1883. 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



i23 



Given $5,000, oue-half to be iuvested in land 

 — where shall it be invested, and what price 

 paid per acre ? Sliall eiglity acres wortli S30 

 an acre be bought in tliis State, or sliall 4S0 

 acres worth $5 an acre be bon^lit furtlier 

 West? Below are given some points in favor 

 of tlie latter. The remaining $2,500 can be 

 employed more economically. Less capital 

 will lie idle in macliinery, as there will be 

 more use for it. It can be more economically 

 used, as the work required to use machinery 

 in a large field is proportionately less. Farm 

 buildings on a large farm give better returns 

 for capital invested. The machinery neces- 

 sary ou the larger fiirm is not much greater 

 than on a smaller farm, and the buildings 

 necessary to protect it do not dirter much. 

 Less fencing is required in proportions to the 

 size of the farm. More land is available and 

 the harbor for weeds less. More cattle can be 

 raised ofl' of 120 acres of land that can be 

 bought for $5 an acre, that can be raised off 

 twenty acres worth sipSO per acre, and more 

 grain can be raised from 240 acres, minus the 

 difference in cost of production. Further- 

 more, not only a large frofit in the aggregate 

 can be made, but in all probabilities, as the 

 country grows older, and the inlluence of home 

 consumption and cheap labor are brought to 

 bear, a larger profit per acre can be made. 

 For, as before stated not so large a propor- 

 tion of the land is api^ropriated by fences 

 and fence corners. More thorough machinery 

 for cultivation and preseivation of crops can 

 used and more economically employed. It 

 costs less to market the crops. How much 

 more does it cost to market 500 pounds of 

 butter than fifty poundsi* In the sale of cat- 

 tle one can deal more directly with the con- 

 sumer, in buying, more directly with the pro- 

 ducer. Time can be taken to watch and care- 

 fully oversee the farm-work and other details, 

 while on a small farm the owner is compelled 

 to spend his time in manual labor, which, 

 however good in itself, does not, as a rule, 

 yield as good returns. Time can better be 

 afforded to obtain the best and fullest infor- 

 mation about one's calling, and to make per- 

 sonal investigations as to the best of thingsjin 

 one's line to be oljtained. The larger farm is 

 the best adapted for the rotation of crops. In 

 the selection of the land for different crops 

 there is a wider range. In short, a larger ef- 

 fect can be produced with the same amount 

 of capital. 



Socially, the owner of a large farm has the 

 advantage. He is less isolated from the 

 world. Many farmers on forty and eighty 

 acres of land in the Eastern States are far 

 more isolated from the world and its doings 

 than the owner of a large farm in the far 

 West even. They have more frequent visits 

 and correspondence with purchasers, which 

 acts as a stimulus to better work. Experi- 

 ence of any neighborhood amply proves that 

 the men who settled in a place when it was 

 new and remained there, with industry and 

 economy have become its best, most substan- 

 tial and trustworthy citizens. 



As to the State best to settle in or latitude 

 in which to settle, we know nothing except 

 as a general rule it is probably best to settle 

 in a region approaching the one you are used 

 to. But supposing this point settled, how 

 shall we invest the remaining $2,500 '? We 



give the following estimate : House, $800 ; 

 out-building.s, $25U; machinery, $0.50; liorscs-, 

 three teams, $000; ruiniing expenses, $200— 

 total, j;2,500. In this estimate private ex- 

 penses are not included, and no stock is pro- 

 vided for iis the small capital wouUl not make 

 it advisable to handle any. — 7'. F. Jluitt, in 

 WcnUrn Hural. 



HOW TO SELECT A HORSE. 

 Dr. K. A. A. Grange lectured before the 

 Agricultural Department of the Minnesota 

 State University on " How to Select a Horse. 

 A live horse was induced, after much per- 

 suasion, to cuter the lecture room, and tlie 

 lecturer illustrated the various points to be 

 noticed in the purchase of a horse. 



In examining horses for soundness, said he, 

 it is necessary to proceed in a systematic 

 manner. His own method was to begin upon 

 the left side of the animal, and usually with 

 the front, at the left nostril, dilating it, and 

 looking at the inside for the rose pink color, 

 which is the liealthy condition. If the animal 

 is sufiering from any catarrhal affection you 

 will observe that the nostril is inllamed. Then 

 you examine the red membranes to see if it is 

 free from ulcerated spots. If there is any 

 doubt whether the animal is suffering from 

 glanders, by holding a lighted candle you can 

 see a considerable distance up. Then, after 

 examining this thoroughly, open the mouth 

 and look at the tongue, to see if it is there and 

 in perfect condition. Then pass the hand 

 down on the lower jaw andjjexamine it to see 

 that there are no tumors in the back part — 

 tumors there indicate glanders and a disease 

 called distemper, which is quite common 

 among horses. 



Next examine the left eye, to oUserve 

 whether the pupil responds with action of 

 light, and if it does it is healthy. To deter- 

 mine that you place a hat or something of that 

 description over the eye and the pupil to con- 

 tract. Then the eye should pre.sent a clear 

 appearance. If it has a cloudy or hazy ap- 

 pearance, with a scum over it, it is not in a 

 healthy condition. It will also be observed 

 of an eye in an unhealthy condition that there 

 Ls generally weeding or flow of tears over the 

 side of the face. You must examine the poll 

 to see if poll evil exists. The jugular vein 

 should also be examined to see whether it 

 exists, because from careless treatment, from 

 irritating the vein and careless bleeding \i be- 

 comes intlamcd, and after the process of in- 

 rtammation has run its course it becomes 

 obliterated if you turn tlie horse out to pasture 

 the head will swell up. Then you pass the 

 hand along the back toward the tail, 

 examining, on the way, the withers for fistula, 

 a disease similar to poll evil, a running sore, 

 very troublesome in its nature ; examining 

 also along the spine for collar galls. 



Then, in proceeding to examine the fore 

 leg, first of all you examine the shoulder for 

 Sweeney, which is a wasting of the muscles of 

 the shoulder. If the wasting hiis proceeded 

 to any very considerable degree the action of 

 the shoulder is plainly visible, and it is often 

 thought by casual observers that tlie shoulder 

 is out of joint. Afier examining the shoulder, 

 examine the elbow to see if the condition 

 called capped elbow exists. It does not in- 

 terfere with the horse's usefulness, but looks 



ugly. Then pa.ss the hand down in front of 

 the leg. If white hairs are found upon the 

 knee, that indicates that the animal has been 

 down some time or other, and is perhaps a 

 stumbler. Passing the hand down, examine 

 with the IhigeiH the inside of the leg for 

 splint. Then examine the fetlock for ring- 

 bone, comparing both feet if there is any 

 doubt about its existence. There are two 

 lli'xible plates of cartilage around the heels, 

 which sometimes liecomes diseased, in a con- 

 dition called sidebone, which must not be 

 confused with ringbone, one being a diHeusc 

 of the bone, the other of the cartilage. It the 

 plal(;s are llexible they are in a healthy con- 

 dition. The hoof should next Ix; examined 

 lor sand crack, the bottom [lortion of it, in 

 cleft of the frog, for thrush. Thrush is a 

 disea.se of the sensitive structure above. Then 

 it is well to take a look at the limb from 

 shoulder to foot to see if the joinUs are in 

 their natural position, and that the animal 

 does not stand over cither at the knee or at 

 the fetlock. Having done so you turn your 

 back to the animal's head and examine the 

 back tendons of the leg. On a well-breiid 

 animal they show almost as plainly as if the 

 skin was removed. Then feel to see if the 

 outlines are smooth, and that there are no 

 lumps upon them. Lumps upon them would 

 indicate sprain at some previous time. After 

 exaiuining the fore leg in this manner, pass 

 your hand over the chest, the part from the 

 shoulder back to the end of the ribs. Then 

 examine the abdominal cavity to see if a 

 rupture exists. So far as the general useful- 

 ness of the animal is concerned rupture, un- 

 less it is a very large one, does not interfere 

 with their every-day work. Still it is imt 

 advisable to buy a ruptured animal. Then 

 get an assistant to take up the fore leg, hold- 

 ing it by the toe. The object of this is to 

 throw the weight of the body so that it stands 

 firmly upon its hind legs. Then examine 

 the hind leg, p:issing the hand down until you 

 come to the point of the hock. Examine 

 there for capped hock, which, although it 

 does not interfere with the usefulness of the 

 animal, yet it indicates a kicker. Look also 

 for curb, which is a sprain of the short liga- 

 ment which passes down from the hock, say 

 four or five inches, and for bog spavin. Hog 

 spavin seldom does any harm, but in an ani- 

 mal re(iuired for road purposes the disease is 

 often serious and troublesome. Then examine 

 for bone spavin toward the inside at the front 

 of the hock. Stand about three feet from the 

 shoulder and look from the inside of the hock, 

 and if the line is ordinarily straight it is not 

 likely to exist. You then pass the liand 

 down the front of the hind leg and examine 

 carefully for ringbone, the front leg being up 

 all the time. Side bones do not occur in the 

 hind leg. Examine also for thrush and .sand 

 crack. Having made an examination of the 

 left, you proceed to the front and examine the 

 right side in exactly the same manner. Then 

 stand behind the horee a few yards, and make 

 an examination of the hindquarters and see 

 whether it is hipped, so that the hip on <me 

 side is less than it is on the other side, and the 

 animal is said to be down in the hip. 



In gray horses it is advi-siible to make a 

 careful examination of the urinogenital organs. 



There is a very troublesome disease peculiar 



