No. 10. 



Haymaliivg. 



313 



bably not do so, without due attention to the 

 cliange thus made in place and circumstance. 

 It is science that is their instructor. 



Morgan, in his Treatise on Horsemanship, 

 published about two centuries back, tells his 

 readers to " put one bottle of sherry into a 

 pint of water, as the ordinary drink of a horse, 

 with much bread. The blood being derived 

 from horses originally brought from the East, 

 the wine is necessary to keep up the heat of 

 blood required in this country." This treat- 

 ment would now be laughed at as injurious; 

 and it is to be doubted whether the grooms 

 of those days did not appropriate the greater 

 portion of the wine to their own share, and 

 no less to the advantage of their horses. 



Finding, then, that not only man, but birds 

 and flowers, as well as many things, intend- 

 ed perhaps less for use than ornament, are 

 capable of undergoing mutations of various 

 kinds, it would be folly to suppose that ani- 

 mals adapted and given to man for his neces- 

 sities, are not capable of similar changes 

 ■without detriment to their strength and con- 

 stitution. It is true, that, like the plants be- 

 fore alluded to, those animals would degene- 

 rate without proper care ; but the all-seeing 

 Providence that has so bountifully provided 

 these " creatures to our uses," has also en- 

 dowed us with reasoning faculties, so as to 

 enable us to reap the full advantage from 

 them. Although it is impossible to prevent 

 the infirmities of age, it is at all events in our 

 power to avoid or protect the beasts of the 

 field, sent as they are for our good, from wan- 

 ton or inconsiderate ill-treatment. Much of 

 their present sufferings, without any maudlin 

 sensibility, might be alleviated by the dif- 

 fusion of more knowledge on the subject 

 amongst persons who ought to feel interested 

 in such matters. It is our duty to use, not 

 abuse, the creatures made for our service, and 

 for that purpose to avail ourselves of any 

 means best calculated to prolong their exist- 

 ence. Such must be in fact the wish of every 

 reflecting man, who keeps, in particular, a 

 horse, or horses, not only from feelings of 

 humanity, but also for the sake of profit ; and 

 we may feel assured that in all cases the best 

 and wisest policy is to treat a horse with kind- 

 ness and gentleness. The tendency to act 

 wrong in this respect proceeds less from 

 hardness of heart than from the absence of 

 competent knowledge upon the subject, as 

 we have already hinted, the mass of infor- 

 mation concerning it being spread over, or 

 scattered through, so many extensive works, 

 that few people have leisure for the perusal 

 of them. 



Every man has in his own life follies enonph— in his 

 own mind, troubles enough— in the perlbrmancc of Ins 

 duties, deficiencies enough, without being curious alter 

 the affairs of others. 



Haymaking. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Sir, — As the season for haymaking is near 

 at hand, I feel desirous of bringing your nu- 

 merous readers acquainted wiTii a practice, 

 which is based on so true a thcort/, that — aa 

 ought always to be the case — they go hand 

 in hand to the end of the chapter. As so 

 much of the happiness of the farmer depends 

 on the stock of hay which lie can prepare 

 for his winter consumption, any information, 

 tending to facilitate the process, and at tiio 

 same time lessen the labour and expense and 

 hazard of the business, I consider of great 

 iinportance. The following observations, re- 

 flections and instructions, are therefore pre- 

 sented to their notice, by their friend and 

 well-wisher 



Jonah Corbit. 

 N. J., 1st May, 1840. 



" Having observed, that in a season where 

 there was no rain whatever, and the hay had 

 been made with rapidity, and carried within 

 a short time after it had been cut, that a 

 greater quantity had been injured by being 

 over-heated and burnt, than in a catching, 

 irregular season ; that when hay had not 

 heated in the stack, it was frequently 

 mouldy ; that as hay lost its native greea 

 colour and approached a brown, it lost its 

 nutritive qualities ; and that, altogether, the 

 making of hay, as usually conducted, was a 

 very precarious and troublesome opera- 

 tion ; I determined on trying to arrange a 

 system on more regular and certain princi- 

 ples, and in which I succeeded : and by 

 adopting a certain and regular course of ope- 

 rations, was enabled to make my hay of a 

 uniform good quality; and, let the weather 

 be as it might, at a pretty regular expense 

 for labour, and considering such a process 

 not only of importance, as it insures a more 

 perfect quality, but as it aff"ords a more cer- 

 tain protection against the injuries usually 

 consequent on the uncertainty of the weather, 

 and over-heating in the stock, and that it thus 

 removes two great causes of anxiety, it may 

 be well worth the public attention. 



In the first place, then, as to the state of 

 the weather — it generally happens at this 

 season of the year, that there are three or 

 four rainy and three or four dry days ; * there- 

 fore, on beginning to cut the grass, as it is 

 well known that grass may be cut and suf- 

 fered to remain in the swarth for several days 

 without injury; and it being desirable, where 

 hands are plenty, to have a good quantity, 

 or as much as will complete a stack in a day, 

 in the same state of forwardness, I should 

 prefer, rather than to wait for fine weather. 



* In England. 



