FARMERS' REGISTER— STAGE HORSES, NARROW LEAF DOCK, Lc. 199 



rows of small nails through: while this was fixing, 

 I ordered a small pad to be made about the size of 

 the leather, and filled it with wool ; I then pressed 

 the points of the nails into the pad, and put the 

 leather under the head stall, and walked off. She 

 gave a-suddeii jerk to clear herself from the bridle, 

 which forced the nails through the pad into her 

 head, after which she made one or two slight ef- 

 forts, and stood still. I then took a horsewhip 

 and gave her several cuts, but she'would not 

 break away : she appeared more afraid of the nails 

 coming in contact with her head than she was of 

 the whip. After this, when I tied her, for two or 

 three times, I slipped the pad and leather under 

 the head stall, which effectually broke her: and 

 since, I have broken another in the same way. — 

 Both of these were young beginners ; but I ima- 

 gine that old offenders can be broken in the same 

 way. This can be used to make a horse lead into 

 a place or pass a fence or ditch which otherwise 

 he would be unwilling to do. 



As it is now the time for getting out wheat, 

 and all have not wheat machines, a remark on that 

 subject may be not out of season. I am inclined 

 to believe that horses are frequently seriously in- 

 jured in treading wheat by coupling them together 

 by the mouth, they are continually .jerking each 

 other. Mason in his " Farrier" says " a rider 

 who is compelled to perform a long journey in 

 haste and with certaint)^, in a given time, should 

 be extremely particular in his manner of riding. 

 He should bear lightly and steadily on his bridle 

 and stirrups, never jerking, checking or stopping 

 his horse suddenly, or change his gaits too fre- 

 quently ; all these things have a tendency to 

 weaken and fotigue a horse extremely." This 

 can be obviated in a very great degree by throw- 

 ing the bridle of the second horse over the neck of 

 the first, and the bridle of the tliird horse over the 

 neck of the second, and so on : then with a rein 

 attached to the bit of the first horse, the driver 

 can stand in the middle of the ring, and drive 

 around. Thus fixed, a small boy has more com- 

 mand over his horses, than a man has, when they 

 are coupled mouth to mouth : but I should not sup- 

 pose more than two horses ought to run abi'cast. 

 Running four abreast to save the labor of a hand, 

 is like calculating present profit, without regard 

 to future loss. The last time I saw four horses 

 running abreast, they were coupled mouth to 

 mouth, they were jerking each other, and throwing 

 their heads in every direction, their mouths were 

 frequently suddenly thrown open and the slaver 

 thrown from their knees to their eyes ; and though 

 it was early in the day, they appeared quite ex- 

 hausted. Had they have been fixed as here re- 

 commended, I have no doubt at that early hour, 

 they would have been running fresh and strong. 



KDMUND F. KOEL. 



Essex County, July 1833. 



The minuteness of detail in the foregoing communi- 

 tion is especially worthy of notice, and of imitation 

 Descriptions and instructions on agi-icultural subjects, 

 cannot be made too plain — and for want of enough mi- 

 nuteness and fulness of detail, many valuable pieces 

 lose half their value. The oldest marler may gain some 

 useful hint from Mr. Noel's observations, and the inexpe- 

 rienced, much more. Every fact learned by experience, 

 by which even a little labor may be saved, or a small loss 



avoided, is worth being communicated, and will be both 

 Acceptable and valuable to our readers. 



We presume that Mr. N. does not question the cor- 

 rectness of the result obtained from the analysis of any 

 particular specimen of marl, when he states (and very 

 truly) that analysis does not show its true strength, as it 

 is carried from the pit to the field. The degree of v»etness 

 should not only be considered, but also several other 

 circumstances, which greatly afTect the value of marl 

 as manure. Large shells — hard shells — stony (though 

 calcareous) lumps, not capable of being reduced by the 

 action of frost, &c. all manifestly cause the manure to be 

 less operative, than when no such objections exist, and 

 there is the same proportion of carbonate of lime, in a 

 finely divided state. But still, the only foundation on 

 which to erect a correct estimate of the value of a body 

 of mar!, is to learn, by analyzing fair samples, the actual 

 calcareous contents : and then all other matters affecting 

 value and early operation, may be est miatcd with suffici- 

 ent accuracy. — [Ed. Farm. Reg. 



STAGE HORSES XARROW LEAP DOCK, &C, 



Lewisburg, Va.Tthmontk 27fh, 1833. 



Frtexu Ruffix, — I have read with satisfac- 

 tion the two first Nos. of thy Farmers' Register, 

 and requested our mutual friend Edward Cunliff, 

 to direct thee to forward tlic Register regularly to 

 me, which thou wilt please to have done. 



I contemplate, or I should rather say design, to 

 contribute my " mite" in communications for the 

 " Register," influenced by the impression, that the 

 most humble can afford some aid in accomplishing 

 what it is the purpose of thy paper to effect; and 

 I feel assured that the Register will effect much 

 good as an assistant to the farmer, particularly the 

 fiirmer of poor old exhausted, neglected, Virginia. 

 It will give to us a medium through which the ex- 

 periments and experience of all, from the Taylors 

 and Meades of the state, down to thy humble ser- 

 vant, can be fiirnished for our information. 



I shall act upon thy suggestion, and sign my 

 name to the pieces I forward for publication. 



Siage Horses. — In thy second No. I read with 

 some interest an account of the ''English Coach 

 Horse.'' From this, lam satisfied we have in this 

 section of country a superior strain of horses for 

 stage coaches, to those referred to in England — 

 to prove which, I will give the result of my expe- 

 rience in comparison with the rate of performance 

 of the English horse. 



The English horse, (says the extract in thy Re- 

 gister, from the Quarterly Review,) is required 

 to run "ten miles in one hour per day, resting 

 every-fourth day the whole day." This is exacted 

 of him on good McAdamized roads, nearly level, 

 and he sustains this labor on an " average , for four 

 years," in which time he would have travelled 

 10,860 miles. 



Sometime past I saw published an account of a 

 "real Vermonter," that had in six years and six 

 months performed the astonishing travel of 17,000 

 miles, and he was then regarded as " a good old 

 horse." This about equals the performance of the 

 English horse. 



Now, I have at this time in my possession, a 

 horse, raised by Charles Arbuckle of this county, 

 that I ran for seven years on a route of upwards 

 of eighteen miles, six times a week, and, often ae- 



