NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



415 



sequently his value — an art well understood by few, 

 yet very simple, plain, and easy. In this place it 

 may be well to say, that heavy shoes on a horse will 

 cause him to pick up his feet, raising them much 

 higher than if he were barefooted, or if the shoes 

 were light. This fact may suggest an idea in the 

 management of stumbling horses, which do not lift 

 the feet sufficiently high. Horses intended for car- 

 riages should not be ridden to spoil the pace, unless 

 they are to be driven with breast collars, which is 

 said to stiffen them. In the south, horses are always 

 kept to one use, and consequently they are much 

 better adapted, than in the north, to their various 

 uses — a natural consequence, however, of increased 

 wealth. In many parts of the world, the nature of 

 the surface renders it unpleasant to ride in wheel 

 carriages. This is the case in Kentucky. Here, 

 horses for people not aged are ridden ; and although 

 in a very level part of the world this would be very 

 tedious, among our hills, and rocks, and ridges, and 

 beautiful scenery, it is fine riding, and one enjoys a 

 ride more than any where else in the world, almost. 

 Horses here are taught to pace, and are very tine for 

 the saddle. A Yankee coming south, and trying to 

 manage a trained horse, if it be a spirited one, is 

 usually run away with, from trying to guide the 

 horse with pulling one rein. Both reins should be 

 drawn in the direction in which you would go, press- 

 ing the reins against the horse's neck ; and the horses 

 are the most tractable imaginable. Horses are made 

 to pace by a twitching of the reins not easily de- 

 scribed. Teaching the pace to them may be done by 

 alternately jerking the reins, cither with or without 

 the half-pound lead weight strapped to the fetlocks. 

 In riding or driving, the Unes should always be held 

 in one hand only. In the level southern country, 

 horses are ridden on the gallop, or lope, as it is called, 

 the roads being very even, but lying among planta- 

 tions and through pastures with many gates to open. 

 It has been said that a horse that can icalk well can 

 do every thing else well, and indeed, it is the most 

 valuable gait a horse can have. In this, as in other 

 movements, the rule may apply ; get the horse to 

 doing the thing, and then make him keep doing it. 

 Horses and men do most things as a matter of habit, 

 and habits ai-e the result of practice ; and almost any 

 one may make a horse take the kind of action they 

 desire. Many men, with great secrets in breaking 

 horses, have travelled the country ; and a revelation 

 of the secrets shall form the subject of another ar- 

 ticle. G. M. L. 



Elliston, Ky., 1850. 

 — Dollar Newspaper. 



DOMESTICATING WILD FOWLS. 



We have frequently called the attention of our 

 readers to the subject of taming or domesticating 

 ■wUd fowls, especially water-fowls. There is no 

 doubt that all the domestic fowls that we now 

 have were obtained by taming them from a wild 

 state. There may be many more domesticated in 

 the same way, if pains were only Uikcn to do it. 

 Those who have tried the experiment, say that it 

 requires them, or the species, to be tamed three gen- 

 erations, to bring them down to a thoroughly domes- 

 ticated state. There are many splendid species of 

 ■water-fowl, that, if tamed, would not only make use- 

 ful additions to the Hocks of the poultry-yard, but 

 add greatly to the beauty of those tlocks. For in- 

 stance, tliat elegant and most beautiful of the duck 

 tribe, known as the xruod duck. We have known, 

 occasionally, individuals of this species to be tamed 

 in Maine, but have not lieard of any sj'stematic 

 efforts being made to j)crpetuate them in a domestic 

 State. The following, from the Family Visitor, gives 



the most authentic account that we have seen of 

 any number being domesticated. 



This account states that H. T. Kirtland, Esq., of 

 Mahoning county, Ohio, succeeded, on several occa- 

 sions, in domesticating that beautiful bird, and at 

 one time liad on hand a considerable Hock. 



He had trained a small dog so thoroughly that it 

 would pass along the shores of the bayous in the 

 vicinity, during the summer, where flocks of the 

 old and young ducks were congregating, and before 

 the latter were sufficiently fledged to take wing. 



Alarmed at the approach of an enemy, the old 

 ones would sound their peculiar notes and fly away, 

 and the ducklings stealthily run on shore, and con- 

 ceal themselves among the weeds and grass. The 

 faithful dog would trace them out one by one, and 

 as soon as he had detected one, would place it be- 

 tween his two forepaws, and retain it without injury. 

 In this way he could take any desirable number. At 

 one time he had a large flock that Avcre full grow^l 

 and in their full plumage, Avhich in the males is 

 more beautiful than the peacock, or any American 

 bird. 



They were restrained within the enclosures of hia 

 garden and door-yards, containing perhaps an acre 

 of ground, and were apparently as tame as our com- 

 mon domestic Mallard, (the common tame duck.) 



At a time when some of them were preparing 

 their nests in hollow logs furnished them for that 

 jDurpose, a mischievous polecat found his way into 

 the premises, and destroyed several of the females. 

 This interrupted them for that season. The sur- 

 vivors were neglected, and suflered to escape into a 

 creek in the vicinity, and before the return of another 

 season were destroyed by hunters. 



We have been told that they have been domes- 

 ticated by some farmers on Long Island. 



There has recently been organized, in Boston, a 

 society called the " S"cw England Society for the Im- 

 provement of Domestic Fowls." 



Would it not be a legitimate and praiseworthy 

 object for this society to pay attention to this method 

 of improving domestic fowls r They miglit oiler in- 

 ducements to those who are in convenient situations 

 for taking and taming wild fowls, to do so. At any 

 rate, their influence and scope of action would be 

 greater than that of any single individual. We 

 respectfully recommend it to tlieir attention. 



In the mean time, we should be happy to hear any 

 facts bearing upon this subject, with which our read- 

 ers could furnish us. 



P. H. Since writing the above, the report of the 

 committee of sui>ervision of the first exhibition of 

 Domestic Poultry has come to hand. We find by 

 this, that E. S. liand, of Dedlmm, Mass., exhibited 

 specimens of the common or wood duck. Nothing 

 more is said in regard to them. — Maine Farmer. 



MAKE YOUR OWN CANDLES. 



Take twelve ounces alum for every ten pounds of 

 tallow, dissolve it in water before the tallow is put 

 in, and then melt the tallow in tlie ahim ^^ ater, with 

 frequent stirring, and it will clarify and harden the 

 tallow, so as to make a most beautiful article, for 

 either summer or winter use, almost as good as 

 sperms. 



If the wick lie dipped in spirit of turpentine, the 

 candles will reflect a much more brilliant light. — 

 American Farmer. 



One of the sublimest things in the world is plain 

 truth. — Bultcer. 



