug Butler Enterprises
PO Box 1390
LaPorte CO 80535
Phone: 1-800-728-3826 (within the US)
970-482-7518 (outside US)
FAX: 970-493-7251
Doug Butler is a tiny, tiny publisher in Colorado which has neither e-mail
or website, but they publish many books and videos about ox power and horse
power, farrier's trade (how to trim hooves), etc.
They are advertising the book as "the most complete and definitive book
available today on training and working oxen," which I am sure it is. Some
of this is geared toward competition at agricultural fairs, so not
everything will be of interest to us, but Drew Conroy is such a seasoned
expert, with extensive international experience on the subject, that this
book is bound to have much of interest to all of us. [At the end of this
post, I include excerpts from his article which I posted back in June.]
Here's the table of contents:
Foreword by Dick Roosenberg (Director of Tillers International ox power
school,
Kalamazoo, Michigan)
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. Selecting the Ideal Team
2. Housing Your Oxen
3. Feeding Your Oxen
4. Principles of Training
5. Training Steers ["steers" is the New England term for oxen less than 2
years old]
6. Advanced Training
7. Training Mature Cattle
8. Yoke Styles
9. Making a Neck Yoke and Bows
10. Hitching Options
11. Oxen in Agriculture
12. Logging with Oxen
13. Working Oxen in Public
14. Competing with Oxen
15. Keeping Oxen Healthy
16. Hoof Care
17. The Problem Team
18. Oxen in History
19. International Development
Glossary of Ox Terms
Bibliography****
Resources****
Index
Andrew "Drew" Conroy has trained and worked oxen since the age of 13. As a
junior in college he wrote his first book, The Oxen Handbook. Drew and his
oxen regularly compete at New England fairs and field days, have been
featured in numerous magazine articles, and appeared in two films, *The
Crucible* and *In Search of the Oregon Trail.* Drew is a frequent guest
instructor at Tillters International and his advice is frequently sought by
4-H groups, museums, hobby ox trainers, and international audiences. His
recent adventures with oxen have taken him to Africa four times, where his
Ph.D degree has led him to work with the Massai of Tanzania collecting data
on their adoption of oxen technology. Drew teaches Dairy Science at the
Thompson School of Applied Science, University of New Hampshire, Durham. He
is a prolific writer on the subject of oxen, and is a regular contributor to
*Rural Heritage* magazine. Drew raises cattle and trains oxen at Oxwood Farm
in Berwick, Maine, where he lives with his wife Janet and son Ross.
"Few people, if any, on this planet have the knowledge and understanding of
the subject of steers and oxen to compare with that of Drew Conroy. In this
book his work in exploring the history of cattle as draft animals, their
care and training, and the pure pleasure of learning to be a teamster is
gathered into a valuable and enduring record. Anyone with the slightest
interest in this important aspect of America's agricultural heritage will
enjoy *Oxen - A Teamster's Guide." --Stephen H. Taylor, Commissioner, New
Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Foods
Noma Petroff wrote:
Drew Conroy on Ox Reins
Rural Heritage: The Evener 1999, vol 24, no. 2 p. 102
DRIVING OXEN WITH LINES
by Drew Conroy
"I am interested in driving oxen from the wagon, as you would a horse,"
writes Leo Canuel of Somerset, Massachusetts. "I have seen it done with a
nose ring, but I wonder if it can be done any other way?"...
Why do you want to drive oxen with lines? If your goal is to have a hobby
team that drives with lines, so be it.
If you want to plow and drive the team while riding in a cart, my answer
would be that half the ox teamsters in the world drive from a cart with
one person and no lines. Are you not willing or able to train your animals
as well as a 12-year-old boy in Tanzania plowing with six oxen? The key to
his success may be his need to ox-plow an entire farm. The mount of time
his animals spend in the yoke may be more substantial than you are willing
to give this endeavor.
If you want to drive with lines because you think you will get better
results, don't do it. I judge ox cart obstacle courses every summer and
fall, and I have a feeling the results of using lines would fall short of
the outstanding performances I regularly see. I have never seen a team
with lines that was as well trained as teams I have seen without lines.
Most teamsters who use lines spend a lot less time training their oxen,
and a lot more time restraining them physically, rather than
psychologically. And, if you ever log with your oxen, you'll quickly see
no advantage to having lines - I hate jumping out of the way of rolling
logs.
As you can see, I am not keen on driving oxen with lines, as doing so is
not customary in New England. ***Oxen are not allowed to compete in our
shows or fairs with any type of bridle, bit, or nose rings.*** [Emphasis
added.]
...Using nose rings is my least favorite method. Although nose rings offer
an effective method of control, animals that have their noses yanked on
too much become head shy and hard headed. Nose rings are a severe method
of restraining. The oxen I have seen with nose rings had little choice but
to obey.
In Uganda I saw a rope, instead of a ring, run through the nose. Many of
the oxen there learn to lie down in the yoke to resist working, a result
of having their noses yanked and of being rushed in the training.
The reason a bull is controlled with a ring is because this system of
restraint causes pain - not the best technique for working cattle. At an
ox training workshop in Missouri in 1995, I saw oxen that had been trained
to drive with nose rings. At first they seemed to go pretty well, but as
the day wore on, they became tired and despite the desires of the
teamsters, walked right through a fence while pulling a buckboard wagon...
*************************************
Drew Conroy, author of the Oxen Handbook, is one of the America's leading
experts in ox training. He teaches dairy science at the University of New
Hampshire, and conducts ox training course at Tillers International, in
Kalamazoo, Michigan. He also observes and trains African farmers in ox
training as part of Tillers' outreach program.
http://www.wmich.edu/tillers/
He is a regular contributor to *Rural Heritage.*
http://www.ruralheritage.com/
Raised in New England, he is accustomed to seeing some of the most expert
ox teamsters in the world, even on a junior level. At our local Topsham
Fair, I have seen a 16 year old girl get her team of oxen to walk sideways
for about 20 feet, without even touching them. She used only voice
commands in a calm tone of voice. That was in addition to many other
required maneuvers such as having oxen turn right and left and back up
into a small space. The children are not allowed to use a rope of any kind
on their teams. They must control them with voice commands and a small
stick only.
your servant,
Hare Krsna dasi
From: Syamasundara (das) (Bhaktivedanta Manor - UK)
Syamasundara@bbt.se
Sent: 16 October 1999 08:25
Subject: Livelihoods from the ox - Power units
[Text 2704554 from COM]
A number of years ago thee was a very exciting
picture in the BTG showing a group of ten oxen turning a wood saw. This
machine not only employed ten oxen in meaningful and essential work it
also used at least 3 persons. On the Hungarian farm thee is an ox power
unit which is used to grind flour. At Bhaktivedanta Manor there is a power
unit which is used to roll grains (feed for the milking cows and working
oxen) and is set to grind grain for flour.
Such tools I would think are essential paraphernalia for any farming
situation. Not only do they employ oxen in meaningful work but they also
can utilize money better. At Bhaktivedanta Manor for example we save money
on bought grain by purchasing whole grain rather than already rolled. The
money saved is then reinvested in employing a man who is working the oxen
to roll the grain. A bit of a cash saving but the main thing is that
another pair of oxen can be cost effectively used.
Why is it that in large farm communities there is nobody who has set up
such a gearing system to make money from milling flour. A large community
means a large amount of persons who eat flour. Do they mill the flour
themselves or do they buy it already milled?. Today the general public are
becoming more health and safety conscious and thus there is a good
potential market place to sell organic produce farmed by protected oxen.
Unless ox power becomes the basis of wealth or at least livelihood how is
it going to get off the ground. Generally we can see in the present
farming system a significant number of farmers are not traders. They
prefer to have somebody buying their produce from them right off the land.
They need somebody else to discover the market and drive the value of
their crops. The ox power project is dependant on such dynamic traders (Vanijyam)
to drive the market and make a vacuum into which they can sell there
produce. Unless pioneers of ox powered businesses manifest the ox powered
project will remain in the domain of hobbyists and pet keepers; good from
the point of not killing the animals and supporting the dairy side of cow
protection, but not good from the point of view of manifesting a way of
life that any body can live. Our own devotees are not seriously going to
take up ox power unless it is livelihood based.
If somebody is making their living from work which is not dependant on the
ox then it is not a practical example of cow protection in the present
time. To await a time of apocalyptic desimation to force the ox power hand
is unrealistic. Modern man will not forget how to be modern. The secret (I
feel) is to demonstrate an alternate farming system that is financially
attractive to its participants. The protected ox powered programmes can be
at the cutting edge of such a proposal. IF ISKCON does not manifest it
then we will see some other entrepreneurs doing it on the back of Srila
Prabhupada's philosophy.
Some food for thought
ys
syamasundara dasa
From: Samba (das) SDG (Mauritius)
Samba.SDG@bbt.se
Sent: 16 October 1999 15:38
Subject: Livelihoods from the ox - Power units
[Text 2705137 from COM]
A number of years ago thee was a very exciting
picture in the BTG showing a group of ten oxen turning a wood saw. This
machine not only employed ten oxen in meaningful and essential work it
also used at least 3 persons. On the Hungarian farm thee is an ox power
unit which is used to grind flour. At Bhaktivedanta Manor there is a
power unit which is used to roll grains (feed for the milking cows and
working oxen) and is set to grind grain for flour.
Prabhu, can you send us photo's of the unit at the
manor? Or even better, plans? I would imagine that once a drive chain is
established you could power almost anything using oxen, it would just be a
matter of gearing.
I have also been inspired by a book that just arrived called 'Diary of an
early American boy'. This book has quite a few useful tips for ways in
which oxen can be utilized on a farm.
It would be really great if you could scan pictures or plans and send them
as an attached file. I have been trying to get hold of plans for such
machinery for a while now.
Thanks for the inspiring text.
Your Servant
Samba das
From: Hare Krsna dasi (Brunswick, Maine - USA)
Hare.Krsna.dasi@bbt.se
Sent: 17 October 1999 00:15
Subject: Re: Livelihoods from the ox - Power units
[Text 2705820 from COM]
I just wanted to mention -- the key component to
Gita-nagari's ox power unit (which is the picture you mentioned in the
May/June 1991 issue of Back to Godhead) was the high-torque drive unit:
"Five oxen pull the tongues, which are attached to the master gear,
generating power with a circular motion. Then, the motion is geared up,
and the direction of the rotation is changed so that we end up with a
shaft spinning at 765 rpm that will provide 60 horse-power. By using
various types of pulleys off the final shaft, any range of speed can be
achieved to drive any type of equipment desired...
"Instead of using chain-driven sprockets here, we used a serrated belt
drive. the belt set-up was high mechanical efficiency, high resistance to
wear, never needs lubrication and runs very quietly. It needs no extra
sprocket to keep it tight, as long s the center distance between the
shafts is accurate. We selected T.B. Wood's High Torque Drive unit (Fig.
18). To gear it up 3 1/2 times, we used a bottom sprocket, having 112
teeth, and a top support having 32 teeth. The belt is 55 mm wide and 2,100
mm long. This requires a center distance of 20.17 inches between shafts."
*Gita-nagari's Ox Power Unit* by Paramananda dasa and Vaisnava dasa, 1989
This ox power unit was build over 10 years ago. It would be interesting
how other devotees have improved on it. This is just the type of project
that would be ideal to develop in a Varnasrama College -- so there could
be several different models to compare. Students and teachers could learn
from the different attempts.
One reason why the HTD unit was important in this was to gear the wheel up
fast enough to actually saw the wood. I believe that the oxen were pulling
the tongues at about 2 rpm -- the motion was geared up to the extreme that
the circular saw blade was spinning about 2000 rpm.
your servant,
Hare Krsna dasi
Prabhu, can you send us photo's of the unit at
the manor? Or even better, plans? I would imagine that once a drive
chain is established you could power almost anything using oxen, it
would just be a matter of gearing.
I have also been inspired by a book that just arrived called 'Diary of
an early American boy'. This book has quite a few useful tips for ways
in which oxen can be utilised on a farm.
It would be really great if you could scan pictures or plans and send
them as an attached file. I have been trying to get hold of plans for
such machinery for a while now.
Thanks for the inspiring text.
Your Servant
Samba das
From: Syamasundara (das) (Bhaktivedanta Manor -
UK) Syamasundara@bbt.se
Sent: 18 October 1999 19:33
Subject: Livelihoods from the ox - Power units
[Text 2709811 from COM]
I could send you plans of our power unit but it
may frustrate you because it is an antique originally used to dress
flax. If I was to start again I would simply half bury the rear axle of
a lorry or van and take the drive off that. As you said you could
practically power anything off it, just a matter of gearing it up. The
rear axle of a lorry will give you the 90 degree turn you need. This
idea was suggested to me and I also saw it in a book. it is very easy to
find the rear drive axle of a lorry or van in any country in the world.
There will be some work to do in the axle because of the vehicles
differential but it shouldn't be too difficult to adapt.
Incidentally if my unit breaks severely this is what I intend to do. I
don't want to insult your intelligence but I have attached a very simple
drawing of a rear axle buried in concrete. The rest I am sure you will
figure out. If I can help any further please do not hesitate to ask.
ys
Syamasundara dasa
From: Samba (das) SDG (Mauritius)
Samba.SDG@bbt.se
Sent: 19 October 1999 16:45
Subject: Livelihoods from the ox - Power units
[Text 2712121 from COM]
I could send you plans of our power unit but
it may frustrate you because it is an antique originally used to dress
flax. If I was to start again I would simply half bury the rear axle
of a lorry or van and take the drive off that.
OK of course that is quite simple. I was thinking
along the lines of something you could manufacture in the wilderness,
but a truck axle would probably last forever (I'm talking relatively
here) with the amount of stress a few Oxen would place on it (as opposed
to high speed, heavy loads, and rough roads).
Seeing as I took the trouble to download the file (It took ten minutes)
how do you open it? I don't know what program you use to open a .CPT
file.
What program did you make the drawing with?
Thanks for the trouble.
YS Samba das
From: Ananda Maya (dd) SDG (Derrylin - Northern
Ireland) Ananda.Maya.SDG@bbt.se
Sent: 29 October 1999 12:36
Subject: Ox Power - Ki Jaya!
[Text 2737663 from COM]
Haribol prabhus,
PAMHO AGTSP
We're at the stage where Karuna our four month old is well able to come
for walks with us on a lead. He's got trust in us, will go down the
steps to the lake shore and wade in a little with us (to the level our
wellieboots will take). Reading my books here, and looking at the wealth
of information that is on com, we feel that we should now look at basic
voice training and getting him on his way. Our problem is that we've no
ring, no suitable place at present for one, and basically he walks on a
lead, behind us. He gets confused if we go behind him, so what do we do
now anyone?
ys
From: Madhava Gosh (das) ACBSP (New Vrindavan -
USA) Madhava.Gosh.ACBSP@bbt.se
Sent: 01 November 1999 13:19
Subject: Re: Ox Power - Ki Jaya!
[Text 2745627 from COM]
Our problem is that we've no ring, no
suitable place at present for one, and basically he walks on a lead,
behind us. He gets confused if we go behind him, so what do we do now
anyone?
I trained a team of oxen without a ring. In
retrospect, I wish I would have had a ring, it would have made it
easier, but while a ring is an excellent tool, it is not a necessity.
It is good you all ready have a relationship with the ox. It makes it
easier. I used to go feed mine during japa. I would chant 6 rounds with
them while they ate their grain. Every time before I fed them grain, I
would whistle a certain whistle, then feed them. It wouldn't have to be
a whistle, it could be any kind of a call, just one they would
consistently associate with goodies ( the grain). Thereafter, anytime I
needed them and they were in deep woods or whatever, if I whistled they
came.
I put a regular halter on the near ox. As they were still small, I would
say git up and then have my hand right on the halter and pull them
forward. When I said whoa, I would pull back. They were small enough so
I could physically overpower them, although usually, as we were good
friends, they were eager to do what I asked, but if they balked from
time to time, I could lean into them and force them to do what I wanted.
I also carried a gaff, which is a pointed stick with a sharp barb on it,
somewhat like a sannyasis danda, so I could also poke on one side of the
neck or by putting it over the back of the neck and pulling, poke on the
other side too, depending which command I was giving.
Every day I had to walk 2 miles to Bahulaban to do my service, so the
training pretty much consisted of walking down with them in the morning,
and then walking back up at night. When they had done really well for a
couple of weeks, I stopped using the rope tied to the halter, and just
did voice commands.
Well, inevitably, they ran away. Fortunately, the trail was pretty
defined, being a an old logging road through the woods. Once they got
down to the public road, they stopped and I eventually arrived. I took
the rope I carried with me, caught them, tied them to a tree, then in no
uncertain terms and in a very loud voice I let them know that I was
unhappy with them. I must of screamed for 5 minutes. Then I just walked
away and left them there all day. When I was going home that evening, I
untied them and walked them back up. They never ran away again.
From: Arindama (Dasa) PVS (Siberian Region - RU)
arindama@com.org
Sent: 12 January 2000 13:10
Subject: Help!
[Text 2925060 from COM]
Hare Krsna!
PAMHO , AGTSP !
Anybody knows where on web can we get an information about practical use
of: ox-power (description of special mechanisms for bulls), cow's dung
(biogas technology etc.) and all related issues (subsistence
agriculture) in detail ?
Thanks.
Y.s. Arindama d.
From: Madhava Gosh (das) ACBSP (New Vrindavan -
USA) Madhava.Gosh.ACBSP@bbt.se
Sent: 13 January 2000 03:40
Subject: Re: Help!
[Text 2926820 from COM]
Rural Heritage in support of draft horse, mule,
and oxen power would be a good place to start.
Hare Krsna!
PAMHO , AGTSP !
Anybody knows where on web can we get an information about practical use
of: ox-power (description of special mechanisms for bulls), cow's dung
(biogas technology etc.) and all related issues (subsistence
agriculture) in detail ?
Thanks.
Y.s. Arindama d.
From: Syamasundara (das) (Bhaktivedanta Manor -
UK) Syamasundara@pamho.net
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2000 7:30 PM
Subject: Ox-power unit overhaul
Originaly we aquired an Ox-power unit (well
actualy it was for horses and it was used for dressing flax -we think)
from Ireland. It is probably over 100 years old. Very large wheels made
from cast Iron and the shafts cast steel.
We use it for crushing grains to feed to the cows. We also have a flour
mill which is built to be powered from the ox unit. Because the ox unit
has some broken parts and because it is quite worn in places we have not
been able to mill flour. The torque required to mill the flour has
consistently broken various parts of the old unit.
Recently a devotee called Radhesyam came to the Uk for 4 months. He is
very good at engineering and so i asked him to replace the ox power unit
with modern alternatives.
First of all he took the old power unit to pieces.
Secondly we bought an old Ford lorry axle and a gear box. Huge big heavy
things that could only be lifted by block and tackle. The Gear box means
we can alter the speed the drive bars go at. we also bought 4 prop
shafts each being 1.5m long. we may even get a second gear box to give
an even greater selection of speeds.
we want to build a machine so strong that it hums even when 4 ox teams
are powering it. It should also last one hundred years. The intention is
to use as far as possible parts which can be located in any country in
the world. A prototype which can be copied anywhere. An essential asset
to every goshalla and farm.
As Gita-nagari once did we wish to have the option of cutting wood,
milling flour, rolling grain and in fact to power anything that a static
tractor can power.
I will keep the members of this conference posted how it is going.
ys Syamasundara das
Bhaktivedanta Manor
From: Hare Krsna dasi (Brunswick, Maine - USA)
Hare.Krsna.dasi@pamho.net
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2000 8:49 PM
Subject: Re: Ox-power unit overhaul
"Syamasundara (das) (Bhaktivedanta Manor -
UK)" wrote:
Originaly we aquired an Ox-power unit (well actualy it was for horses
and it was used for dressing flax -we think) from Ireland. It is
probably over 100 years old. Very large wheels made from cast Iron and
the shafts cast steel.
We use it for crushing grains to feed to the cows. We also have a
flour mill which is built to be powered from the ox unit. Because the
ox unit has some broken parts and because it is quite worn in places
we have not been able to mill flour. The torque required to mill the
flour has consistently broken various parts of the old unit.
Recently a devotee called Radhesyam came to the Uk for 4 months. He is
very good at engineering and so i asked him to replace the ox power
unit with modern alternatives.
First of all he took the old power unit to pieces.
Secondly we bought an old Ford lorry axle and a gear box. Huge big
heavy things that could only be lifted by block and tackle. The Gear
box means we can alter the speed the drive bars go at. we also bought
4 prop shafts each being 1.5m long. we may even get a second gear box
to give an even greater selection of speeds.
we want to build a machine so strong that it hums even when 4 ox teams
are powering it. It should also last one hundred years. The intention
is to use as far as possible parts which can be located in any country
in the world. A prototype which can be copied anywhere. An essential
asset to every goshalla and farm.
As Gita-nagari once did we wish to have the option of cutting wood,
milling flour, rolling grain and in fact to power anything that a
static tractor can power.
I will keep the members of this conference posted how it is going.
ys Syamasundara das
Bhaktivedanta Manor
Sounds very interesting. A wonderful project.
Definitely keep us posted. This is just the type of activity I would
imagine for a varnasrama college -- to have about 4 or 5 projects like
this going on at different places around the campus with several teams
of devotee engineers competing with each other to provide the best
examples of intermediate technology using ox power and scientific
gearing. This would be very attractive to the outside public. At
Gita-nagari we got quite a bit of press from our project.
Yes, at Gita-nagari we used the gears from a cement mixer so we would
have something strong enough to handle the incredible torque from the
oxen (not sure I'm saying this right).
Also, we geared up the movement using a high-torque drive unit (HTD) --
are you using such a thing, or has this been replaced by something
newer.
Oxen traveled around the main shaft at 2 rpm -- but the HTD increased
the speed to 2000 rpm -- fast enough to saw wood.
your servant,
Hare Krsna dasi
From: Syamasundara (das) (Bhaktivedanta Manor -
UK) Syamasundara@pamho.net
Sent: 20 March 2000 18:17
To: Cow (Protection and related issues)
Subject: Ox-power unit
Having acquired a lorry axle and six speed gear
box we are now preparing everything to sit tightly.
Although the axle could be buried into concrete thus supporting it
sufficiently, this would mean any future movement would mean a major
job. Radhe Syam has cot off one of the wheels at a distance of about
20cm from the differential. He wants to then build a frame to support
the other wheel and dif' vertical.
The gear box will be fitted directly onto the dif'.
Cutting off one of the wheels means a metal plate will have to welded in
its place to stop the oil from pouring out.
The axle cost 100 pounds sterling. The gear box cost 100 pounds sterling
and the prop shafts cost 15 pounds sterling each.
We are hiring a JCB to dig out the concrete foundations of the old power
unit base.
A new concrete base will be laid. The axle and frame will be bolted into
the concrete.
That's it for now
ys syam
Bhaktivedanta Manor
From: billy bob buckwheat
d_4h@hotmail.com
Sent: 21 March 2000 01:14
Subject: Re: Ox-power unit
Dear Syam, Hare Krsna,
I just wanted to let you know of some things that I've seen here. I've
seen advertisement for small simple power units that used only one
animal swing but could be implemented to many different uses. They were
simple though and didn't require much power.
As for doing things like cutting wood (logs), would require more power
(oxen) and also heavier equipment, like the one here at Gita Nagari.
This I think was one of the prime objectives to the design of this
particular power unit. So It sounds as though you are planning similar
heavy work for this unit you are building? There are other power unit
failiers laying in the woods near the main power unit, one of which
looks exactly the way you described the one your building. Balabhadra
and I were looking at this thing about a week ago and he said that the
dif. gears torqed out. Its a heavy duty axle with one end cut off and
welded to a frame. Now it is sitting with the dif cover off of it and a
heavy trans. sitting next to it (maybe also broke)?.
The success came from the use of a cement trucks gear drive unit for the
rotating tank. It has two gear reductions and the top gear is about 3.5
feet across and about 2.5 inches thick steel. The big gears are driven
by chains. using it from the other end steps the RPM's if I remember
right; around 600. then drive shafts, 2 long and 1 short connect to the
next unit which steps the RPM's even higher then to a belt drive that
goes to the cutting blade which turns at about 2000RPM. It has 5 swings
on the turn. My concern with yours is hoping you don't end up with
something not heavy enough for the way you were speaking.(6 teams) Also
when ever you extend the drive shaft length, or have long shafts with a
lot of force you increase the torque pressure in the shafts which make
it easier for them to twist or snap universal joints. And if you plan
to have multiple gear step ups to maybe consider some type of flywheel
some where on the higher end.
So I hope this helps you in some way.
yr servant, Derek, -GN- usa.
From: iscowp
iscowp@ovnet.com
Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2000 4:00 PM
Subject: Ox Power Unit
Dear Syamasundara Prabhu,
PAMHO. AGTSP.
Thank you for your several letters about your proposed ox power unit.
They are sometimes called gear heads or sweep units.
I can send you a copy of the plans of the one we built at Gita Nagari in
the early 80's or do you already have them? The first one we built was
not heavy duty enough and the oxen torqued it out right away. We then
went with heavier gears and a heavier (differential) from a very large
lorry.
The design we used was from a small Amish lumber mill. They were using
10 horses as the power source. They were slabbing lumber which meant
that in the process of cutting the lumber the blade had to maintain its
RPM's. If the RPM's went down, the saw blade would slant to wobble which
in turn would warp the blade and also give you a wavy cut on the wood.
Vaisnava das and John Fletcher were the main builders of the unit and it
was built with wheels so that it could be moved to different locations
to do different work. When it was in location the wheels were removed
and it was staked to the ground. The idea was that during the winter it
would be used for firewood and that in the summer it could be used for
irrigation if need be? Also for processing grains as needed. However we
only used it for firewood.
I have some videos and I will try to make you copies so you can see it
in action. We did firewood with it very successfully for a number of
years. All the firewood we used was from the farm and was gathered
during the week by the oxen and Teamsters. It was hauled to the ox power
unit and on Saturday a crew of men spent most of the day "Bucking-up"
firewood and delivering loads. We kept 16 fires going. The only cost was
the chain saw we used in the woods for cutting logs into hauling lengths
and sharpening the big saw blades at the Amish place. It cost an average
about of $200 a winter to heat the whole farm and community.
We only cut dead trees. During the summer we would go into the woods and
mark the dead trees with red and orange paint. It was easy to tell the
dead trees as they had no leaves. In the winter when all the leaves have
fallen from the live trees its hard to tell what's dead. However, all
the dead trees were marked so it made gathering the firewood much
easier.
How are your endeavors progressing? I'll try and get the copies of the
plans into the post this week. The video will take a little longer.
Actually I thin Hare Krsna dasi was mentioning about getting these plans
on the ISCOWP WEB page, but that would be later on.
Your servant,
Balabhadra das
From: Syamasundara (das) (Bhaktivedanta Manor -
UK) Syamasundara@pamho.net
Sent: Friday, May 05, 2000 11:09 PM
Subject: Ox Power Unit
Dear Balabhadra Prabhu
Please Accept my humble obeisances. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Thank you for your letter and offer of help regarding the gear head
plans.
As it turns out we have practically completed it now. Just a few
finishing touches over the next few days.
We have used a 30 ton truck axle and differential as well as two truck
gear boxes. The finished PTO is 750 (the same as a tractor PTO) and so
there are a whole array of equipment we can use.
Immeadiately we will be rolling grain (this we were doing with the
antique one) and milling flour and coursely grinding beans.
I was wondering whether to make it mobile but as we have considerable
work with it regularly I decided to make this static. Pehaps next year
when Radhe Shyam returns again we can consider making a mobile one.
It has been made so we can work 8 oxen at a time although I think for
most work we do one team will suffice. There are two take of points so
we can run two machines simultaneosly each going at different speads,
this we acheived by using two gear boxes.
On a personal note my family and I are intending to visit New Vrndavana
in a few weeks. we will probably be there in the begining of June. We
will be in the USA from 20th May until 11th June. I am looking forwqard
to meeting you any seeing for myself all the incredible things you are
doing there. I should have some photographs of our project here and I
will bring them with me.
Yours in the service of the cows
Syamasundara dasa
From: Mark Middle Mountain
gourdmad@access.mountain.net
Sent: Saturday, May 06, 2000 11:53 AM
Subject: Re: Ox Power Unit
We have used a 30 ton truck axle and
differential as well as two truck gear boxes. The finished PTO is 750
(the same as a tractor PTO) and so there are a whole array of
equipment we can use.
750 rpm? US tractor's PTO run at 2100 rpm.
On a personal note my family and I are
intending to visit New Vrndavana in a few weeks. we will probably be
there in the begining of June. We will be in the USA from 20th May
until 11th June.
As you turn in the lane to go out to Balabhadra's,
you will be crossing my property. Please stop by and say hi if you have
some time.
Madhava Gosh
From: Syamasundara (das) (Bhaktivedanta Manor -
UK) Syamasundara@pamho.net
Sent: 15 June 2000 19:20
To: Cow (Protection and related issues)
Subject: Planting potatoes by oxen
I have just completed the latest stage of our
potato planting. perhaps some ouf the read3ers of this conference may be
interested and enthused to hear how it can be done using oxen.
in Autumn the land is heavily manured. It is said 20 tonnes per acre is
a good amount.
The manure is then ploughed in.
In the begining you may need two persons to help you plough. One person
holding the plough and one person leading the oxen (voice) or driving
the oxen (nasal harnessing). Later you will be able to plough on your
own if you have a self adjusting plough (Sulky type) if you are using
voice commands or any type of plough if you use nasal harnessing. At BM
we plough with one man using nasal harnessing. sometimes it is a bit
exciting but it is a fantastic fealing.
During the spring (Spuds are planted at around easter here in the UK)
the land may need to be p0loughed again if the weeds or grass has become
to established.
The next task is to ridge the field. to do this you need a wide yolk.
Your spud rows should be about 30-36 inches apart. The ridging yolk
should be twice the distance your ridges are apart. If your ridges are
going to be 30 inches apart then the distance between the middle of one
ox's neck piece to the middle of the other ox's neck piece will be 60
inches.
Ridging is very easy because one of the oxen will be walking in a great
big furrow left by the ridging plough.
Furrows done it is now time to plant your potatoes. Fill up a bucket
with your seed and walk down the furrows dropping a potato every foot.
If you haven't got a ruler on hand drop a potato in fromt of your own
foot and one behind it.
Now the seeds are sown they need to be covered. THIS IS THE TRICKY BIT!
I have found that it is easier to go back to the normal size yolk to
cover the potatoes. After the first row then one bull will be walking in
the new furrow and one will be walking in the older furrow. The main
thing is to cover all the potatoes. Having your lines a bit squiggly
won't really matter at this stage.
Now the potatoes are covered they should be rolled flat; or at least as
flat as you can. It is better to use a ring roller rather than a flat
one.
Every few days the land can be lightly harrowed using a chain harrow or
light harrows until the shoots start to emerge.
When the potato shoots appear then the plants can be buried again by
reridging down the rows (Ridging yolk). So now we will have returned to
rows of deep furrows and ridges.
To keep your weeds down simply go up and down the furrows using the
ridging yolk and ridging plough. One bullock walks in a furrow, in the
next furrow is the ridging plough and then in the next furrow is the
second bullock.
If you land is weedy you may need to hand hoe at least once between the
plants (the ridging plough cannot get there).
To lift out the potatoes you can get a special spud lifting plough, a
spud spinner, a ground driven spud lifter (perhaps a 6 ox job) or if you
haven't got any of these try ploughing them out.
Ox powerd spuds kijaya
ys syamasundara dasa
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