134 Farm Horses. 



One of the most useful general rules that can be 

 observed by an arable fanner is, to keep his horses 

 always at work. The expense of a team is so great, that 

 if he does not pursue this rule, he must lose by them. 

 January is a month in which all business of tillage ought 

 to be at a stop. If the weather be a hard frost, care 

 should be taken to make use of it in carting manures on 

 the farm. If there are composts ready, a frost should not 

 be let slip ; or, if there be faggot carting to be performed, 

 or the earth of borders under hedges to be carried? the 

 carts should be kept close to work of that kind as long as 

 the frost lasts. But in open weather, road-work must be 

 done. Carting out the corn may not nearly employ the 

 teams ; on other days the carts should go to the nearest 

 town for manure. There certainly are situations pre- 

 cluded from this advantage, but not many. 



Soiling. 



This practice is usual on most arable farms, especially 

 where provision is made of crops near the feeding-boxes 

 and yards for carrying it out, a profitable method of increas- 

 ing the store of manure upon the farm. Where Italian rye- 

 grass and lucerne and clover, liberally treated, are near 

 the feeding-house, horses can be kept during the summer 

 months more cheaply than during winter, with at least as 

 great advantage to the fertility of the farm. 



Enlightened farmers have in many districts adopted 

 this system for horses. Every one knows how tormenting 

 flies are to animals when abroad : ride into a field in sum- 

 mer to look at stock, and where do you find them ? Not 

 feeding, but standing or resting under trees, in ponds, in 

 rivers, and if there is no better shelter, in ditches under 

 brambles ; in a word, anywhere but feeding in the open 

 air. What they graze is in the morning and evening ; and 

 in many cases they lose in the heat of the day all they 

 gain at those moments of their comfort. To this su- 

 periority we must add that of the main object, which is 

 the dunghill : in one case this is accumulated in a degree 

 even superior to what is effected in winter ; in the other, 



