12 



Reasoning Faculty in Brutes. 



Vol. VII. 



pared for the purpose abovementioned, ought 

 1 not rather to carry it on a twelve acre field 

 of young clover adjoining, and there mix it 

 this winter with bank-earth and muck; and 

 after fermentation lias passed, turn up the 

 whole with a good allowance of quick-lime, 

 secundum artem, and give it all in top-dress- 

 ing early in the spring to the young clover, 

 preparatory to a seeding with wheat the next 

 autumn, according to the plan proposed in a 

 late Cabinet J Remarking, that here will be 

 a double quantity of land dressed, with a 

 pretty good assurance of doubling the crop 

 on twelve acres instead of six of clover, 

 which would also give two crops of hay, and 

 afford a seed-bed for the wheat, of double the 

 value of a fresh coat of stable dung. I would 

 therefore, respectfully propose to my friends 

 to say what are their opinions of the follow- 

 ing plan, viz : to turn all my stock into the 

 second crop of clover abovementioned; so as 

 to feed it down as quickly as possible, and 

 cheat the tumble-bugs and other industrious 

 families, who will be busy in collecting and 

 burying the droppings, as cases for their 

 eggs, almost as quickly as it falls; putting 

 an end to their labours, by tumbling them 

 to perdition with the ploughshare, before 

 they have time to complete them; and upon 

 this sow the wheat in good season. S. 



July 18th, 1842. 



For I he Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Reasoning Faculty in Brutes. 



Mr. Editor, — My young friends have been 

 much amused and delighted with the article 

 in the last Cabinet, on the sagacity of the dog, 

 and in return have requested me to hand you 

 the enclosed, which has been published in 

 the Knickerbocker; the account is said to be 

 worthy of all credence; indeed we know not 

 at what point the reasoning family of brutes 

 ceases. A Subscriber. 



" A few years since we were passing by an 

 orchard in which a yoke of cattle were "pas- 

 tured. The apples were ripe, the cattle were 

 very fond of them, and those that fell were 

 quickly eaten up by them. Gradually they 

 had gathered from the branches all within 

 their reach, and were now compelled to wait 

 for such as fell off themselves. We observed 

 one of the oxen to walk repeatedly around 

 one of the trees, and make a number of in- 

 effectual efforts to reach some of the fruit. 

 Suddenly he stopped, took one of the branches 

 in his teeth, and gave the tree several violent 

 shakes. The apples rattled off merrily; he 

 let go the branch, and had a hearty meal as 

 the reward of his sagacity. The only ques- 

 tion is, did he design to shake off the fruit! 

 It can only be said, if a man had wished to 



accomplish that effect, he could not have de- 

 vised a more successful method, or gone more 

 directly to the end in view; why then refuse 

 to the one, what we grant to the other? By 

 common consent, the title of "half reason- 

 ing" has been awarded to the elephant, and 

 a multitude of proofs might be cited to show 

 that the appellation is not undeserved. He 

 has been known after stepping upon a bridge, 

 to refuse to cross it, as unsafe, and prefer 

 swimming a river with his attendant, to pass- 

 ing the bridge. A shilling was thrown to 

 an elephant in a menagerie; it rolled to the 

 side of the place in which he was confined, 

 and lodged close to the foot of the upright 

 boards that formed the partition. The phre- 

 hensile part of the trunk, delicate as it is, 

 could not grasp it, and the spectators who 

 saw him repeat his trials, concluded he would 

 abandon the attempt. He, however, reasoned 

 differently. — Placing his trunk close to the 

 plank, and immediately over the piece of 

 money, he blew with all his force, and the 

 shilling immediately dislodged and fell with- 

 in his reach. In this case there was evident 

 reflection, a reasoning from cause to effect, 

 and a nice adaptation of means to the end; 

 in other words there was design. 



"We have noticed in a late number of 

 the London Lancet, an interesting account 

 of intellectual developement in a couple of 

 dogs, belonging to a French gentleman of 

 the name of Leonard, resident in London. 

 The dogs are of the Spanish breed, and the 

 writer says, when introduced to him by Mr. 

 Leonard, with true French politeness, both 

 bowed very graciously, and seated them- 

 selves on the hearth-rug. A great variety 

 of experiments were then made with the 

 animals, such as through the exercises of 

 the menage, exchanging a variety of differ- 

 ent coloured cards with each other, bringing 

 to their master meat, bread, or cards, as com- 

 manded; Mr. Leonard sitting with his back 

 to the dogs, and giving his directions in such 

 a manner, and at the suggestion of the wri- 

 ter, as to put their intelligence to a severe 

 test. So rapid were his orders, that without 

 a perfect understanding of his words, obedi- 

 ence would have been impossible. The wri- 

 ter adds : 



'"After many other performances, evincing 

 the wonderful sagacity and perception of the 

 dogs, Mr. Leonard invited me to play a game 

 of dominoes with one of them. The younger 

 and slighter animal then seated himself on 

 a chair at the table. Mr. Leonard and my- 

 self placed ourselves opposite. Six domi- 

 noes were placed on their edges in the usual 

 manner before the dog, and a like number 

 before me. The dog having a double num- 

 | her, took it up in his mouth and put it in the 



