1853. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



87 



other worthless lands in a similar course of im- 

 provement. 



Emerson, in his "Trees and Shrubs," says the 

 chestnut tree is found on the banks of the Mous- 

 um River, in the county of York, Maine, a little 

 beyond the 43d parallel of latitude, and thence 

 southward, as far as Florida, and in the Western 

 States. It is found in every part of Massachusetts, 

 but does not readily and abundantly ripen its 

 fruit in th.e immediate neighborhood of the sea. 



^lichaux says chestnut copses arc considered in 

 France as the most valuable species of property ; 

 every seven years they are cut for hoops, and the 

 largest branches serve for vine props ; at the end 

 of 14 years they furnish hoops for large tubs, and 

 at the age of 25 years they are proper for posts 

 and liglit timber. The chestnut grows well on 

 rocky hills, and other lands hardly rich enough for 

 cultivation. 



MAN AND HORSE. 



When a horse does little work, we give him less 

 attention — when mit worked at all, v>-e know that 

 mischief will result, unless he is well exercised. 

 When a horse is hard worked we know it to be 

 impolitic to lead its stomach while suffering from 

 fatigue. When a horse comes in from a journey, 

 a groom knov.-s that its health depends on its skin 

 being freed I'vom the dust and perspiration, and 

 also that the animal can not be comfortable unless 

 cleaned once a daj-. If its food does not agree 

 •with it, tlie groom varies it in quantity and quali- 

 ty or both. No sensible owner lets his horse 

 drink while in violent perspiration, nor do more 

 than rinse its mouth, but will let it drink its fill 

 about an hour before its meals, neither allowing 

 it to load its stomach with liquid either at meals, 

 or when hard work is immediately to follow. 



This is all sound physiological treatment, drawn 

 from a watchful observation of the effects of a 

 regulated diet and regimen on the health and ca- 

 pabihties of tlie animal. How differently man acts 

 to himself. When he is streaming with pei'spi- 

 ration and giving oi'ders for careful attention to 

 his horse, he will walk into a refreshment or even 

 an ice-cream I His diet is regulated by his tastes 

 and cravings ; the quantity varies not with his 

 exertion or labor, but Avith his palatability. His 

 meals consist ofdishes proportionate to the length 

 of his purse. The times of eating depend on 

 business, fashion, or anything but his physical 

 wants. His drink also is taken according to his 

 inclinations, or according to the society he mixes 

 "with, and quantity or quality vary on/i/ witli his 

 palate and means ! Those who work least, gene- 

 rally fire the richest. The skin of a horse must 

 be kept clean or disease ensues, but the horse's 

 master is heedless of this, and when visited by 

 disease, wonders how it happened ! Surely man is 

 the most inconsistent animal on earth ! 



Saddles. — The clearest proof of the antiquity 

 of saddles, says Beckmann, is the order of the Em- 

 peror Theodosus,in the year 385, by which those 

 who wished to ride post-horses were forbidden to 

 use saddles that weiglied more than sixty pounds. 

 If a saddle was heavier, it was cut to pieces. Sad- 



dles in the fifth century, must have been very 

 splendid ; so much so that a prohibition was is- 

 sued by the Emperor Leo I., in which it was or- 

 dered that no one should ornament them with 

 pearls or precious stones. 



OLD MIDDLESEX. 



The annual meeting of the Trustees of this 

 county took place at Concord, on the 5th Jan., 

 1853. They decided that the next exhibition of 

 the agricultural society shall be holden at Con- 

 cord, on the first Tuesday and Wednesday of Oct. 

 next, it being the 4th and 5th days. This society 

 heretofore has occupied but one day in its annual 

 exhibition. The committee of arrangements were 

 instructed to provide accommodations for ladies at 

 the dinner table on the second day of the show. 

 This is another new feature and a most commend- 

 able one, we think, in this old society. The diffi- 

 culty has been heretofore, we understand, that no 

 room large enough to contain more than the mem- 

 bers of the society could be obtained. The Trus- 

 tees propose now to purchase land, enclose it with 

 a substantial tight fence, and erect buildings for 

 the accommodation of the fruits, vegetables, flow- 

 ers, household manuflicturcs, and machinery and 

 implements, where they may all be exhibited un- 

 der cover. This will leave the spacious and beau- 

 tiful hall recently erected in that town to be oc- 

 cupied for the dinner, where some five to seven 

 hundred persons may be seated. 



In addition to the usual exhibition, a Spading 

 Match has been directed; the premiums offered 

 are five in number, consisting of 5, 4, 3, 2 and 

 $1. 



A new premium of $10 will also be offered on a 

 single team of one pair of oxen, driven only by 

 those who have already taken the society's high- 

 est premium on plowing. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 DOOR YARDS. 



Messrs. Editors : — By your paper, I learn that 

 the Hon. Josiah Quincy, Sen., is still at the good 

 work of giving encouragement to agriculture, by 

 addressing the fiirmers at a cattle show dinner ; 

 and in the same paper, I saw an article in refer- 

 ence to cle.an door yards. More than thirty years 

 have elapsed, since I saw in one of Mr. Quincy's 

 addresses at an agricultural dinner, the following 

 paragraph, which will serve as his opinion at that 

 time. If I do not use the precise words of the 

 venerable author he will excuse me, as I acciden- 

 tally saw the address while travelling in an ad- 

 joing State, i 



"In viewing the farm we will stop at the door ; 

 far be it from me to enter, for where neatness and 

 economy reign without, the husband seldom fails 

 to be seconded by his companion within. But how 

 is the path ? Is it a pavement inlaid with broken 

 crockery and abandoned utensils of household fur- 

 niture ? Do the thistle, the briar and the worm- 

 wood contend for the mastery along the fence ? — 

 Are the poultry roosting upon the window sills, 



