THE GENESEE FARMER. 



281 



HOW TO CATCH A HORSE. 



Co catch a horse in a pasture is frequently no 

 y task. " You cannot catch an old horse with 

 iff;" and it sometimes happens that you cannot 

 ch him with grain. Who has not chased a horse 

 »ut the pasture for half an hour, vainly hoping 

 jatch him at every turn ? At length you got 

 l into a corner; "now I have you, old boy," you 

 1, when presto ! he makes a sudden dash and 

 es you the slip again ; then with arched neck 

 I elevated tail he gives a snort and throws up 

 heels, his bright shoes glistening in the summer 

 . which is nearly melting you. This is no fancy 

 tch. We have all gone through such expen- 

 ds. To avoid this trouble, a writer in the Valley 

 rmer recommends the following treatment : 



1 When young horses are running to grass, give 

 m salt occasionally, and let them fondle about 

 i, making as little show as possible of trying to 

 hold of them. There is nothing surer to spoil 

 orse forever than to run as if trying to hem him 

 and yelling at him authoritatively, or scolding; 

 can see, just as well as you know, that he is out 

 rour reach. To put on the cap sheaf, whip him 

 erely for causing trouble, and my word for it, 

 next time you want to catch him, he ' will not 

 3n to the voice of your charming, charm you 

 er so wisely.' 



Horses learn a great deal by signs. In begin- 

 g to teach them to be caught, go toward them 

 the near side, slowly and cautiously, making no 

 lonstrations at all. If the animal begins to 

 k off, stop, and whistle, or otherwise manifest 

 ifference, until he becomes quiet again, then 

 roach as before. When you are so close as to 

 confident he will not escape you, speak kindly 

 lim, and hold up one hand, ready to touch him 

 the withers, and thence pass it along the neck 

 il you can get hold of his head, but do not seize 

 t with a grab, as this tends to excite fear after- 

 *d. By practising this course, using the sign, 

 , holding up the hand when you are a little 

 ;her away each time, a horse may be taught to 

 ) and be caught, even when in considerable glee 

 tying), simply by holding up the hand and using 

 le familiar phrase, such as whoa boy, &c. By 

 y of caution, however, watch his actions and 

 rations closely during his tutoring, and if at any 

 e or from any cause, you see that he is going to 

 , do not by any means say anything or hold up 

 ir hand, as the sign given and disobeyed a few 

 es will almost inevitably prevent your making 

 thing out of it in future." 



/entilate the Barns. — The New York Evan- 

 Ist says the moisture arising from hay and grains 

 wed in barns, increases their liability to be 

 ick by lightning. The barns should be well 

 itilated after harvest. To leave a wide opening 

 opposite sides, when convenient, is safer than to 

 st to a single ventilator in the roof. 



SEVEN HINTS WORTH THINKING OF. 



The New Hampshire Journal of Agriculture, 

 under the above heading, gives the following sensi- 

 ble and timely advice : 



Clean Up. Look out sharp for the condition of 

 your sink drains ; see that all the foul matter is 

 properly carried off, and that every corner where 

 fetid matter will accumulate is treated to a, good 

 coat of whitewash. It is a cheap remedy, but often 

 saves life. Nature has kindly provided us with a 

 warning against harm in the sense of smell. That 

 which is hurtful, is also repulsive, consequently 

 when the warning is given do not neglect it. 



Air the Cellar. In many a house the cellar is 

 badly ventilated, and the air rushing up the stair- 

 way will almost knock you down. It is of the 

 utmost importance that the place where the food 

 of the family is kept, should be clean and sweet. 

 All refuse vegetable matter, boxes, barrels, and 

 anything under which worms and crawling crea- 

 tures love to congregate, should be often removed 

 or overhauled. 



A Great Fault. On some farms the barns and 

 hog-pens are so near the house, that the odor from 

 either or both is wafted by every breeze through 

 all the house, and a cool draft of air is poisoned to 

 all delicate sense of smell. A farm house ought to 

 be of all others in the world, the sweetest and most 

 fragrant place. The scent of apple-blossoms, of 

 clover, of new-mown hay, of ripened fruit, are ever 

 about it, while there is no excuse for crowding 

 buildings together. Besides this, the wife and 

 children should have their flower garden, and the 

 yard about be kept scrupulously neat. 



Look out for Shoes. Horses and cattle, when 

 at work, must be securely shod. In the hurry of 

 the season, a horse often goe3 neglected just one 

 day too long, and gets lame, perhaps for a week, 

 and perhaps for the season ; while worse accidents 

 often happen in consequence of neglect. Danger 

 to life and limb is often averted by a nail put se- 

 curely in its place. 



Keep an Eye on the Meal Chest. Some farm- 

 ers are forever getting out of meal in a dry time, 

 as well as running short just when it is most incon- 

 venient to attend to the matter. A little calcula- 

 tion will enable one to avoid this trouble. 



A Tight Roof. The sudden and heavy showers 

 that are coming this season will disclose many a 

 leak in roofs hitherto supposed to be secure. If the 

 leak is where it will do no damage, lose no time in 

 repairing; as, what is gained by the delay is gene- 

 rally lost many times over by increased damage. 



Apples are now dropping from the trees. If 

 your orchard is where you cannot let the pigs in, 

 pick up all the wormy windfalls, every day. It will 

 pay, for every apple has the worm that does the 

 mischief, and will produce another brood of these 

 pests of the farm. A little attention to this thing 

 for a few years will diminish the number of wind- 

 falls and wormy apples greatly. 



A correspondent of the Ohio Farmer raises 

 peas as fodder, and finds them excellent. He cuts 

 them when the pods are well filled, and before they 

 begin to dry. He feeds them to his cows. 



