No. 1. 



Harnessing Horses. 



9 



we see that the horizontal force AE is much 

 more considerable ; but, at the same time, 

 AB is increased, and consequently the mus- 

 cular exertion required in the legs is propor- 

 lionably great : in fact, here a portion of the 

 weight of ihe load is transferred to his 

 shoulders. 



The comparative advantages, therefore, of 

 the three, do not follow any general rule, but 

 depend simply upon the peculiar qualities of 

 the particular animal employed, and his re- 

 lative capabilities of lifting and pulling, or 

 the proportion existing between the weight 

 of his body and his muscular strength. To 

 render this more clear to our own feelings, 

 we will put the case of a man. An able 

 bodied man is more adapted for lifting than 

 pulling; consequently, in his case it would 

 be advantageous to throw a certain portion 

 of the weight upon him, by making him pull 

 upwards, as in fig. 6, or what we are more 



Fig. 6. 



accustomed to see, and which amounts to the 

 same thing, applying his strength to a 

 wheelbarrow, fig. 7, and we have frequently 



Fig. 7. 



seen an ordinary man wheel 800 lbs. in this 

 manner. 



If, however, we take a person imaccus- 

 tomed to hard work, and consequently not so 

 strong in the legs, although he may be una- 

 ble even to lift the wheelbarrow which the 

 other moved with ease, still he may, by push- 

 ing horizontally, put in motion a considera- 

 ble load ; and lastly, in the case of an invalid 

 who can barely carry his own weight, if he 



lean on the back of a garden chair, he will 

 not only walk himself, but push on the chair ; 

 or a child who is yet too weak to stand, can, 

 if part of his weight be supported in a go- 

 cart, not only move himself, but also the 

 frame which supports him. These are very 

 familiar and homely comparisons, but they 

 are cases exactly similar to the three posi- 

 tions of the traces; and the argument will 

 equally apply to horses as to men. It is true, 

 we rarely use for draught a horse that can- 

 not stand; but the case is very possible that 

 a large heavy horse, otherwise not strong, or 

 one which it was not desirable to fatigue, 

 might pull better and longer, if part of the 

 weight was borne upon the carriage, or if, in 

 other words, the traces pulled upwards. And 

 we know by experience, that in the case of 

 stage-coaches, where, owing to the speed, 

 the weight of the horse's body is already 

 generally a burden to him, it is disadvanta- 

 geous to increase that weight by inclining 

 the traces much downwards ; on the contrary, 

 where we wish to obtain the utmost effect of 

 a powerful horse, or of a horse that is mus- 

 cular, but without much weight forward, it 

 is highly advantageous to augment the effect 

 of his gravity by inclining the traces even 

 as much as 1.3°, or about 1 upon 3; the strain 

 upon the traces will be then considerably in- 

 creased, and the effect augmented, provided 

 always that he is able to exert the necessary 

 strength in his legs. As far, therefore, as 

 the mere force of traction is concerned, there 

 is no particular angle which will always pro- 

 duce the greatest effect — but it must depend 

 upon the particular capability of the horse ; 

 and this in its turn varies, and is affected by 

 circumstances; for the same horse that upon 

 a level road requires no addition to his weight, 

 might be materially assisted by a slight ad- 

 dition when ascending a hill, if not continued 

 too long; and most horses would be benefit- 

 ed considerably by the oppoaite arrangement 

 in a descent, that is, by a portion of their 

 weight being borne up; they should at least 

 have no additional load thrown on them 

 while descending a hill. 



Mulberry Trees. 



There are in the vicinity of Burlington, 

 New Jersey, about three hundred and twen- 

 ty thousand mulberry trees under cultivation. 

 The Messrs. Cheeney have about 200,000; 

 Hon. Garrett D. Wail, in connection with 

 Mr. Chauncey Stone, about 40,000; Sam- 

 uel Gummere and Caleb R. Smith, 40,000; 

 and Israel Kingsman 40,000. In order to 

 favor the production of silk, these gentlemen 

 are preparing cocoonaries, intending to com- 

 mence feeding worms the present season. 



