164 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



April 



For the New England Farmer. 



"HOW TO RAISE COLTS." 



Mr. Editor: — In your paper of the 19th inst., 

 I find some important inquiries under the above 

 heading, to which "A Subscriber" requests an early 

 answer, through the columns of the Farmer, As I 

 have for several years been a subscriber for the 

 Farmer, and have not directly contributed to its 

 columns ; and, having had experience in relation to 

 the subject matter of "a subscriber's" inquiries — I 

 offer the result of my experience and observation to 

 the consideration of all those of your readers who 

 feel an interest on this subject. 



I shall not attempt to answer the inquiries of "a 

 subscriber" in the order in which he has placed 

 them, but vdW endeavor to make myself intelhgible 

 on the whole subject. It is no damage, either to a 

 mare or the colt, to work her moderately up to the 

 day of her bringing forth ; and regular exercise is 

 beneficial. 



After she has foaled, the mare should be allowed 

 to rest for one week ; meanwhile, she should be 

 handled every day, so as to accustom the colt to 

 meet you without fear. 



After the first week, the mare may be worked 

 regularly ; but care should be taken that she nei- 

 ther become weai-y, heated, or thirsty ; under these 

 restrictions, no harm will arise, either to the mare 

 or her colt. 



Colts may be weaned at any age, as well as a 

 calf or a baby ; and they should be at once, if it is 

 required that the mare be put to hard work ; but 

 in such cases, there is danger of injuring the mare. 

 It is generally best to w^an a colt the latter part of 

 September, without regard to age. Process — con- 

 fine the colt in the barn where there is no 

 chance of injury by tryins; to get out, and remove 

 the mare to such a distance that neither can hear 

 the other's call. Visit the colt several times the 

 first day, handle it firmly but kindly each time. 

 At night, give it two quarts of new milk, from the 

 cow ; selecting the cow that has most recently 

 calved, and whose milk is poorest for butter. The 

 next day, and onward, feed three times a day, from 

 the same cow. After two weeks, milk of twelve 

 hours standing may be used ; and in one month, 

 sour milk is just as good as any. While confined, 

 the colt should be constantly supplied with fine hay 

 and mellow apples ; and may be suti'ered to run 

 about the yard as soon as it becomes fond of you, 

 which will be in a few days. They make the pret- 

 tiest pets in the world. 



It is no dam age to the mare to give suck through 

 the winter, under favorable circumstances. As a 

 general rule, I prefer weaning in September, for 

 the following reasons — 1. It is favorable to the 

 mare ; the feed being short and dry, and her milk 

 scant. 2. It gives her time to recover from the 

 effects of her milk before winter. 3. It is the most 

 convenient time to learn the colt to stay contented 

 and alone. A lesson of great importance. 



Milk may be given colts while you have it to 

 spare, and then substitute swill. I have now eight 

 colts, three years old and under, each of them as 

 glad to see a pail of dish-water or pot-Hquor as a 

 shoat. 



I believe roots are valuable food for colts of any 

 age. Oats or grain of any kind should not be giv- 

 en before they are fit for the harness ; unless, by 

 some means the colt is pining, and then roots or 

 milk are better. 



I do not believe it an advantage to keep colts 

 high ;" give them such food as will develop heal- 

 thy bone and muscle ; and, though they will not 

 get their growth as young, they will ultimately 

 grow as large, and have far more stamina ; and are 

 much less liable to accident. 



It is generally a matter of economy to halter- 

 break colts while running with the dam. This may 

 easily be done by fastening them — either by strap 

 around the neck, or halter — to the breast of the 

 harness, giving them a chance to go either side, or 

 in front of the mare, when in harness. 



If the mare is flush in milk at the time of weaning, 

 special pains should be taken lest her health suffer 

 in the change. 



I have uniformly found my colts, when weaned 

 as above directed, gain in flesh, even within ten 

 days. Phinehas Field. 



East Charlemont, Jan. 21, 1856. 



Remarks. — We have never had the pleasure of 

 raising a colt, but believe the course suggested 

 above will lead to the best results. Too many of our 

 horses are injured or spoiled before they arrive at 

 four years of age. We shall be glad to hear from 

 Mr. Field again. 



Fur the New England Farmer. 



RURAL ECONOMY OF THE BRITISH 

 ISLES-No. 4. 



CROPS. 



I come now to consider the crops of English ag- 

 riculture — the causes and consequences of the great 

 animal production of England. The object of all 

 cultivation is to produce the greatest quantity of 

 human food upon a given surface of land. This ol>- 

 ject can be obtained by several different means. 

 We say, naturally, that wheat is the most desira- 

 ble human food, and therefore, we will sow wheat. 

 But the English farmer, after a careful considera- 

 tion of the whole subject, and the climate, says no, 

 to the proposition to sow wheat on his land — "I 

 must take a more circuitous course, and pass my 

 land through other crops, before I sow wheat : for, 

 in northern climates, one great drawback attends 

 wheat ; it exhausts the soil which bears it. It is 

 true there are certain favored lands capable of pro- 

 ducing wheat almost uninterruptedly, and where 

 land is plenty and population scanty, wheat can be 

 grown on the best soils, and then they can lie fal- 

 low ; but a period at length arrives, when land too 

 often required to bear wheat refuses to do so. It is 

 impossible for me to take many wheat crops from 

 my land ; but my land affords spontaneously an 

 abundant growth of grass for cattle." 



On these two facts, to wit, that wheat exhausts 

 his soil, and that his soil spontaneously grows grass, 

 the English farmer builds his system of agriculture 

 — or, I may say, his indirect and circuitous method 

 of raising wheat. The spontaneous grass unites 

 the feeding of cattle — the manure of cattle is the 

 best agent to renew the fertility of the soil, after 

 the exhaustion of a wheat crop. The argument is 

 simple. The more cattle I feed, the more manure 

 I have ; the more manure, the greater the richness 

 of the soil, and the production of wheat. 



At first, the English farmers contented themselves 

 with natural pastm-es for their cattle, and upon this 



