266 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



LONGEVITY OF THE HORSE. 



It has long been an impression that the ordinary 

 duration of a horse's life is much shorter than it ought 

 to be, and that the excess of mortality is the result 

 of carelessness or ignorant management. The great 

 error consists in regard to the temperament and gen- 

 eral constitution of a horse as altogether different 

 from those of a human being ; whereas they arc 

 precisclj' the same in all important respects. Disease 

 arising from excessive fatigue, overheating, and ex- 

 posure to air, Avant of exercise, imj^roper diet, both 

 as respects quality and quantity, and from many 

 other causes, affects the horse and his master alike, 

 and neglect in cither case must terminate fatally. 

 Indeed, when a man or a horse has acquired, by a 

 course of training, a high degree of health and vigor, 

 the skin of each is an infallible index of tkc fact. It 

 has been often remarked in England, that the skin of 

 the pugiUst, who has undergone a severe course of 

 training, when ho prepares himself for the fight, ex- 

 hibits a degree of beauty and exceeding fairness, that 

 excites the admiration as well as the wonder of the 

 spectator. So with the horse — his skin is the clearest 

 evidence of the general state of his health. Even 

 the common disease of fou.ndoring is not peculiar to 

 the horse, but is merely a muscular affection, to which 

 many men, who have overstrained themselves at any 

 period, are subject. In fact, the medical treatment 

 of the horse and his rider ought to be the same ; and 

 we confidently believe that if this principle wore 

 acted upon with a moderate share of attention and 

 resolution, the average age of this useful animal 

 would be much longer, and the profit derived from 

 his labors proportionably greater, — Norfolk Beacon. 



PLEASURES CONNECTED WITH THE 

 PURSUIT OF SCIENCE. 



There is no station in life, however lowly, but has 

 its sweets, and there is no station in life, however 

 high, but has its sorrows. In no instance can sorrow 

 be traced to the pursuit of science. Whatever pleas- 

 ure it may bring, one thing is certainly true, — it 

 brings no sorrows. On the contrary, it is a source 

 of enjoyment to every man who has a taste to pur- 

 sue it, be that man an humble tradesman or a wealthy 

 merchant. It is a common opinion that no man is 

 scientific unless he is master of all the abstract 

 knowledge relating to astronomy, mathematics, 

 chemistry, geology, and is somewhat versed in Latin 

 and Greek. But where can we find a man so thor- 

 oughly endowed with scientific knowledge ? There 

 are men who have a partial knowledge of these 

 sciences, and Ave are among the number of those who 

 do not believe in the old adage, " A little knowledge 

 does more harm than good." That man is scientific 

 who is master of his trade, understands all its prin- 

 ciples and practices, or is master of his profession, be 

 it teacher of languages or mathematics. So much 

 for practical scientific attainments. And now what 

 shall we say regarding more knowledge than merely 

 comes within the scope of a man's business and pro- 

 fession ? We have every thing to say that is favor- 

 able. The more knowledge a man possesses, he is 

 more likely to be a better citizen and member of 

 society. Ignorance degrades, knowledge elevates. 



How much pleasure would a shoemaker derive 

 from being acquainted with the princij)les of the 

 steam engine, or the mj-steries of chemistry ! He 

 could not turn to the right or to the left, in the course 

 of a short walk, Avithout having his mind attracted 

 to something interesting and useful, and calculated 

 to draAV his mind from the drudgeries of his own 

 occupation, which, we regret to say, often excites 

 our sympathies as we beUeve shoemakers are not so 



well paid for their labor as they should be. And 

 Avith regard to chemical science, it Avould teach 

 many of them to labor in better ventilated apart- 

 ments, than they in general do. How much pleas- 

 ure Avould a tailor, or any other tradesman, enjoy, if 

 he possessed some knowledge of geology : it makes 

 no matter how little it may be at first, — it is of so 

 attractive and pleasurable a nature, that " the little 

 leaven would soon leaven the Avhole lump." If he 

 takes a Avalk into the fields, he is delighted not only 

 Avith the perspective beauties of nature, but AA'ith its 

 Avondcrs too. The mute rocks speak to him in a 

 AveU-known tongue, and the pebbles by the riA'crside 

 chant to him the song of mountain rill and cata- 

 ract. He may lift up a grain of the carburet of 

 iron, and his mental eye sees it in the pencil of the 

 artist, sketching the outlines of some immortal work 

 of art. He may lift from beneath his feet a crystal 

 of the magnetic oxide of iron, and his mental eye 

 may figure it transformed into the pen of the states- 

 man or author ; or into the sword of the Avarrior, or 

 the husbandman's ploughshare of peace. He may 

 lift up a blaclcish-brown powder from beneath his 

 feet, and to others it Avould be as an idle tale ; but 

 his mental eye can trace the chromate of iron adorn- 

 ing, in orange or gold colors, the turban of the Tartar 

 or the scarf of the fair. Did space permit, avc might 

 here branch out into a most interesting and instruc- 

 tive field ; but it is as Avell, ])erhaps, that Ave cannot 

 do so at present, and Ave bclicA-e that it is far better 

 to present objects to make others think, than to deal 

 Avith subjects in such a manner as to prevent them 

 from thinking. — Selected. 



ON THE ORIGIN AND DIVERSITY OF 

 SOILS. 



BY PROFESSOR U. COULTAS. 



If the origin of soils be considered Avith reference 

 to the geological agents Avhich have produced them, 

 and the whole be then considered in connection Avith 

 practical agriculture, the subject Avill be found to 

 be very interesting and instructive. I purpose treat- 

 ing on these topics in this and subsequent articles. 



The science of geology explains those natural 

 agencies by Avhich soils haA'C been gradually and 

 slowly produced, and which have effected their dis- 

 tribution in such diversity of character OA'er the 

 earth's surface. From a partial examination of the 

 surface, avc might suppose that the interior of the 

 earth Avas all confusion and irregularity : sands and 

 gravels, limestones and clays, are mingled together 

 Avithout any aj^parent order ; and hence it is that such 

 an opinion is actually entertained by many persons. 

 The examination of these sujjerficial accumulations 

 of gravel, together Avith the vegetable soil generally 

 resting on them, teaches us little concerning the 

 true structure of the earth : on the contrary, this loose, 

 superficial matter, and this grassy mantle covering 

 the earth's surface, only tends to mask and conceal 

 its real features from observation ; and hence, to be- 

 come acquainted Avith the structure of the interior, 

 Avo must examine a spot Avhere the crust of the earth 

 has been broken, either by a natural or artificial 

 cause, and presents what geologists call a natural or 

 artificial section, as, for example, a sea-clifi', ravine, 

 railwaj' cutting, quarry, or coal mine : Ave shall then 

 see that the crust of the earth is composed of a scries 

 of mineral masses piled one above the other, and ob- 

 serving a regular order of superposition. 



It may be remarked here, that the examination of 

 the superficial gravels has brought to light many 

 facts in relation to the revolutions which the earth's 

 surface has undergone. When examined scientifi- 

 cally, these gravels are found to consist chiefly of 

 the decomposed substance of the under-lyiug rocks, 



