Vol. 1.— No. 1?. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



133 



oration of machinery, are generally not aware 

 of the importance of paying proper attention 

 to oiling all the parts liable to friction, as on 

 that depends their durability and safety. * 



WORK FOR MAT. 



This is a month in which good farmers are 

 very busy. They should be careful that their 

 oats are sowed before planting their corn, 

 which should be in the ground before the lOih. 

 Early potatoes should be put in as soon as the 

 ground will admit. And here let us observe, 

 that those who int«ud to save seed for produ- 

 cing new varieties, should plant two or more 

 kinds in each hill, that the pollen may be more 

 sure to mix. We hope every firmer will be 

 induced to make the oxperinient this season, 

 as it will not be attended with any cost, and 

 may be of great advantage to him. For this 

 purpose, mix such potatoes as have all the desi- 

 rable qualities, as one may be very productive, 

 another of line flavor for food, and a third may 

 be of desirable shape and color — by thus mix 

 ing up the qualities which are found separate 

 in different potatoes, come one of the new 

 progeny may be found to partake of them all. 

 No plant is more worthy of experiments than 

 Tho potato, and hundreds ol dollars might be 

 realized from oDe new and valuable kind, by 

 the person who first introduces it. 



Early in this month the garden requires con- 

 siderable attention, and this sliouid be done 

 with the least possible hindrance to the farm- 

 ing operations; but it should by no means be 

 neglected. Remember that not only many of 

 '.he necessaries of a family, but many of the 

 innocent luxuries of life, are the produce of the 

 garden. 



The season has now arrived for attending to 

 ihe orchard. Donor neglect the cultivation 

 of fruit, as it is attended with as much profit 

 as any other branch of farming, besides a great 

 proportion of pleasure. Cherries require to 

 be grafted early; after these, pears, apples, 

 plums, quinces, dec. Should business pro"*, 

 pruning your orchard may be omitted, without 

 any injury, until after planting 



It is now time for putting down grape cut 

 dngs. If your cnitings have been buried all 

 winter, lake them up before the buds begin to 

 break. It is well to cut the lower end of the 

 cuttings oflfat the time of setting. This should 

 be done about half an inch below the joint, as 

 the roots are more apt to start from the joints 

 than between them. If the cutting contains 

 four buds, cut off the two lower ones, and al- 

 30 the roots of the tendrils which grow oppon 

 site the buds, as new scars or cuts throw out a 

 lip so i 'nor than old ones, and these lips act as 

 roots until the roots strike. When the cut- 

 tings are thus prepared, set them in theground 

 nearly their whole length, leaving the upper 

 bud near the surface. Let the ground be pres- 

 sed very close about them, and if the ground 

 should become very dry they should be water- 

 •id. Gooseberry and currant cuttings should 

 be put out, and do not forget to take out all 

 the lower buds. 



Early cucumbers should be planted, and one 

 of the beat preventives against insects in the 

 roots, is to dig large holes and pat in some turf 

 from the etreett or pastures, where the soil is 

 strong. The same course will also prevent 

 the grub about the roots of cabbage. 



For planting watermelons, dig a hole as for 

 cucumbers, and fill it with beach sand, whore 

 jlhaican be procured; if not, uso pit sand, in 

 which should be mixed some hog manure. 



Broom-corn should be planted the first week 



in May, at about the same distance as other 



corn. 



Asparagus beds should be made as early as 



the first week in May, preferring rather moist 

 ground. No family should be without a good 

 bed of asparagus, as it is a matter of economy 

 as well as a luxury. Very much depends up- 

 on the application of timo, mornings and eve 

 nings, as to rendering things about the house, 

 garden and orchard, snug and comfortable.— 

 Therefore let the young farmer avoid the habi' 

 of sleeping too much, remembering the denun- 

 ciations against the slothful man ; for be assu. 

 red, if that habit is indulged in, your fields and 

 fences, now as of old, will tell the tale much 

 to your discredit. 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HORSE. 



There are few of the domesticated animals 

 that contribute so much to the comfort and 

 amusement of man as the Horse, and of course 

 few animals in whose history we are so much 

 interested. We propose, therefore, to give a 

 brief history of some of tho most important 

 breeds now in use, that our readers may be 

 more able to judge of the valuable points, in 

 bleeding horses for the several purposes con- 

 nected with agriculture. For this purpose, we 

 shall make extracts from one of the best mo- 

 dern English writers on domestic animJs, — 

 after which we propose to make some extracts 

 from the American Turf Register, edited by 

 J. S. Skinner, Esq. of Baltimore. This gen- 

 tleman has commenced a work which will un 

 doubtedly become one of the standard records 

 of our country, as to the pedigree of horses. 

 That such a work wa" neejed in this country, 

 no one will deny ; and so far as it has progres 

 sed, it fully proves that Mr. Skinner is com. 

 petent to the task. We hope that our gentle- 

 men farmers and breeders of fine stock will 

 consider this publication as indispensible to 

 their libraries. 



The Horse belongs, according to Linnaeus, 

 to the Class Mammalia, Order Solipedes, Genus 

 Equus. This Genus is divided into five spe 

 cies, viz — E. Caballus, or Horse, E. Hemio 

 nus, or Wild Mule, E. Asinus, or Ass, E. Ze 

 bra, or Striped Ass, E. Quagga, considered as 

 a variety of the Zebra. There is also anothe 

 animal, with a cloven foot, E. Bisulcus. This 

 is a native of Chili, but is generally supposed 

 to belong to a distinct genus. 



From Loudon's Encyclopedia of Agriculture. 



The common horse, justly considered as the no- 

 blest of animals, is found in a wild state in tin- 

 deserts of Great Tartary, in the southern parts 

 of Siberia, and in other parts of Asia, and in 

 the interior of Africa. He is of the greatest 

 antiquity, and has long been domesticated and 

 cultivated in most parts of the earth, for the 

 various purposes of war, hunting, parade, the 

 saddle, or draught ; and in some places, partly 

 for his flesh and the milk of the female. The 

 parts of a horse, when no longer endowed 

 with life, are applied to various useful purpo- 

 ses : the blood for manure; the bones are 

 broken and boiled, to produce oil, and after- 

 wards are ground into an excellent manure ; 

 some of the bones are also Used in the media 

 nical arts. The flesh supplies food for the 

 domestic camiveroos animals,the cat and dog j! 



for carnivorous birds, as the hawk, eagle, \c. 

 kept for amusement or curiosity ; and for fish, 

 and various similar purposes. We shall consi- 

 der the horse, in regard to its varieties, organ- 

 ology, anatomy, physiology, diseases, breeding, 

 rearing, training, feeding, and working. 



VARIETIES OF THE HORSE 



The varieties of the domestic horse vary excee* 

 dingly in different conntries. The Arabian 

 horses are reckoned tho best, and their inhabits 

 ants the most expert in horsemanship. The 

 care taken by the Arabs in preserving the 

 breeds of their horses is most remarkable. — 

 None but stallions of the finest form and pu- 

 rest blood are allowed access to their mares, 

 which is never permitted but in the presence 

 of a professional witness or public officer, who 

 attests the fact, records the name, and signs 

 the pedigree of each. The Persian horses 

 are considered next in value ; and after them 

 the horses of Andalusia in Spain. The Bar- 

 bary horses are descended from the Arabians, 

 and much esteemed. Jackson (Empire of Mo- 

 rocco, p. 42.) mentions one very fleet variety, 

 used for hunting the ostrich, and fed entirely 

 on camel's milk. In Algiers they are said not 

 to like to castrate thoir horses, but only 

 squeeze their testicles when they are about 3 

 months old, which renders them incapable of 

 propagation. The horses of India are small 

 and vicious, the climate boing unfavorable to 

 their greater development. Those of Tar- 

 tary are of a moderate size ; but strong, mus- 

 cular, full of spirit, and active. The Tartars 

 are considered skilful riders. Like the Kal- 

 mucks, they eat their flesh as we do that of 

 oxen, and use their milk either in curd or fer- 

 mented. 



Of the European varieties of the horse, those 

 of Italy were formerly in greater esteem than 

 at present; but still, thost of ihe Neapolitans 

 shine both under the saddle and in traces.— 

 Great numbers are bred in Sicily; those of 

 Sardinia and Corsica are small, but active and 

 spirited. The Swiss horses partake of the 

 same qualities. 



The Spanish horses are much commended : 

 some make them second to Ihe Arabians, and 

 place them before the Barb. Those of the fi- 

 nest breeds are generally finely earcased and 

 well limbed horses, active, ready, and easy in 

 their p.:ces, docile and affectionate to their ow- 

 ners, full of spirit aud courage, bui tempered 

 with mildness and good nature ; the y are, for 

 the most part, of a moderate size Those 

 which are bred in Upper Andalusia are deemed 

 the mosi valuable. • The Portoguese horses, 

 or rather mires, were famous of old for being 

 very fleet and long winded ; but of late it is 

 said they are much degenerated. 



France abounds in horsos of all kinds, but 

 does not excel in native breeds; the best of 

 Uiose fit for the saddle come from Limousin : 

 they resemble the Barbs in many particulars, 

 and like them are fittest for hunting, but they are 

 supposed not to be fit for work before they a-\s 

 seven or eight years old. There are also v jry 

 good " Bidets' or ponies, in Auvergne, "oi- 

 tou, and Burgundy. Next to those of Lmou- 

 sin, Normandy claims precedence, for a well 

 formed and useful breed. Lower Nornfandy 

 and the district of Cotentin furnish som> very 

 tolerable coach horses, and which are mOie ac- 

 tive and appear more elastic in their motions 

 than the Dutch horses. They have, however, 

 a noble race of large draught horses equal to 

 any seen in England, and, among which, the 

 chesnut color seems to prevail. The French 

 horses generally are apt to have their shoulders 

 although oblique, yet too loose and open, as 

 those of the Barbs are usually too confined 

 and narrow. 



The Flemish horses are inferior in value to 

 the Dutch, having usually large heavy heads and 

 necks; their feet also are immoderately large 

 and flat, and their legs subject to watery hu- 

 mors and swellings. 



Holland furnishes a race of horses which are 

 principally serviceable in light draught work : 

 the best come from Friosland. 



