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LEAVES FOR COMPOST. 



short time we shall shudder without and chill within, 

 and probably in less than twenty-four hours suffer 

 from sore throat and chest caused by it. I believe 

 that a cold, northeast wind, (which ought to be 

 guarded against,) in which there seems something es- 

 pecially irritating, blowing into a well-ventilated 

 stable, would induce cold and cough, for which reason 

 I should recommend gentlemen contemplating build 

 ing stables, not to have doors or windows, or any 

 other way exposed to the northeast. If the stable 

 be warm and close, bronchitis and pneumonia will 

 present themselves, and sometimes bad cases of in 

 fluenza (if that disease be prevailing,) will follow the 

 cold and cough contracted as above. A horse shuns 

 offensiveness instinctively, because his lungs require 

 such a quantity of good air; he avoids offensive 

 smells probably more resolutely than any other animal. 



The heart of a man averaging about eight ounces 

 at each pulsation, propels about two ounces of blood 

 into the system, say one hundred and forty to fifty 

 ounces a minute, and about as much more is sent into 

 the lungs in the same period; his lungs during ordi- 

 nary breathing, contain one hundred and seventy to 

 eighty cubic inches of air for the support of life.— 

 To maintain this at the proper purifying standard, he 

 breathes out (expires) all hurtful products continual- 

 ly collecting in the blood, and draws in (inspires) 

 about twenty cubic inches of fresh air, some sixteen 

 times every minute. The heart of a horse, at a low 

 computation, is twelve times heavier than that of a 

 man; it propels five times as much blood, viz: up- 

 wards of forty pounds are sent into the system, and 

 as much more into the lungs every minute. This 

 amount, great as it seems, is increased when in exer- 

 cise, and so ample and so perfect is the apparatus for 

 respiration, that the lungs are continually supplying 

 adequate means for the purification of this enormous 

 vital tide. This is not pratically borne in mind, and 

 those in immediate charge of horses (especially in 

 this country,) are often most ignorant of the proper- 

 ties of air and the requirements of blood. 



Consider for a moment the size of an ordinary 

 room, with its windows for light, its fire and doors for 

 ventilation, contrasted with many of the stables in 

 this city, and you will find five, six and seven horses, 

 (each requiring eight times as much air as a man,) 

 are stabled in less space than this, with perhaps no 

 window that admits light, no provision to remove 

 dampness and gasses originating in the natural avac- 

 uations. Why, may I ask, are so many stables almost 

 dark, even in the day time? A kind Providence, as 

 if to show man his duty to the lower animals, brings 

 forth the choicest natural productions of organic life 

 where there is the best light and the purest air. 



Where there is darkness in stables, there is almost 

 always a dampness ; where darkness, dampness and a 

 close atmosphere combine, each and all reeking with 

 decomposing animal evacuations, (particularly where 

 the manure is put under the stable floor, which is of 

 too frequent occurrence,) there is the worst possible 

 provision for sustaining life and health in a state of 

 integrity. Small indeed is the spark here required to 

 kindle a great amount of disease. When influenza 

 or any other kind of epidemic disease jirevails, each 

 is most severely felt in dark, damp stablea, the un- 

 natural heat of which is caused by many horses bemg 



crowded into a small compass. It has also a very 

 serious effect upon the eyes, the details of which 

 time and space will not at present allow. 



Many horses bought by dealers of farmers in Con- 

 necticut, Vermont and other States, are brought 

 here, and two-thirds of the number are more or less 

 attacked with distemper soon after their arrival. — 

 The reason is asked why. An observant man would 

 require an answer. Visit the farmer; there you will 

 find the horse surrounded with pure, healthy atmos- 

 phere; if in the spring, (when most are bought,) 

 living upon grass, clover, ice, not overworked, pro- 

 bably never driveu fast; if stabled, fed regularly, 

 good wholesome water, &c. It may take four, five 

 and sometimes eight or ten days, according to dis- 

 tance, to arrive here. One man is generally employed, 

 (who often knows as much about a horse as a horse 

 knows about him,) to bring a string of half a dozen, 

 more or less, as the ca.se may be; During the jour- 

 ney, (which is generally made as quick as possible, 

 that no time may lost, and more particularly to cur- 

 tail expenses,) they are fed on cut feed, with probably 

 a httle extra quantity of meal, (uo shorts,) and water- 

 ed when conveniently met with. Upon arrival, they 

 are at once ushered into the stable, (such an one as 

 described above,) in some cases washed and showered 

 all over with cold water, perspiring or not, imma- 

 terial; put in a stall to be dried by heat of the body 

 and atmosphere combined, without even a thought 

 of rubbing a hair dry. Such treatment, with diet 

 changed from grass to hay and meal, with perhaps a 

 great degree of difference in the atmosphere to what 

 he had been accustomed, and crowded in a dark, 

 close, ill ventiliated stable, can any sensible man be 

 surpri-sed at the horse being .sick? I should be much 

 more so were he not, no matter what kind of a con- 

 stitution he had previously. 



If, instead of the above treatment, he traveled say 

 about twenty miles a day, fed and watered regularly, 

 the former to consist of shorts, principally, instead of 

 meal, and upon arrival, (same feed continued a few 

 days,) well cleaned, a good bed of straw, in a dry, 

 well ventilated stable, and such treatment followed 

 up a few days, not one in ten would be attacked with 

 disease, (unless previously contracted,) the owner 

 save the expense of medicine and medical advice, 

 and I probably lose the chance of having to present 

 my bill for services rendered. 



If the public, individually or collectively, derive 

 any benefit from any of the foregoing remarks, I shall 

 consider myself well paid, from the fact that I have 

 been able to prevent even one of God's noblest ani- 

 mals (the horse) from sickness, and probably from a 

 premature death. — S. Marlor, in the Providence 

 Journal. 



LEAVES FOB COMPOST. 



Many farmers regard leaves as utterly worthless 

 for purposes of fertilization. A moment's candid re- 

 fiection, however, would convince them, we think, of 

 the fallacy of this opinion. How, if leaves are not 

 indued with alimentary powers, do our forests retain 

 their health and vigor for so long a time? or in other 

 words, why do our woodland.'!, upon which we be- 

 stow no care whatever, continue to grow and flourish 



