1868. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



31 



price for his farm, and acfcpted the offer, 

 thinking he could live comfortably in the city 

 on the interest of the money. After trying it 

 six or eight months, he ollered the piu-chaser 

 $1000 to let him have the farm back again, 

 giving him the summer crops and the wheat 

 into the bargain. A farmer who sells, expect- 

 ing to buy another farm, finds it not so easy 

 to suit himself as he expected. If you must 

 sell, the better plan is to know beforehand 

 where you are going. — J. Harris, in Am. Ag. 



TBALNING THE MULE. 

 We copy from Mr. Riley's Treatise on the 

 Mule, a new Avork recently published in New 

 York by Dick & Fitzgerald, the following re- 

 marks on training this proverbially stupid and 

 contrary animal : — 



Probably no animal has been the subject of 

 more cruel and brutal treatment than the mule, 

 and it is ^afe to say that no animal ever per- 

 formed his part better, not even the horse. 

 In breaking the mule, most persons are apt to 

 get out of patience with him. 1 have got out 

 of patience with him myself. But patience Is 

 the great essential in breaking ; and in the use 

 of it you will find that you get along much 

 better The mule is an unnatural animal, and 

 hence more timid of man than the horse ; and 

 yet he is tractable, and capable of being taught 

 to understand what you want him to do. And 

 when he understands what you want, and has 

 gained your confidence, you will, if you treat 

 him kindly, have little trouble in making him 

 perform his duty. 



In commencing to break the mule, take hold 

 of him gently, and talk to him kindly. Don't 

 spring at him, as if he were a tiger you were 

 in dread of. Don't yell at him; don't jerk 

 him ; don't strike him with a club, as is too 

 often done ; don't get excited at his jumping 

 and kicking. Approach and handle him the 

 same as you would an animal already broken, 

 and through kindness you will, in less than a 

 week, have your mule more tractable, better 

 broken, and kinder than you would in a month, 

 had you used the whip. JMules, with very 

 few exceptions, are born kickers. Breed them 

 as cart-fully as you will, the moment they 

 are able to stand up, and you put your hand 

 on them, they will kick. It is, indeed, their 

 natural means of defence, and they resort to 

 it through the force of instinct. In commenc- 

 ing to break them, then, kicking is the first 

 thing to guard against and overcome. The 

 young mule kicks because he is afraid of a 

 man. He has seen those intrusted with their 

 care beat and abuse the older ones, and he 

 very naturally fears the same treatment as 

 soon as a man approaches him. Most persons 

 intrusted with the care of these young and 

 green mules have not had experience enough 

 with them to know that this defect of kicking 

 is soonest remedied by kind treatment. Care- 



ful study of the animal's nature, and long ex- 

 perience with the animal have taught me that, 

 in breaking the mule, whipping and harsh 

 treatment almost invariably make him a worse 

 kicker. They certainly make him more timid 

 and afraid of you. And just as long as you 

 fight a young mule and keep him afraid of you, 

 just so long will you be in danger of his kick- 

 ing you. You must convince him through 

 kindness that you are not going to hurt or 

 punish him. And the sooner you do tiiis, the 

 sooner you are out of danger from his feet. 



IMPORTED NORMAN HORSES. 



In 1851, Dr. M. Biown, of Pickaway 

 county, O., imported a Norman stallion from 

 France, who^e produce became so popular 

 that, shortly after, othei- parties iii Union and 

 Madison counties made several importations 

 of the same stock, which has become largely 

 infused among the horse stock of that region. 

 This season Dr. Brown and Mr. T. C. Bige- 

 low have made another importation, of which 

 the reporter of the Ohio kjUdesman, (Colum- 

 bus.) makes the Ibllowing mention: — 



We rode out to the Four Mile House yes- 

 terday afternoon, to take a good look at the 

 great monsters of horses imported by Dr. M. 

 Brown of Circleville, and Mr. Biaelow, from 

 Normandy, France. There are lour of them, 

 and they are beauties. The first in order is 

 the premium horse, Napoleon. He is a dapple 

 gray, five years old, is 16^ hands high, and 

 will exct cd 1,600 pounds in weight. This 

 horse was designed for the stables of the 

 French Government, but through the intluence 

 of Americans of high standing in Paris, the 

 Emperor gave permission for the horne to be 

 brought to this country. The next is a bay, 

 the Duke of France, six years old, 16 hands 

 high and weighing nearly 1,600 pounds. Vig- 

 orous is the third. He is a dapple gray, four 

 years old, 16 hands high, and of about 1,400 

 pounds weight. This is a larger bodied horse 

 than either of the others, and, when full 

 grown, will be the most symmetrical of the 

 lot. Black Robert, the fourth, is four years 

 old, 15^ hands high, and will weigh 1,300 lbs. 



Our Receipt for Curing Meat. — To one 

 gallon of water, take \h lbs. of salt, h. lb. of 

 sugar, k oz. of saltpetre, h oz. of potash. In 

 this ratio the pickle to be increased to any 

 quantity desired. Let these be boiled together 

 until all the dirt from the sugar rises to the top 

 and is skimmed off. Then throw it into a tub 

 to cool, and when cold, pour it over your beef 

 or pork, to remain the usual time, say four or 

 five weeks. The meat must be well covered 

 with pickle, and should not be put down for 

 at least two days after killing, during which 

 time it should be slightly sprinkled with pow- 

 dered saltpetre, which removes all the surface 

 blood, &c., leaving the meat fresh and clean. 

 — Germantown Telegraph. 



