So. 8. 



London Dairies. — Care of Horses in Travelling. 



239 



:umstances, but assuredly, not in all — hete- 

 •odox as the opinion will appear to many. 



At page 20, of the 5th volume of the Cabi- 

 let, there is mention made of a young farmer, 

 vho never kept a cow that was not a good 

 nilker: there is much in this, and I am led 

 ;o believe that my friend Johnson is right; 

 le keeps a number of cows for the use of 

 he dairy, and in a late correspondence on 

 his subject, he thus expresses himself: "It 

 s true, my cows are all superior — I never 

 jeep a bad one. Neither have I any that 

 ire too young — I never rear a calf, which 

 rou will think strange ; but I will let you 

 nto the secret, and then you will be as wise 

 is I am. My neighbours, knowing that my 

 sows are very great milkers, are anxious to 

 >urchase my heifer calves for rearing; they 

 )f course are ready to give me about three 

 imes their value for the butcher, and take 

 hem at two or three days old. I enter 

 ivery purchaser's name in a book, and never 

 ose sight of these calves, from whence I se- 

 ect, at three years old, the best ; often at a 

 •rice far less than it would have cost me to 

 ear them, taking into account the value of 

 he keep of an animal, as I keep my cows 

 or three years, labour, trouble, and casual- 

 ies ; and leave them the rest, some of which 

 would not accept at a gift, as dairy cows, 

 dy cows are of all colouis and breeds, as I 

 lave long been convinced, that quality for 

 he pail is not confined to size, breed or co- 

 our; but much indeed to feed and age: so 

 t is true, that ' a good cow cannot be of a 

 lad colour.' I am quite amused, when 1 

 vitness my neighbours waiting until certain 

 'oung heifers shall come in, and certain old 

 ireatures go out, when they expect to make 

 heir full complement of butter; but this time 

 Lever comes ; for a great proportion of these 

 leifers — as is the case with the young of 

 ither animals, will prove quite inferior to 

 heir parents, and not worth their keep, let 

 done the cost of their rearing ; but they 

 nust be retained, because they are of their 

 >wn breeding." Now does not this look like 

 :ommon sense and reason, and can we not 

 >rofit by such a lesson? I, for one, mean 

 o try. Zebu. 



January 28th, 1843. 



Care of Horses in Travelling. 



If you intend that your horse shall per- 

 oral a long journey, you must take particu- 

 ar care of him at every stopping place. He 

 nust have something that he will eat; and 

 le must have grain. It often happens that 

 .avern hay looks better than it really is, and 

 t often looks too bad to be offered to a horse. 



If you rely on hay to sustain your horse, and 

 that hay is poor, you can expect to make no 

 great progress on your journey the day fol- 

 lowing. 



The best mode is, on a journey, to rely 

 chiefly on grain; but your horse must be 

 used to eating grain before the journey is 

 commenced. Oats are not so solid food as 

 corn, but if you feed wholly on oats, you 

 will need to give no other grain. Horses 

 are seldom injured by oats when they are 

 given at proper times — that is, they should 

 not be given just before starting. It is safer 

 to give the principal part of the grain that 

 the horse is to have, at night. He will then 

 be ready to start early in the morning; his 

 grain will be digested, and it will do him 

 good. 



Your cheapest and best mode will be to 

 purchase half a bushel of oats at night, and 

 let your horse have the whole mess. Your 

 taverner will charge you no more than he 

 would for half a peck and the hay. He will 

 say the horse cannot eat much hay if he eats 

 his half bushel of oats, and he will charge 

 for the oats only. The highest tavern price 

 for oats, by the half bushel, may be half a 

 dollar. Well, you will seldom get a horse 

 kept short of that in a large town, though 

 he should have but half a peck of grain. 



Some people fear to give grain while the 

 horse is warm; yet they will not hesitate 

 about giving grain just before starting. But 

 it is hard driving after eating, not eating 

 after hard driving, that injures a horse. It 

 is believed that grain is no oftener injurious 

 to the horse when he is warm, than at any 

 other time. Let any man consult his own 

 feelings. Does his food hurt him more 

 when he comes in hot from work and eats 

 it, than at any other time? Is it not violent 

 exercise, after eating hearty, that causes se- 

 vere pain ? Every one who has tried it and 

 thought of it, will answer yes. 



Horses have often been ruined by hard 

 driving, soon after being stuffed with grain. 

 How often do we see people at public houses 

 give their horses but little grain at night, for 

 fear they would not eat a due quantity of 

 hay, and then, just before starting, give a 

 larger mess to travel upon ! People who 

 seldom travel, and who seldom give their 

 horses grain, will stuff them with this article 

 on the morning of starting. If the grain 

 had been given on the previous night, there 

 would be some cha: 

 Maine Cultivator. 



A certain portion of animal food is es- 

 sential to the full developement of the men- 

 tal and physical energies of man. 



