THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE, 



311 



author is evidently an enthusiast, we cannot follow him 

 through all the disgusting and extraordinary anecdotes 

 he tells. There are, however, many pages of the book 

 that are well worthy of perusal ; for instance, the 



" GOLDEN RULES FOR FARMERS. 



" Rule 1. — If a farmer would grow rich, let him be 

 his own rat-catcher, and never let a rat rest till he has 

 killed it. Though it shall cost him a day's pay, it will 

 be pounds in his pocket. 



"Rule 2.— A live rat in the barn eats money ; while 

 a dead one in the dung-heap makes money. And 

 remember this : that the death of a rat cuts off all the 

 expenses of a worthless, hungry, multiplying family. 



" Rule 3. — If a farmer would sooner raise ricks than 

 rats, let him down wich his hedges, and drive the 

 ploughshare through the rat preserves ; and, instead of 

 rats, grow corn. If he would turn rats into gold, let 

 him fatten the soil with their carcases, and he shall reap 

 a golden harvest. 



" Rule 4.— The old proverb says, 'Look after the 

 pence, and the pounds will take care themselves.' But 

 the fourth rule says, ' Look after the rats, and the ricks 

 will look after themselves.* 



" Rule 5. — If you would go a joyous man to market, 

 and return a rich one, build all your ricks on staddles, 

 and give every man, woman, and boy warning that 

 if they put anything whatever against the stacks, or 

 under them, so as to form a ladder for the vermin— 

 that instant they are discharged ; if not, you will find 

 one-half of your grain turned into rats, which will feed 

 and fatten on the remainder. 



" Rule G. — By putting the above rules into practice, 

 the careful farmer will turn his rats into guineas ; while 

 the sluggard, by laziness, will turn his guineas into 

 rats." 



THE BEST BLOOD.— THE TOUCHSTONE STRAIN. 

 —Mr. Earle Welby, in his article on breeding riding-horses, 

 ia the new number of The Journal of the Royal Agricultural 

 Society, thus touches on the beat blood for the purpose : " At 

 the present time the Birdcatcher and Sir Hercules line ia the 

 best calculated to improve our ridiug horses. They all pos- 

 sesB action, and may be known by the general airiness 

 of their forehands and the good Betting on of their necks, 

 shoulders, and forelegs, with the drawback of a predisposition 

 to curby hocks. Theu, there is the well-known Touchatoae 

 strain ; of large size, faulty in their shoulders and ankles, and 

 remarkably powerful in their loins and hind legs ; a most 

 valuable line if judiciously crossed, combining great stoutness 

 and speed. These are the two great lines of the present day, 

 and which, by a careful admixture of blood, may be brought 

 nearer to perfection than any. Among others there is the Bay 

 Middleton line, one which has done much to diminish the 

 general utility of horses, being an infirm, leggy, and light- 

 middled sort, To this I may add the Melbourne and 

 Venison Hues ; the former notable for handing down great 

 size and good limbs, the other for possessing wiry but light 

 frames. There are many other lines of descent, but the above 

 are the moat in vogue." The character of Touchstone is fur- 

 ther confirmed by Bell's Life in London, in one of those able 

 and complete " memoirs" for which that paper is so famous. 

 Touchstone's biographer here says, " He was a horae of a nice 

 size, with the strongest thighs, hind- legs, and quarters we ever 

 saw. His chest was wide, his fore-ribs not particularly deep, 

 but they went well back, and his shoulders, though considered 

 loaded at the points, laid well. The ' heavy shoulder' charac- 

 teristic, together with his rouad quarters, he imparted to most 



of his stock, whose forte was speed, which they inherited from 

 his sire Camel, who obtained it from his dam, a Selim mare. 

 Touchstone himself could stay any distance. The crosses 

 that hit best with him were the Pantaloon, Priam, Dr. 

 Syntax, Velocipede, Whisker, Birdcatcher, Melbourne, Cat- 

 ton, Tramp, and Belshazzar; and the mares that bred most 

 successfully to him were Phryne, Ghuzuee, and Fair Helen, by 

 Pantaloon ; Crucifix, by Priam ; Beeswing, by Dr. Syntax ; 

 Mountain Sylph, by Belahazzar ; Emma, by Whisker ; Decoy, 

 by Filho da Puta; Miss Kowe, by Cattou; Verbena, by Velo- 

 cipede ; Canezou, by Melbourne ; Lady Moore Carew, by 

 Tramp ; and Vulture and Garland, by Langar. Vulture and 

 Lady Moore Carew were half sisters, out of Kite, by Bustard, 

 a son of Caatrel, who was the sire of Pantaloon ; hence the 

 origin of this very remarkable strain of winning blood. Pan- 

 taloon was an immensely powerful short-legged horse, remind- 

 ing us a good deal of both Stockwell and Rataplan, and for a 

 long period deservedly divided the honours of the Eaton Stud 

 with Touchstone. A more successful cross on both sides — 

 tracing, as so many good pedigrees do, to the same horae 

 (Selim) a few generations back— it would be impossible to dis- 

 cover ; and we may see two happy nicks in Phryne and Fair 

 Helen— Touchstone and Pantaloon reversed," 



RURAL IN-DUSTRY. 



BY MRS. L. H, SIGOURNBY. 



" Lo ! Ceres' gifts in rich profusion stand, 

 And smiUng tempt the joyous labourer's hand."— Pope. 



Work, mowers, work ! 



Sweep the swathe well ; 

 How the rich clover field 



Sighs where it fell ; 

 Like a meek Christian 

 Yielding its breath, 

 Blessing its murderers 



Even in death. 

 Work, mowers, work ! 

 Herds and flocks that patient stand. 

 When stern winter robes the land. 

 Gathering round the fsrm-yard stack. 

 With the snow-flake on their back, 

 Gladdened at the heart shall be 

 By your kindly ministry. 



Work, mowers, work ! 



Work, reapers, work ! 

 Wide o'er the plain 

 'Neath the sharp sickle 

 Heap the ripe grain. 

 Ready and willing, 



Its life-purpose one, 

 So dies the good man, 

 All his work is done. 

 Work, reapers, work ! 

 Hands thus bent on rural toil. 

 Take no part in crime and broil. 

 But on housholds high and low 

 Strength and happiness bestow. 

 O'er the board sweet comforts spread. 

 Cheer the famished poor with bread. 

 Work, reapers, work ! 



Work, farmers, work 1 



Change the rough mould 

 Into the corn-sheaf, 



Glittering Uke gold ; 

 Into the garden roots 

 Healthful and fair. 

 Into the clustering vine 



Purpling the air. 

 Work, farmers, work ! 

 Better than the soldier's trade. 

 Slaying what his God hath made, 

 Crushing down in bloody strife, 

 Hearts all redolent with life ; 

 Better is your art that fills 

 With food and joy the earth it tilla. 

 Work, farmers, work ! 



