82 N. H. STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



gent farmers in both Italy and Germany on this latter 

 point, and been constantly assured by them, that moderate 

 yoke-labor was not found to be in any way injurious to the 

 cow. 



From what you know of the rude condition of rural 

 economy in the East, you will not expect much instruction 

 in any branch of it from the Orientals ; but you are aware 

 that the horse has always been highly prized by the Arabs 

 and the Turks, and that they pay great attention to the 

 breeding and training of this noble animal. It is, therefore, 

 possible that we may derive some useful lessons from their 

 experience. In Arabia and in all parts of the Turkish 

 empire, the horse is familiarized to the presence and the 

 handling of his groom and his master from the hour he is 

 foaled; he is an inmate of the household, a play-fellow of 

 the children, and he thus becomes thoroughly domesticated 

 while yet very young, but at the same time, as he is always 

 treated with gentleness, his temper is seldom spoiled or 

 his spirit broken. He is usually fed altogether on cut or 

 rather broken straw and chaff, for green grass and hay arc 

 almost equally unknown ; grain is rarely giveii, and he is 

 commonly watered but once a day. In riding he is heavily 

 bitted, and the curb is always used. He is guided to the 

 right or left, not by shortening one rein, but by a lateral 

 motion of the bridle-hand, and the bare pressure of the 

 rein on one side of the neck is sufficient to turn the animal 

 in the opposite direction. His shoes are slim oval plates 

 of iron, without corks, perforated in the centre with a hole 

 an inch and a quarter in diameter, and the large-headed 

 nails, with which the shoe is fastened, answer the purpose 

 of corks. He is generally tethered in the open air, with- 

 out shelter, at least in the summer, and, if stabled, the 

 stalls have no flooring but the ground. The stable is 

 scarcely at all darkened, and often so open as to admit 

 the full light of day. I attach importance to this point, 

 because I am persuaded that the timidity of our horses, 



