314 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jul t 



The village tavern-keeper would probably frown all they have ever received, yet still, for the sake 

 upon it ; but I will venture to predict for the in- of a few paltry dollars, they are sold to those who 

 mates of the farm-house a growing love for home, will cruelly treat them to the last moments of their 

 and an added air of intelligence and refinement, existence. It appears to me that the man who 

 of which they themselves might possibly be uneon- will thus part with hia horse, is as virtually cruel. 



scious. — Fanny Fern — Olive Branch. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. 



1 would not enter on my list of friends, 



(Though graced with polished manners and fine sense, 



Yet wanting sensibility,) the man 



Who needlessly sels foot ujion a worm Cowper. 



He who knowingly would injure the harmless 

 creatures God has made, can Jfiave little feeling 

 for human kind. Injury to creatures may some- 

 times be done by accident, or through necessity. 

 Such acts "incur no blame." But he, who, for 

 the sake of gratifying his own passions, cruelly 

 treats those animals God has placed here for the 

 benefit and service of man, is justly deserving no 

 claims to humanity. It is not the man who beats 

 w'ith a goad hia ox or liis horse, that may be called 

 the most cruel or unmerciful ; for he who neglects 

 to provide for the comfort and health of his dumb 

 creatures is equally censurable. But in most ca 



as he who abuses him after he has him in his pos- 

 session. Is it not more an act of mercy to take 

 the life outright, of a worn out beast, than to dis- 

 pose of him to an individual who will kill by de- 

 grees ■? 



I have never been the owner of but one horse, 

 and although he is considerably on the down-hill 

 side of life, money would not tempt me to part 

 with him, unless I felt sure he was going into the 

 hands of a merciful man. I have respect for the 

 aged ; and verily kindness is actually due those 

 animals whose Bervices are so beneficial to man- 

 kind. 



Who would see an aged father or mother (whose 

 lives had been spent for their children) turned ofiF 

 with hard usage and unkind treatment, because 

 the infirmities of age had rendered them unfit for 

 service'? Of course the kinder treatment is their 

 due, in consideration of what they have been, and 

 what they have done. 



Cruelty to animals, is a subject deserving espe- 



ing pain upon every animal that comes in his way, 

 is pretty sure to be a cruel and hard master, over 

 whom and whatever he has the control. 



"Mercy to him that shov.-s it, is the rule 



And righteous limitation of its act. 



By which heaven moves in pard'ning guilty man; 



And he that shows none, being ripe in years, 



And conscious of the outrage he commits. 



Shall seek it and not find it in his turn." 



A..T0DD, 



Smithfield, R. /., Ind Mo., 1853. 



ses it is pretty true that he who is guilty of thelp'-i^ attention. Parents ought to make it a point 

 one act, is equally guilty of the other. I have of ^^^ty to train their children to be merciful to 

 reason to believe, however, that a greater degree animals, as well as to human kind. If this were 

 of kindness is shown towards dumb animals now, piore generally done, certain it is there would not 

 than formerly— that less beating and bruising is 'be so many unfeeling and cruel men. The boy who 

 resorted to in the trtiining of young horses or ox- is suffered to grow up with the privilege of inflict- 

 en ; yet there are many who still adhere to former 

 customs, although late discoveries and observa- 

 tions prove that gentle means and mild measures 

 may be more salisfactorily used towards subduing 

 the brute creation. The "whip for the horse" 

 will be but frequently used if the hand that plies 

 it is associated with a kind and feeling heart. How- 

 ever great a reformation has been made in the 

 mode of training animals to service, too harsh 

 measures are still used. 



The horse, the most noble of all amimals used 

 by man, is the most cruelly treated. Even in the 

 present state of civilization, I presume not one 

 horse in five is treated in such a manner as that 

 he lives out tlie term of his natural life. My opin- 

 ion is, that if this animal were properly cared for, 

 and kindly treated, he would be in as tit condition 

 to labor, at the age of twenty, as he now is, with 

 present treatment, at twelve. Very few horses at 

 the present day ever arrive at the latter age in 

 good condition, with soundness in body and limb. 

 Hard labor and improper care render him unfit 

 for service at an early age. The constitution of 

 the horse is very similar to the constitution of 

 man, hence, the former is no more fitted to bear 

 excessive labor and unkind treatment, than the lat- 

 ter. It is as injurious to the constitution of the 

 horse to keep him at labor in stormy weather, as 

 it is injurious to man ; hence it is as necessary for 

 a teamster (if he Avould provide for the health and 

 comfort of his team,) to use the same car^ for 

 them, that he does for himself. ^ 



There is one cruel act of which too many are 

 guilty, and about which I cannot forbear speaking. l^ To feed an ox Hd one thousand two hundred 

 I have reference to the practice of putting off hors- pounds weight, usually takes five years ; while the 

 es which have become unfit for service, in conse- same weight of poultry can be made ready for the 

 quence of old age, to cruel tmd inhuman persons, table in about three months, and at less than 

 Although horses thus put off have served their half the cost in food. So gays an English poul- 

 masters faithfully, and doubly paid, perhaps, for I terer. 



« For the New England Farmer. 



GRAFTING OLD TREES. 



Messrs. Editors : — I have had some experi- 

 ence in grafting, and propose to give you my 

 method of grafting old trees. I select such 

 limbs as are thrifty and of a proper size, pi-eferring 

 those not exceeding one-half inch in diameter. If 

 the stock is not too large, I splice graft — if one- 

 half inch or more in diameter, I prefer cleft graft- 

 ing. I set but one scion and scarfe off on the op- 

 posite side. I use composition without either mat- 

 ting or cloth, and consider it better than either, 

 if it is a good article. With proper care and at- 

 tention, old trees maybe made to yield a handsome 

 profit sooner tlian young trees from nurseries. I 

 have formed handsome tops on trees with scarce- 

 ly any signs of life, by thoroughly trimming and 

 scraping, grafting and washing with soap suds. 



S. E. Hooker. 



Poullncy, Vt., April b,l'ib^. 



