THE GENESEE FARMER. 



149 



WHICH ARE THE BEST HORSES TO tWEAR, THOSE 

 FIFTEEN OR SIXTEEN HANDS HIGHT 



Editors Genesee Farmer: — Size is generally 

 the measure of strength. In all unsubjugated 

 races of animals, the largest hold dominion ; and 

 what is this but the evidence of snpei'ior courage, 

 strength and endurance ? I do not see any reason 

 why the horse, when domesticated, should consti- 

 tute an exception. Perhaps our ideas of "horse- 

 flesh" are influenced by what we have heard of 

 Arabia and the turf, where fleetness is chiefly in 

 demand. In xirabia, the horse must be small; 

 climate, food, and service, have made this the inex- 

 orable rule. In England, formerly, size was not 

 regarded as of much moment; but latterly, great 

 and successful efforts have been made to increase it, 

 even in the race horse ; and if something has been 

 lost in bottom, much has been gained in power and 

 length of stride. Bottom, technically speaking, is 

 only found in Arabia, where the horse can go at 

 full speed twelve or fourteen hours. In England, 

 or America, he can hardly sustain himself for as 

 many hours. But the turf and the desert are very 

 different from the farm. The slighest study of the 

 race horse ought to satisfy any one that this animal 

 is only fitted for a few minutes of strenuous effort ; 

 he can only run, giving a succession of leaps till 

 exhausted. His form is, in every essential point, 

 in strong contrast to that of the horse of all work, 

 the only one suitable to the farmer. But should 

 this latter horse be sixteen hands high ? Are six- 

 teen hands worth more than fifteen? Will it go as 

 far, endure as long, and cost no more to wear out 

 the living machine ? If bottom and form are equal, 

 the answer is easily given. The task being lighter 

 in proportion to size, the large horse can do it 

 easier; and doing it easier — not wasting so much 

 power — he wears longer. But is there anything 

 wrong in sixteen hands? Is tliis point fatal to 

 stamina and strength? Does wearing capacity 

 increase till fifteen hands are gained, and is it lost 

 in the additional four inches ? Certahily there is 

 no reason, theoretically, for an ans^ver iu the affirm- 

 ative; for that height does not at all touch the 

 question of monstrosity. Practically, the horse of 

 sixteen hands, in the same number of strides, goes 

 farther ; heing heavier, he throws more weight into 

 the collar ; and form being equal, his action is as 

 •elastic and spirited. In doing the same amount of 

 work, less muscular energy is expended ; and after 

 the equal task is accomplished, having a greater 

 fund of power unexhausted, he recovers from fatigue 

 sooner, and thus enjoys a longer period of repose. 



Doubtless a good horse of fifteen hands wUl out- 

 wear a mean one of sixteen; but with equal form 

 and bottom, in performing equal tasks, theoretically 

 and practically, at all work, sixteen hands wiU out- 

 wear fifteen. In argument the preference is gener- 

 ally given to the smaller horse, because it is assumed 

 that he has necessarily form and bottom, when in 

 fact there are as many lazy, spiritless horses of 

 fifteen as of sixteen hands. Perfection of form 

 belongs no more to one size than the other. It is 

 in both cases, and in both alike, a matter of breed- 

 ing and feedmg. 



I conclude with one remark: Trust much to the 

 Ireed^ but more to the manger. Feed well, under 

 aU circumstances, and at all times. Starvation 

 dwarfs, deforms, and enfeebles; abundant food 



develops the natural form — gives action, endurance 

 and docility. In horse-flesh.^ and in all flesh, good 

 feeding is the foundation of good service and dura- 

 bility. Many vices and much bad temper springs 

 from the ever-teasing, nervous irritability of the 

 half-fed horse. brevix. 



MY "TROTJBLES."-STABLES FOR STOCK. 



Editors Genesee Farmer : — Allow me to thank 

 Mr. GuRNSEY for his kind prescription in my case, 

 and to say to him that I intend to tests his remedy 

 another winter. I think mangers and stalls can be 

 made through one of my largest sheds, which will 

 work Avell, and allow me still to use it for shelter- 

 ing the manure, at least, made by the cattle while 

 confined in it. The mangers will be made on a 

 frame so that the whole can be raised or lowered 

 at pleasure, and the stalls Avill be separated by 

 swinging partitions, so that the stock will need no 

 tying, and it will be less difficult to keep the floor 

 level and well littered than if they were stationary. 

 Perhaps I shall be able to get up drawings for 

 insertion in one of the later numbers of this year's 

 Farm-er, if the editor thinks it worth the trouble. 

 Some trial of stabling stock has convinced me that 

 they will do better if let out into a good yard all 

 that part of the day when not occupied in taking 

 their meals, than to be confined closely a greater 

 share of the time. It is clear also to my mind that 

 they will take no injury from leaving the manure 

 under them, if it is kept well Uttered, as it easily 

 may be with refuse straw and cornstalks. A great 

 additional saving will be made of the liquid man- 

 ure — a saving of one-third at least of the fertilizing 

 product of the stock. These opinions, found upon 

 experience, having wintered calves as well as cows 

 upon their manure, and keeping them as clean and 

 comfortable as though in a stable cleaned out twice 

 a day — besides making a much better article of 

 manure. Indeed, increasing the quality of the 

 manure was my great object, and not as some may 

 suppose, to save labor, though that is no small item 

 with a dozen head of cattle to attend to. j. n. b. 



ALPACA — PACO OR PAGA — A Sp«cies of llama. 



Attention has of late been called to this fixmily 

 of animals, in consequence of an importation, and 

 subsequent sale, of some of them at New York. 

 The term Llama is applied to a genus embracing 

 several species, to which some naturalists have 

 given the name Auehenia. In many respects it 

 resembles the camel (Camelus,) and the llama was 

 formerly sometimes called the South American 

 camel. It is indigenous to Peru and otlier por- 

 tions of South America, its natural habitat being 

 the elevated regions immediately under the line of 

 perpetual snow. The specific divisions of the genus 

 are not very well defined; but without entering 

 upon the disputed points of zoologists in relation to 

 this matter, we give what Martin regards as the 

 distinct species, as foUows : 



" 1st. Tame and Wild. — The guanaco, guanacu, 

 or huanacu, commonly called in its tame state the 

 llama {Auehenia llama.) 



" 2d. Tame and Wild. — The paco, paca, or alpaca 

 (Auchcnin alpaca, Desm.) 



"3d, IVitd. — The vicuna, vicugna, vigogna, itc. 

 {Auehenia vicuna.) 



