356 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



MAY 10, 1843. 



From the Farmer's Montlily Visitor. 



BLINDS TO BRIDLES FOR HORSES, &c. 

 Mr Hill — In tlio Visitor for tlio last montli, I 

 noticed a short article rccoiiiiiioniliiiu^ bridles «illi. 

 out blinds, as liavinp; a tendency to prevent liorses 

 from shying or taking frights. I agree with the 

 writer upon this subject, and since my attention 

 was drawn to it, wliich was some years ago, I have 

 remarked that horses, especially young ones, are 

 more liable to take fright wi h the blind bridle 

 than without. Some may suppose that the wagon 

 or carriage has its influence in this, but I think it 

 is more attributable to the blinds. Some years 

 ago, I read in an account of an English traveller 

 in Germany, that the horses in their carriages had 

 no blinds to their bridles, and that in travelling, or 

 with loads, their heads were not reined up, but 

 left at full liberty. This mode was approved by 

 the traveller for the reasons assi;;ned by the Ger- 

 mans, that horses are not apt to be frightened 

 when they can see — that their eye-sight is injured 

 by blinds excluding air and light, and compelling 

 the animal to a constrained and unnatural exertion 

 of that organ ; — these were the reasons assigned. 

 For the other peculiarity of leaving the horse's 

 head free, especially when on the roads with heavy 

 loads, the reasons are that he works easier when 

 he can swing l>\3 head and adapt it to his exer- 

 tions, ilian when restrained ; that in rising a hill 

 with a heavy load, a horse will bend his neck low 

 towards the ground, and that he will pull a load of 

 greater weight than he can do if his head is reined 

 up high, &c. Every one is aware how skillful the 

 Germans are in man:iging cattle, and especially 

 horses, and every laboring man proves the very 

 great importance of liaving the limbs in a proper 

 position for the exertion of muscular power. Those 

 people who pull against horsrs, or rather let the 

 horses pull against them, have not so great a supe- 

 riority in strength as may be imagined from these 

 exhibitions of strength. It is simply by placing 

 themselves in a position for resistance, by which 

 their muscular powers are brought most success- 

 fully to operate to counteract the exertions of the 

 horses. This is well known to anatomists and 

 those versed in the art of performing these feats. 

 Does not the same reasoning hold good in horses 

 in putting forth their strength .- It may answer 

 the purpose of a gay appearance, for carriage 

 horses of those who ride for health or pleasure ; 

 but I feel persuaded that if our farmers would use 

 bridles without blinds, and give horses a free use 

 of their heads for a short time, we should not see 

 the present practice again recurred to. 



We have in this State a good breed of horses, 

 which, every thing considered, cannot perhaps be 

 improved hy a different race, although much may 

 be done by attention in crossing for points. But 

 we have in very many cases much room for im- 

 provement in the accommodations and treatment of 

 this noble, high-spirited, hard-tempered animal. 



Tiiere is great, and it is believed, often unne- 

 cessary cruelty practiced in what is termed break- 

 ing colts. Horses appear grateful for kind treat- 

 ment, — they show evilent signs of affection to 

 those who treat them kindly. The Arabs, who 

 possess, perhaps, the most courageous and fiery 

 breed of horses known, have at the same time the 

 most docile and best trained. They sleep with 

 them iii the same tent; their children lie down 

 and rlimb upon their horses without fear and with- 

 out injury. I once knew a man in our sister Slate 



of Massachusetts, who reared, and broke to har- 

 ness, a great number of colts. He was a practi- 

 cal man, of iha old three-cornered school, and the 

 last man in my native town who wore, which he 

 did to the last, the revolutionary hat. He h.id 

 great fondne.is for horses, and used to say that al- 

 though he had broken hundreds of colts, he had 

 never struck one with the weight of a lash.' His 

 practice was first to put a bridle only upon a colt, 

 and fasten him to the haimes of an old steady 

 horse beftprc the oxen about the farm, and let him 

 lead in this way for a day or two. He then put on 

 a collar and haimes, and let him lead about for a 

 day or so more, as convenient. Any horse would 

 answer, but the best was the mother of the colt. 

 Next he put the traces in addition, but fastened 

 them up between the haimes, and merely let iliem 

 jingle about the sides of the animal, and this an- 

 swered for one or two days more, or at a number 

 of times when convenient. By this time the young 

 animal became accustomed to the feel and rattle 

 of harness, and also to go slow, which is an im- 

 portant object. To finish, he is hitched before the 

 oxen by the side of another horse, with an empty 

 cart. 



In this way, without the least severity, his young 

 horses would readily go in harness, and as my old 

 friend said, ihey would pull soon enough. When 

 once learned to go slow, they would readily learn 

 to go fast, and after a few days of use by the side 

 of anollier horse, they would quietly go without 

 such company. We all know how important it is 

 to form good habits in horses ; that if when young 

 they become frightened or discouraged, it is rare 

 that they ever forget it ; and we also know that 

 when a horse is what is termed obstinate, they 

 will die under the lash before they will move for- 

 ward. This is generally, if not always, owing to 

 mismanagement at first — and whatever is done, a 

 colt should never be brought into use by a timid 

 man, for the animal will most certainly find it out. 

 Have we not, many of us, much room for im- 

 provement in the treatment of this animal, which a 

 kind Providence has bestowed for our use ? After 

 a hard day's toil, we require a wholesome meal 

 and a conifortablo repose : does not the animal 

 that has toiled with us, require as much .' My 

 old three-cornered friend was ever kind to his 

 horses ; it was a rule with him never to let a horse 

 stand u|ion any other than a dirt or clay floor, and 

 this should be level, or very nearly so. A horse 

 when standing, if left to himself, will never stand 

 on sloping ground. He takes a level spot, and al- 

 most every one has remarlced the horses in a livery 

 stable, that if not in the act of eating, they stand 

 back at the halter's length, because this brings 

 their hinder feet upon the raised part, or rather 

 brings the animals upon a level. If our stables 

 are, as they should be, on dry ground, a very little 

 clay or dirt twice a year, will sufiico to fill up the 

 ineciualitics produced by the wear of the feet, and 

 keep the horse's feet in better condition and their 

 joints less liable to swell than when on a plank or 

 paved floor. 



As a general truth, do we not drive our horses 

 too fast .' All horses have a natural gait, and 

 when pushed beyond that, it wears upon them and 

 makes them prematurely, old. Nine times out of 

 ten it would be diflScult I think to assign any good 

 cause for fast driving. If the surgeon is wanted to 

 take up an artery, and which, if not done promptly, 

 the man must die, why then put the horse to his 

 best, and if he is well used at other times, he will 



be enabled to do it so much the quicker ; but thes 

 cases, and similar ones, are rare, and wc lose moi 

 than a little by fast driving. All teamsters accm 

 tomed to take heavy loads, are aware of the fai 

 that, with good keeping, their horses are easily ke 

 in good condition, for they move slowly. J 

 fast driving, we lose in the wear and breakage 

 the carriage ; we lose in the expense of keepir 

 our horses in creditable condition ; they are mac 

 prematurely old by the heat and cold from the vii 

 lent exercise; and to the man of a good heart wl 

 is tender of the mute animals given us for our iii 

 and not abuse, is there not also a joss in our hi 

 mane feelings. A FARMER. 



From the Conn. Farmers' Gazette. 



PLANTING POTATOES. 

 Mr Editor — This being the usual time for pr 

 paring the ground for spring planting, particular 

 for those crops that require more than once ploi 

 ing, such as potatoes, beets, carrots, luriiips, &c 

 and as the present promises to be an unusual 

 late season for planting, I would take the liber 

 of suggesting a mode of preparing for, and plar 

 ing potatoes, that may save considerable labor, I 

 cilitate the operation, and leave the land in exc< 

 lent tilth for after-dressing. 



My mode is, so soon as the land is free frt 

 frost and dry, plow deep and clean, then spread i 

 such manure as may suit your convenience, 1 

 this be well mixed by harrowing both ways, tli^ 

 proceed to planting by drawing a straight furrt 

 with the plow about four inches deep ; let yo 

 boys immediately follow, dropping the potatoes 

 such distances as may suit the ideas of the plant 

 I allow twelve to fifteen inches apart, then co\ 

 up with the next furrow, and by the time your bo 

 have completed the first row, you have finished t 

 covering: then plow your third furrow, which nn 

 be planted as the first, and so proceed till all 

 completed ; then your rows will be from 24 to 

 inches distant, according to the width of your fi 

 row. So soon as the potatoes appear above groin 

 give them a good harrowing ; you need not fear i 

 juring them ; it will only destroy the early L'ron 

 of weeds, save one hoeing, pulverize the grouj 

 and give the pota oes a fine start of their eneniie 

 and with a single hoeing and free use of the cul 

 vator, yon will, if the land is tolerably clean, t 

 the murphies out of danger; although an ex'' 

 turn with the cultivator or plow will do no har 

 If the plow is used, the operator should take en 

 not to ridge up too high or too near, as the flat 

 the ridge, the more moisture is retained for a ( 

 season. 'Very respectfully, your friend, 



Hamden, April Gth, 1843. T. W 



Corn Broadcast In an experiment of sowi 



corn broadcast on the 1st of June, at the rate 

 1 1-2 bush, per acre, on rich land. Gen. Harnm 

 of Wheatland, N. Y., obtained 18 tons of grc 

 stalks per acre. The stalks were so full of sacci 

 rine matter, that the cattle ate them perfectly cle 

 when dry, though they were not cut uj) fine. T 

 yield was estimated at six tons dry fodder per ac 

 and was raised on a clover sod turned over a 

 sown the last of May, and the corn cut Sept. 

 The saccharine matter, which goes to supply I 

 corn in the ear, is retained in the stalk when i 

 suffered to ear, and materially adds to its nutrit 

 properties. — Jim Jlgricii.lt. 



