60 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Feb. 



MARE3 VSBSU3 GELDINGS. 



Farmers generally do not seem to be fully aware 

 of the benefits which they might derive from the 

 use of mares, instead of geldings. Farm work 

 for horses is coriiparatively light. It is slow work. 

 They are not necessarily exposed to labor which 

 produces heaves, fminder, spavin, broken wind, 

 etc., etc. These are all caused by unnecessary 

 exposure, indulgence in eating and drinking, un- 

 der unfixvorable circumstances, or over-driving ; 

 or, by two or more of these causes combined. It 

 is true it is necessary for horses to perform some 

 work upon a farm, Avhich draws severely upon 

 their nature ; but, for the most part, farm work 

 is steady, evei-y day work, where horses can be 

 well fed and cared for. Consequently mares are 

 just as good farm workers as geldings. 



If such is the fact, we propose to show farmers 

 that they should, for their own benefit, keep mares 

 for farm work instead of geldings. With proper 

 treatment, a good breeding mare will bring a colt 

 every year, without interfering materially with the 

 operations of the farm. 



If the necessary pains has been taken to secure 

 the services of the best stallion, the colt will be 

 woi-th, when a year old, one hundred dollars ; 

 and, by the time he is old enough to use, he should 

 be worth two hundred dollars. AVell, if the colt 

 is worth one hundred dollars at a year old, and 

 the service of the horse costs twenty dollars, it 

 leaves eighty dollers for the use of the money in- 

 vested in the mare, as her labor A\ill certainly pay 

 for her keeping. Now, if the mare is worth two 

 lumdred dollars, the eighty dollars would pay 

 forty per cent, interest annually upon the invest- 

 ment, which is far better than loaning money at 

 three per cent, a month, as there is, in this case, 

 no usury law for debtors to avail themselves of; 

 and then there is no more risk in the mare than 

 there would be in a gelding, not so much, even, 

 This is only the profit of one year. 



The same can be done for a succession of years. 

 And you can just as well keep a span of mares on 

 your farm, and, after two or three years, have a 

 span of fine horses to sell every year, as to keep 

 a lot of stock which will neither increase in num- 

 ber or value. 



Now, if you keep geldings, they are not so 

 hardy naturally,we think, and do not live so long, 

 and when once done with work, are of no manner 

 of account to any one, and mercy requires you to 

 knock them on the head. On the contrary, when 

 your mares are advanced somewhat in years, or if 

 they become lame from any cause, you can still, 

 under ordinary circumstances, make them of great 

 service to you by raising colts. 



But there are certain kinds of labor to which the 

 gelding is better adapted. They are generally, 

 we think, more fleet, and consequently better fit- 

 ted for roadsters. They are also possessed of 

 more muscular power, and, consequently, better 

 fitted for heavy draughts. 



We could find many purposes to which geld- 

 ings are better adapted than mares. We would, 

 tlierefore, advise not only farmers, but all who do 

 not severely task their horses with labor, to keep 

 mares by all means. We would also advise them 

 to obtain the best mares, and the services of the 

 best stallions, as the colts will sell for enough 

 more to doidily pay the trouble and expense. 

 And, besides the profit to the raiser of horses, the 



community would be benefited by an increase in 

 number, and a decrease in the price of horses, in a 

 few years, 



A fanner who keeps only two horses, and botli 

 geldings, will be compelled to purchase a team of 

 some one else when his is done with Avork ; where- 

 as, if his team is composed of mares, he is pre- 

 paring a team to take their places, when they are 

 turned out to take their rest, either on account 

 of old age, or for any other cause. 



Farmers should keep as little non-producing 

 stock around them as possible. Evei7thing should 

 be made to pay the best possible per centage, with 

 fair usage. Then, we say to farmers, sell your 

 geldings and purchase mai-es, and see if our ad- 

 vice is not good in the end. — Northivesteim Far. 



For the New England Farmer. 



LITTLE THINGS BY THE WAYSIDE. 

 Ho. 4. 



PUMPKINS FOR MILCn COWS. 



It has long been an unsettled question with 

 farmers, whether pumpkins fed to milch cows 

 were actually beneficial. One of the best farm- 

 ers I know, says they will improve the qualUt/ 

 but will not increase the qiianiiti/. After feeding 

 them to his cows for thirty years, he believes 

 them of no essential value in this case, as the 

 cows require even better feed after having been 

 fed with them. That ripe pumpkins are good for 

 fattening stock there is but little doubt, but a 

 small quantity (at least) of corn rneal should be 

 used with them for this purpose. The best arti- 

 cle I have seen these many years upon the "Man- 

 agement of ]Milch Cows," is in your weekly of the 

 28th inst., from the Oaiesee Farmer. Every 

 milkman or farmer should place it upon his mem- 

 orandum : it is a volume in hcenfy lines. 



DRIED CORN FODDER 



will give milch cows a back set, and should not 

 be fed them when quantity of milk is desira- 

 ble. Well cured corn fodder Avill improve the 

 (piality, but not in a corresponding ratio to the 

 loss of quantity. This is also true of the "old 

 fogg," or frost bitten grass of this season of the 

 year. Allow them to feed upon it now, and you 

 lose milk. 



HILLING CORN 



is a matter of Mhich theorists have had much to 

 say, and led many a farmer to disbelieve the well- 

 grounded opinions of his own actual experiments. 

 Our corn crops in New England are grown in 

 about ten Aveeks, (from the middle of June to the 

 first of September,) and this growth depends al- 

 most entirely upon artificial means ; that is, ma- 

 nuring, plowing, hoeing. The system of cultiva- 

 tion that advances its growth with the greatest 

 rapidity would seem to be most in accordance 

 with the laws of Natural Philosophy. The appli- 

 cation to the roots of vegetable stimulant, light 

 and heat, is the means by Avhich the growth is 

 secured. At every hilling not only the Aveeds 

 are cut up, Avhich suck up the dcAVS and shoAvers 

 that fall upon the ground, and Avhich are drank 

 in by the thousands of little fibres of roots Avhich 

 the corn stock throAvs out near the surface to sup- 

 ply it Avith food and nourishment, but every suc- 

 ceeding hilling induces a ncAV set of roots to 



