THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



547 



Thinking thus, we will recur to this subject 

 Rgain, aiui endeavor to eiiow, as concisely ;i8 

 possible, what is the exact nature of the iiiinc- 

 ralizing process of Sir lluniphroy Davy and ol 

 M. .Rouclierie — also, n)ore lully, what are the 

 advantages to be derived from mineralization, 

 with the data and authoriiies in support of the 

 process. It will be lound that, althougli the 

 public mind in America is absolutely umnlorni- 

 ed upon this whole topic, there is really no 

 question whatever among ihe scieiuific in regard 

 to the importance ol the discoveries alluded to, 

 ,or the feasibility of their practical applicaiion. 



EREEDIXG OF STOCK. 



From tlie Franklin Farmer (of 1838.) 



Having, to some extent, been engaged in this 

 business lor the last thirty-five years, and not 

 altogether an inalteniive observer of the various 

 fluctuations which have occurred durinijthat time 

 in this important interest, I have thought it might 

 not be entirely useless to address a lew reflections 

 on this subject, to those interested in breeding 

 and raising stock, through the columns ol your 

 useful paper. 



The abundant yield of the rich soils of the 

 valley of the Mississippi, under a proper course 

 ot culture, enables the grazier and feeder of stock 

 to increase his operations to an extent unequalled 

 by that of any oilier section of our union. The 

 grand desideratum then is so to use his means 

 as to make them most productive. I will eni:^ 

 merate some of the errors which have fallen 

 under my own notice. About thirty-five years 

 ago, great exertions were used to introduce the 

 thorough-bred horse, and various fine animals 

 were brought to Kentucky, of English importa- 

 tion. But few of them were purchased there, ol 

 celebrity, until they became so old as to have 

 fallen into disrepute. It is a matter there of ge- 

 neral notoriety, that between the age of ten 

 and twenty years, is the time of life, when the 

 immediate descendants of the horse are most 

 powerful, muscular, vigorous, and capable of 

 endurance. But alter he has reached twenty, it 

 rarely happens, however celebrated may have 

 been hia produce, that they have afterwards any 

 claims to celebrity, as runners.) Those interest- 

 ed in the success of the importation of that day, 

 had the address to convince the popular mind 

 that the mixed blood which were then raised 

 should be abandoned, and the thorcugh-bred take 

 their places. All who were able to raise the 

 means of breeding to the full-bloods did so, and 

 the consequence was degeneracy ensued — their 

 produce were weakly, delicate, and restive — 

 possessing few, if any, of the qualities requisite 

 for the saddle, or farm. Such as were no*, run- 

 ners, (and of that number there were very few,) 

 were unfit lor any other valuable purpose ; many 

 at lour years old would not command the money 

 it cost to have them sired. 



Disappointed with the bad succees attendant 

 on this experiment, another sllll worse was resort- 

 ed to. Large, coarse, clumsy horses, of the | 

 Conestoga breeds, were then brought ; they also 

 were freely patronized, and the opposite extreme 

 followed, their produce were of unwieldy size, 



clumsy, deficient in wind, hard to keep, and ut- 

 terly unfit liir domesiic use or foreign market. 

 Next came the Jack, and breeding of mules Ibr 

 many years was attended with great success, 

 owing to the extensive demand and high prices 

 paid lor them by the planters of the South. But 

 this, like most other pursuits which the great 

 body of western producers turn their attention 

 to, is now overdone. Nearly all the breeders are 

 either raising the blood horse or the mule, neither 

 of which are suited to the saddle, carriage or 

 stage ; the one being too restive and weakly ; the 

 other too obstinate and slow. The object of the 

 foregoing remarks is not to discourage breeding 

 of either of the classes of stock above enumerated 

 or to detract from the great merits of the blood 

 horse, but to sugjrest the advantage of dividing, 

 and equalizing this business, so as to insure suc- 

 cess to all. It is idle to suppose that mares of 

 coarse blood and clumsy, or of diminutive size, 

 will produce racers. Equally so would it be to 

 expect small, delicate, blood mares to produce 

 large and saleable mules. The large, coarse 

 mares should be bred to the choice Jacks of the 

 country ; the smaller mares to the substantial, 

 well formed, active half-blood horse, and the 

 thorough-bred (of good size only) to the full 

 blood, and proven race-horse. By attentively 

 observing these rules of breeding, great improve- 

 ment would be made in each variety of stock, 

 and a sufficient number ot all kept in the country, 

 to supply the home and foreign demand, all com- 

 manding fair prices. The great error <o be avoid- 

 ed is that of running with the popular current 

 from one extreme to another, unmindful of the 

 inevitable consequence of increasing the supply 

 beyond the demand. S. 



THE NECESSARY CONSEQUENCES OF ADMIT- 

 TING THE PLEA FOR THE CONTINUED SUS- 

 PENSION OF SPECIE PAYMENTS. 



Since the publication of our preceding number, 

 there have appeared, for the first time, several 

 articles in the newspapers protesting strongly 

 against the resumption of specie payments by the 

 banks of Virginia, at the time fixed by the existing 

 law ; and indeed at any time before the banks of 

 Pennsylvania and Maryland shall pay specie. 

 We do not propose to notice any articles which, 

 judged either by their manner, or their source, or 

 both, are obviously part of the bought services of 

 mercenary bank hirelings. But there are writers 

 whom we believe to be, and respect as, disinterest- 

 edly speaking in behalf of what they deem the 

 public good ; and in regard to i/ieir objections, and 

 strictly to the question only, we shall make a few 

 remarks. 



And first, let it be observed that no one has 

 pretended to advocate or justify the general pro- 

 cedure of the banks of Virginia in any one thing 

 ol the numeioMs particular abuses that we have 

 condemned, as being right per se, proper, or bene- 

 ficial to the community and to general interests. 



