1856. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



219 



TWELFTH LEGISLATIVE AGRICULTU- 

 RAL MEETING. 



Repored for the Farmer bt H. E. Rockwell. 



The twelfth meeting of the Legislative Agricul- 

 tural Society was held in the Hall of the House, 

 Tuesday evening. 



Hon. J. W. Proctor, of Danvers, was introduced 

 as the Chairman of the meeting, and said : — 



Gentlemen: — Unexpectedly invited to preside 

 at the discussion of a topic, on which I cannot claim 

 to have any special knowledge — "the horse" — I am 

 happy to know, that arrangements have been made 

 to have a lecture from my friend Mr. Howard, of 

 the Boston Cultivator, who knows all about it. It is 

 a matter of great interest to the farmer, and the 

 entire community ; and although, on the introduc- 

 tion of railroads, it was apprehended, these move- 

 ments would, in a measure, do away with the neces- 

 sity for the horse, still experience has shown that 

 the demand for good horses has been constantly in 



evidence that horses have been bred upon the As- 

 syrian plains for thousands of years. Late re- 

 searches among oriental cities have brought to 

 light sculptured images of horses that maj be ta- 

 ken as fac similes of the Arabian in the days of Sen- 

 acherib or Nebuchadnezar. Job's sublime descrip- 

 tion of the horse would scarcely apply to a less no- 

 ble animal than the Arabian. 



The early colonists brought from different parts 

 of Europe different varieties of horses to this coun- 

 try. From those brought from Spain have sprung 

 the half-wild horses of Mexico and some of the 

 South American countries. In the United States 

 there are but few breeds. We have had, for many 

 years, the English racer. The Germans introduced 

 the heavy draft horse of their father-land, and it is 

 still perpetuated. Some specimens of the Norman 

 horse were introduced into New Jersey, but the 

 stock has not been numerous. In Canada there is 

 a breed somewhat different from the original stock, 



creasing, and never were they deemed of more val- introduced from France. In the upper provinces are 

 ue than at the present moment. I am advised by specimens of Scottish, Clydesdale and other breeds, 

 those ex])erienced in the rearing of horses, that] The horse may be called a machine, and he per- 

 there is no species of stock on the farm that pays|foi-ms certain actions corresponding to his shape 

 better for rearing than colts, when proper care is ' and proportions. Though it maybe said that 

 taken to have sires for them of the right character ;' horses of different shape perform the same things, 

 they will, at the age of three years— properly train- jit does not disprove the proposition ; for an imper- 

 ed— command remunerating prices. But I forbear feet engine may be made to run at a high speed 

 to multiply remarks, that will be so much more im- j by the application of steam. The animal machine 

 pressivelv made, by those of more experience in is set in motion by what we call nervous energy 

 this class of animals. jand force, and a large amount of this force may 



Mr. Howard, of the Cultivator, was then in- produce great results, even in a badly formed ani- 

 troduced by the chairman, as before announced, nial. It may safely be assumed, that, other things 

 to speak upon the subject of "The J?orse."— , heing equal, the best horse, in the end, is that hav- 

 He commenced by saying that the horse is a na- ; ing the truest form considered in reference to the 

 tive of thp old Continent only. And there, where- kind of action required. The qualities demanded 

 ever man has risen above the savage state, the j for different kinds of service were then pointed out. 

 horse has been held as a servant. He was pos- 1 For the race horse, the model was something like 

 sessed by the earliest civilized nations ; and from that of a hare, having the hind parts more elevated 

 time immemorial, has been propagated in a domes- than the fore quarters. The celebrated English 

 tic state, although still found in his original wild- 'horse Eclipse is said to be two inches higher at 

 ness and liberty in the vast wastes of Central Asia, the rump than the fore shoulders. A long back 

 Although the horse, in point of usefulness, cannot j is favorable for a race horse, where a long race is 

 claim superiority over some other domestic ani-'to be run with a light weight ; but a shorter back 

 mals, he has always been regarded with peculiar 'is to be preferred when a weight is to be borne a 

 interest. All the varieties of the horse are inclu- short distance. For a trotter, oblique shoulders 

 ded in one species under a zoological arrangement, and higher ones are required. Good trotters 

 Yet some varieties are so ancient that their origin never have upright shoulders. In general, the high- 

 cannotbe determined. Those of greater bulk are ' est nervous energy accompanies the firmest and 

 found in temperate climates, and those of a small- closest texture. The English race horses are de- 

 er size in elevated, exposed and rough sections of j rived from the Turkish, Persian, Arabian, Moorish 

 the country. It is difficult to account for the dif-jand Spanish stocks, with the blood of a British 

 ference between the English draft horse that weighs horse in some instances. There is no variety of 

 a ton, and the Shetland pony which weighs scarce! horse in Great Britain that has so many different 

 200 lbs. qualities as the so called thorough-bred horse. Th« 



The conformation of the Arabian horse is such term "thorough-bred" is used in England to distin- 

 as to combine great speed with great strength, to' guish the imported or Eastern blood, though the 

 carry weight upon his back, and he is, on this ac- j particular kind, whether Arabian or Moorish, is not 

 count, placed at the head of his species. There is ^specified. 



