

MISCELLANEOUS. 135 



nose and mouth well sponged with vinegar diluted with 

 water. Meanwhile, have the floor of the stall covered 

 (where the urine falls), and about the spot, with ground 

 plaster of Paris, it will take up and fix the ammonia 

 therefrom and relieve the air of the stable very much. If 

 that is not to be had, ground charcoal, or braes of 

 charcoal, is the next best absorbent. Of course this ap- 

 plies chiefly to a diseased stable. 



ON HARNESS. 



Great care should be taken that your narness is good 

 and strong, not only the leather but the buckles and 

 keepers should be all right ; the former should be made 

 of the very best iron. In olden time, when all buckles 

 were made of good wrought-iron and heavy, there was 

 no danger ; but now, when almost everything is made of 

 cast-iron, what they call malleable casting, I do not 

 consider any one very safe. True, if the pig from which 

 the casting is made comes from a reliable ironmaster, 

 and is made in a cold-blast charcoal furnace, and from 

 a proper combination of magnetic and hematite ores, the 

 casting may be as strong as necessary. But how is the 

 buyer of a set of harness to know all this? It is impossi- 

 ble ; therefore I recommend all gentlemen to buy from a 

 good reliable maker, charging him to test every piece of 

 iron he puts in, and be sure not to have his harness too 

 light ; it may at any time be subjected to a heavier strain 

 than expected when made, and therefore it is better to 

 have it always on the strong side. A very serious accident 

 may occur from what one not accustomed to harness may 

 think a most useless strap, and that is the outside belly- 

 band ; if it becomes unbuckled, or breaks going down a 

 hill, what chance has a horse to hold back the vehicle ? 

 Not any ; up go the shafts over his back as far as the 



