AND RURAL ECONOMIST. 67 



' Colts I begin with very soon after they are foaled ; the 

 mare should be bridled and led to the door, and giver- a lit- 

 tle salt. When the colt is one or two days old, take him by 

 the neck, handle him gently ; he is then so young that he is 

 not afraid, if his dam is near by him ; continue this practice, 

 and he will very soon become fond of his owner, and will 

 come on purpose to be handled after two or three weeks. 

 It does not hurt the mare or the colt to use her moderately. 

 If you want to go to meeting on the Sabbatli, harness the 

 mare into the chaise or wagon, and tie the colt to the arm of 

 the carriage ; he may be a little obstinate at first, but in go- 

 ing a few rods will be peaceable and very orderly ; if there 

 are many other horses about, your colt is always with you : 

 if you uant to stop at a place any time, let your colt loose; 

 he can be taken again without difficulty, and before you start 

 off tie your colt again ; in this way tnere is no trouble of 

 the colt following other hore-es away. When they become 

 old Cxiough for service, you do not have to run all over the 

 pasture for the horses ; they can always be taken with ease. 

 Colts trained in this way are completely halter broken. 

 When you begin to harness them, they are not frightened at 

 the noise of the carriage behind them, and are sooner made 

 quiet in the harness. It has been a common saying that if 

 colts are handled when they arc young, it depresses their 

 courage, which I am convinced is not the fact. I have 

 raised as many horses as most farmers of my age in this vi- 

 cinity, and some of them the most spirited I ever saw. The 

 above rales I have practised for quite a number of years, and 

 can recommend them to others with confidence. It con- 

 vinces me of the truth and efficacy of a rule I have found in 

 an old book I have, much worn by usage, although yet 

 whole — it has been in our family almost a hundred years — 

 which says, " Train up a child in the way he should go, and 

 when he is old he will not depart from it." Train up beasts 

 while young, and I know when they are old they will be 

 serviceable to their owners.' 



On training Oxen to back a Cart. A waiter for the Maine 

 Farmer, with the signature of A Teamster, whose communi- 

 cation was republished in the N. E. Farmer, vol. xi. p. 353, 

 states as follows : 



' I have observed that very little if any attention is paid 

 by our farmers to learn their steers to back ; but as they 

 become able to draw a very considerable load forward, they 

 are often unmercifully beaten on the head and face because 



