No. 8. 



Fctrmer^^ Mutual Insurance. 



257 



brance a fact which has passed immediately 

 under my notice, and which 1 pray you to 

 permit me to narrate. 



A few years ago, I had the chargfe of a 

 number of draught horses, which were used 

 sometimes on farms, and at otliers on a rail- 

 road, lor hauling coal and lime for agricultu- 

 ral purposes. These horses I purchased from 

 the adjoining counties: but there was one 

 amongst them, a black mare, which deserves 

 particular mention ; she was four years old, 

 the progeny of a cross (accidental, of course,) 

 between a very coarse and ill-formed cart- 

 horse, and a fine blood mare of the highest 

 pedigree. Her head was coarse and heavy, 

 like the sire — her beautiful neck and shoul- 

 der were the dam's. The body, including 

 the hips, which were high and bony, the 

 sire's; while the rump, and especially the 

 setting on of the tail, with the thighs and fore 

 and hind legs, to the knees and hocks, pe- 

 culiarly the dam's. The legs, below the 

 knees and hocks, with hairy fetlocks and 

 large flat hoofs, the sire's ; while her coat 

 was black as jet, and slick as a mole. So, 

 you see, she might be compared to John 

 Sniggs' horse, which every body said was 

 packed up in two parcels. 



But the disposition of this creature was 

 entirely that of the dam ; and her spirit and 

 lightness of temper, were superior to any 

 thing I ever witnessed — and, as the driver 

 used to say, " she was as handy as a Chris- 

 tian :" always first into the stable, and first 

 out of it ; and as furrow-horse of a pair-horse 

 plough, she was unequalled. She would 

 never overstep the trace, at turning; for she 

 was always up with her work, and could judge 

 of the proper distance for turning in, better 

 than many ploughmen that 1 have had — 

 would stop at the word given, in an instant, 

 and was the first to move at the sound. Spec, 

 (hernaine was Spectre,) without ever having 

 felt a whip in her life. She was hardy, and 

 a good feeder ; but could never be made to 

 carry much flesh. This, however, was not 

 in consequence of irritability of disposition ; 

 for she was never in a hurry : and when at 

 work on the railroad, where three horses had 

 sometimes to move as many as fifteen wagons 

 of lime, she would lay so steadily down to 

 her work, as never to endanger the harness. 

 A child might manage her; and in a light, 

 cart, she was remarkably tractable, with 

 great speed and bottom. 



Now, I have not the least doubt, that 

 horses of superlative strength, beauty, speed, 

 and disposition, might be bred, by crossing 

 thorough-bred mares with the handsomest 

 cart stallions — of suitaible size, of course. 

 The idea might be new, and might appear to 

 some, a sacrifice which ought not to be in- 

 dulged in ; but if carriage horses, worth one 



thousand or fifteen hundred dollars each, 

 could be bred by these means, I should like 

 to be one of the first engaged in such a sacri- 

 fice. The great advantage would be, that 

 the foal would acquire a lightness of step and 

 disposition, by running with the high-bred 

 dam, while on the contrary, foals, the proge- 

 ny of the blood horse and the cart or heavy 

 mare, are naturally apt to take up the heavy 

 step and clumsy habits of the dam, of which 

 it is oftentimes impossible to break them. 

 So that, if I were in the way of making the 

 experiment, I should not despair of breeding 

 horses that would prove the truth of the re- 

 mark, that " If Bakewell had commenced hia 

 improvement with dam the best, instead of 

 sire the best, he would have accomplished 

 the end aimed at, in one-half the time." 



G. B. 



Doylestown, Feb. 28, 1840. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 OBSERVER, NO. X3CI. 

 Fanners' Mutual Insurance* 



It is a gratifying fact a deep interest is be- 

 ginning to be felt among the farming com- 

 munity in relation to the plan of Mutual In- 

 surance against loss by fire, which was re- 

 commended in my 1.5th number. {See Farm- 

 ers' Cabinet, vol. iii., p. 44.) 



Since that article was written several local 

 societies have been formed, and are now in 

 successful operation. A number of others are 

 being formed on the same plan. And if I maybe 

 allowed to judge from the numerous inquiries 

 which reach me from various quarters, there 

 are many more in contemplation. In order 

 to aflTord a summary answer to these inquiries, 

 and to extend a knowledge of the plan as 

 wide as possible, I have determined to fur- 

 nish for the ensuing Cabinet a Form of a 

 Preamble and Constitution for such a society, 

 together with some of its most obvious By- 

 Laws, and a few explanatory remarks. If 

 the proposed form does not exactly meet the 

 views of those for whom it was prepared, it 

 may still aid them in the preparation of a bet- 

 ter one. 



CONSTITUTION 



OF THE 



FARMERS MUTUAL INSURANCE SOCIETY 

 OF 



Exposed to the continual liability to loss 

 from fire — a loss always inconvenient, and 

 often irretrievable — we are sensible of the 

 importance, and desirous of securing the ad- 

 vantages of an insurance against such loss. 

 We also believe that the only true foundation 

 of Insurance is Benevolence — and its ligiti- 

 mate object assistance in distress. We, 



