184 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



April 



nppears in the whole book, and our American po- 

 ets are not quoted as much as they deserve. It is 

 ■with great pleasure that we notice the dedication 

 of the work to Hon. Marshall P. Wilder, who "by 

 title of his long, intelligent, generous and success- 

 ful exertions" in the cause of agriculture and kind- 

 red subjects, well merits the compliment thus ap- 

 propriately bestowed. The index of the volume is 

 one of its most perfect features, and deserves espe- 

 cial comment, because it is a matter too often neg- 

 lected or improperly performed. 



We fear it has missed one essential element of 

 popularity, in being so heavily made up, but we 

 hope also that Prof. Jenks may turn his attention 

 to this slight defect, and give us another volume of 

 Rural Songs, arranged with the excellent taste and 

 the elaborate care which mark his present work. 



A HEW GATE. 



The above cut represents a Gate of recent inven- 

 tion by L. Smith, of N. Easton, Mass. This is the 

 second one of his invention, both of which have a 

 vertical movement, and take no ground to swing 

 upon beyond the width of the posts. The one rep- 

 resented above differs from his first, by its turning 

 upon a crosstree near the lower corner of the gate, 

 hung to low posts on each side of it. This crosstree 

 being two feet or more in length, framed or bolted to 

 the gate, prevents all vibration to the same, thereby 

 rendering great strength to it. It is opened and 

 closed very easily, being balanced by weights made 

 fast to, and elevated over the crosstree. It is also 

 calculated to be opened and closed without leaving 

 the carriage. This is done by having an arm at 

 the top of the arch over the carriage-way, and at 

 right angles to it, extending a proper distance from 

 the gate. From the ends of this arm ropes are 

 suspended, and in the reach of the driver ; this rope 

 is carried along the arm and down the archway to 

 the gate, and fastened to it, in a proper place, so 

 that by pulling the rope the gate rises to an angle 

 of forty-five degrees ; then by giving immediate 

 slack to the rope, the weight will open it in full. 

 After passing through the arch the same operation 

 is to be performed in closing the gate with a simi- 

 lar rope, and operated presisely in the same way as 

 in opening. These gates can be made from the 



most rich and fanciful designs. In the above de- 

 sign the small arches at the sides of the carriage- 

 way are intended to screen the gates from view 

 when open ; and when closed, leave an opening for 

 persons on foot to pass through. A small model of 

 this gate can be seen at the new Hall of Arts, cor- 

 ner of Esses and Lincoln Streets, Boston. The in- 

 ventor is prepared to build gates of the above de- 

 scription, also, those of his first invention, which he 

 advertises in the JVew En";land Farmer. 



For the New England Farmer. 



BOSSES' EARS AHD COWS' TAILS. 



Mr. Editor : — Something was pubhshed in the 

 JVeu) England Farmer, a year or two ago, about 

 the sensibility of horses' ears, or rather the sensibili- 

 ty or nervousness of a horse manifested by the mo- 

 tions of his ears. The article appears in the month- 

 ly number of the Farmer of Dec, 1854, page 558. 

 I make the following extract : 



"The ear of the horse is one of the most beauti- 

 ful parts about him, and by this is the temper more 

 surely indicated than by its motion. The ear is 

 more intelligible than the eye ; and a person accus- 

 tomed to the horse, can tell by the expressive mo- 

 tion of that organ, almost all that he thinks or 

 means. When a horse lays his ears flat on his neck, 

 he most assuredly is meditating mischief, and the by- 

 stander should beware of his heels or his teeth. . . . 

 The hearing of the horse is remarkably acute," &c. 



I would add that my own experience confirms 

 the truth of the above, and so would every man 

 who would look into the case. In driving a horse 

 in a carriage, he appears to be sensitive to the least 

 motion, or talking, or noise, in the cax-riage behind 

 him. Hence a horse, well-trained, readily knows 

 every word of command. When he is .in full gait, 

 and all appears right behind him, his ears will look 

 forward, if I may be allowed the expression — that 

 is, his ears will be erect, straight ahead ; but if you 

 lay the lash upon him, his ears immediately turn 

 back to perceive what you are about. But if you 

 strike him very lightly, or give him a light tap on 

 his right side, he will immediately turn back his 

 right ear, but not the left; but if you just touch 

 his left side, he will turn back his left ear only. 



BUT NOW FOR A PARAGRAPH UPON COWS' TAILS. 



The tail of a cow appears to be as sensitive as 

 horses' ears. If any one doubts it, let him become 

 acquainted with the milking of them. Some cows 

 keep their tails tolerable still while milking them, 

 but if you happen to change your position while 

 milking, or even stop milking a second or two, Jfap 

 goes the tail beside your head; no matter how be- 

 smeared it is, you have got to take it ; and when 

 you arise from your milking stool, having finished 

 milking, slap comes the tail to bid you adieu. I 

 have a remembrance of an instrument to prevent a 

 cow from taking rash liberties with her tail. Turn- 

 ing to the JVew England Farmer, monthly, of 1854, 

 page 353, you have the instrument thus described : 

 "Cow Milkers' ^^ssistant. — This little imj.lement 

 wil) prevent a good deal of swearing. So you see 

 it hcs a moral bearing. Notwithstanding the prac- 

 tice is wicked, vulgar, and ungentlemanly, a good 

 many persons who milk cows swear more than 'our 

 army did in Flanders,' when provoked thereto, by a 



