THE GENESEE FARMER, 



21 



love to read the truths of literature in the descrip- 

 tion of tlie birds and beasts of the farm earlier than 

 the word-paintings of fiction. It is not so much 

 the superior cultivation of the farm as of the man, 

 that M-e claim as an advantage gained by agricul- 

 tural libraries. We have shown that the fanner has 

 progressed. The truths which shoiald be stored in 

 •every f&rmer''s library 'are tlie cause of that progres- 

 sion. We care not through what channel it may 

 have reached him — tlie ctilumns of the newspaper, 

 the agricultural paper, or the address or lecture. 

 The ligitimate office of the agricultural library is 

 the transmission of such knowk-dge, such man-im- 

 proving trutlis, as sh;ill elevate him from tlie 

 position of the unthinking plowman to the intelli- 

 gent citizen. The time is at hand when tlie agri- 

 cultural library will be the ladder by which tlie 

 mere man will climb into mind, and avail himself 

 of the labor of worthy intellects gone before. The 

 time is not distant wlien the farmer will study yet 

 snore closely the mysteries of his occupation. We 

 are but witnessing the clearing away of tiie fog of 

 superstition and prejudice — the symbolical almanac 

 is scarcely dethroned as yet; the result will be when 

 man hits put oft' his superstition. Let it come ! Let 

 the light of knowledge shine ? 



The best way to obtain an agricultural library is 

 by the purchase of bitoks upon subjects that you are 

 interested ia. Read thoroughly, and let no precou- 

 C'ieved dogmatical narrow-mindedness prevent you 

 from being instructed. When you have read thor- 

 oughly, add to wliat you have a< befwre. You can 

 buy uiuch chea[)er by buying a (quantity at once. — 

 Yofi can not get a library of general miscellaneous 

 agricultural literature more chea[)ly than by taking 

 and preserving such papers as the Geneme Farmer. 

 By all means study to improve your mind and 

 busines**. jno. sanfield. 



Out We^, iTofX 1S57. 



THE BEST METHOD OF DESTBOYING BED BOOT. 



In destroying this pest of the farm, an ounce of 

 preventive will be found worth much more than a 

 p )und of cure. A few days' work in the spring, 

 oii the clover and wheat tields, will keep it entirely 

 off the farm: and sometimes a day's work given 

 to a slovenly neighbor, for the purpose of getting a 

 ti^eld pulled adjouHug the farm, will not be thrown 

 away, but will be like bread cast upon the waters, 

 i^fter it has once obtained a foothold upon the 

 farm, you might as well give up trying to weed it 

 out; you must stop raising winter grain or clover, 

 and must plaut corn or potatoes, or raise roots and 

 spring grain. Pursue this «eurse for several years, 

 and your land will be free from it. The hard, oily 

 nature of the seed will preserve it, In the ground, 

 many years, and when thrown near the surface 

 with the plow in the fall, it will germinate and 

 jfrow; but if the land is all plowed in the spring, 

 it destroys all that has sprung up, and any further 

 accumulation of seed in the soil, is prevented. 



JTeic/ane, Magara Co., M. Y. C. 0. WILSON. 



Ix Germany, it is as common to blanket cows 

 In winter and in wet weather, as it is to 1)lanket 

 horses in this country. This care is well repaid 

 by a greater flow of milk, and a less consumption 

 of fodder. 



BBEAKING COLTS. 



Whex the colt is two or three days old, his edu- 

 cation should commence. A halter and a few mo- 

 ments time at this age will save a deal of labor at a 

 more advanced period. A colt thus early brought to 

 terms, will not entirely forget las teaching, even if 

 allowed to run unrestrained a long time. I once 

 began with a colt at this age, merely catching and 

 holding him a few times, using no halter at all. — 

 He had just learned to be quiet in my hands when 

 I was obliged to stop handling him. When four 

 or five months old he receiued a halter quietly, - 

 and thongh large and strong, made but little resis- 

 tance. 



Tlie second or third winter the process of bitting 

 should commence. 



Procure a bridle with a gag-rein and two side 

 straps, about four feet long, a strong padded girt 

 with a check hook and two buckles about twelve 

 inches from the check hook for the side straps, a 

 back strap and crooper, and you have a good and 

 at the same time cheap bitting harness. Dress the 

 colt in this frequently, taking care to keep his mouth 

 sound. Leave the gag-rein quite loose at first, t\ir 

 the colt will find enough to distract liim without 

 being obliged to hold his head in a very unnatural 

 position. Many colts are injured seriously by being 

 incautious or unreasonable in this matter. As soon 

 as tlie colt submits, which he will evince by more 

 orderly behavior, shaking his head and champing 

 the bit, the harness should be removed and the 

 colt allowed to be quiet. By submitting, I here 

 mean merely yielding to the rein as then placed. 

 As he becomes accustomed to the bit, the check 

 may be gradually shortened until his head is 

 brought to the proper place. 



The object of the side strap is merely to draw 

 the nose in as the head is brought up, for which 

 purpose they are much better than the martingal, 

 wliich tends to draw the head down too much. 



As you go around the colt during this proce-s 

 teach him not to fear you, and begin to teach him 

 the signals for starting, stopping &c., and by the 

 time, or even before he is well bitted you may with 

 a pair of reins drive him before you at pleasure. — 

 This lesson should be well learned before beginning 

 another. Do not try to hurry matters too much 

 at any stage of the proceedings. 



Next put on the collar, and perhaps the wliole 

 of the wagon harness soon. If possible hava a gor^d 

 reliable horse to drive him with for a time. Drive 

 with discretion according to the age and strength 

 of the colt. It 19 unnatural' exercise and he soon 

 becomes tired. I would not be understood to say 

 that a colt can be worked at two or three j-ears 

 old, but if of good size and well kept, the bitting 

 may be commenced and a little very light driving 

 be done to advantage as early as the second 

 winter. 



Care must be taken not to overload a young 

 animal, or to place him in any position where he 

 will be likely to fail, for in this way balking, kick- 

 ing, and many other evil tricks are engendered. 



At all times avoid frightening him ; gain his 

 confidence by every means in your power, and 

 when he fully trusts you, your influence over him 

 will be great. To accomplish this, keep perfectly 

 cool yourself. You will, no doubt, find your pa- 

 tience sorely tried many times, but remember that 



