NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



293 



■where the stock was protected. The remark is often 

 heard that fruit-trees which have been changed by 

 budding or grafting are not so healthy and long-lived 

 as those which are not. I am of the opinion there is 

 some truth in the remark ; yet when the operations 

 are performed so as foi*^ reunion to be effected with- 

 out any appearance of decay, I apprehend the differ- 

 ence would be less than is the case in genexal. 



i). TABOR. 

 Vassalboro', Me., 6th mo., 1849. 



Editorial Remarks. — We think that it would be 

 profitable to apply something to the protection of the 

 stock, when cut after budding, particularly to cherry 

 stocks and others very liable to decay. In apples 

 and pears, decay is not so common. Shellac, dis- 

 solved in alcohol, is excellent for this purpose, and it 

 may be applied rapidly. Gutta percha, dissolved in 

 chloroform, to the consistence of thick molasses, is a 

 new article for this purpose, introduced to notice by 

 Dr. E. Sanborn, of Andover, which promises to be 

 very useful. 



As budded stocks are cut off in- spring, they are 

 very liable to decay, as that is the most unfavorable 

 of all seasons for pruning trees, or cutting them in 

 any way. Yet the stocks must be cut in spring, as 

 it cannot be ascertained, till that season, what buds 

 will be good. 



In cutting the stock down to the bud, we prefer 

 doing it in August, generally ; sometimes late in 

 July or early in September ; which is the most favor- 

 able season for pruning or cutting trees, as the wood 

 will generally season and remain sound. But if 

 cutting the stock down to the M^ood be deferred till 

 the next spring, it would be best to apply some com- 

 position to exclude the rain and hot sun. 



It is a well- established fact that trees budded or 

 grafted are not so hardy, or long-lived, and generally 

 not so large, as natural trees. One cause of these 

 imperfections is that suggested by fi-iend Tabor ; 

 another cause is the dissimilarity between the stock 

 and scion. One may be early, the other late ; one a 

 rapid and the other a slow grower ; and there may 

 be various other differences. In some cases the tex- 

 ture of the wood varies materially. That the stock 

 affects not only the scion, but the fruit of the scion, 

 is abundantly proved by practice. Some say this is 

 contrary to science ; but as science is a system of 

 truths established by experience, science and prac- 

 tice are the same. 



PURCHASE OF HORSES. 



Nothing requires more caution than the purchase 

 of horses ; and we give the following hints, which 

 are extracted from the excellent volume " On 

 Horses," published by the Society for the Diffusion 

 of Useful Knowledge : — 



" In the purchase of a horse, the buyer usually 

 receives, imbodied in the receijjt, what is termed a 

 warranty. It should be expressed thus : ' Received 

 of A. B. forty pounds for a gray mare, warranted 

 only five years old, free from vice and quiet to ride 

 or drive.' It is important to observe that the age, 

 freedom from vice, and quietness to ride or drive, 

 should be mentioned, because warranty as to sound- 

 ness alone does not include these. Many disputes 

 have arisen as to what ought to be termed sound or 

 unsound. A horse is sound in whom there is no 



disease, nor any alteration of structure which im- 

 pairs his natural usefulness ; and he is unsound if he 

 labors under any disease, or had any accident that 

 has impaired his natural usefulness by an alteration 

 of the structure of any part of his body. The term 

 unsoundness does not apply to any original detect 

 in the temper of the horse, or any deficiency in the 

 strength and powers of the animal. The principal 

 circumstances which constitute unsoundness, be- 

 sides the great number of actual diseases, are broken 

 knees, which may indicate a stumbler, though not 

 always ; for any horse may meet with an accident, 

 and the knee may now be quite well, though it re- 

 quires great judgment to distinguish in this case. 

 Contra'?tion of the foot is sometimes, but not always, 

 unsoundness ; for it is occasionally natural, and not 

 a fault. The following defects are considered to 

 indicate unsoundness : Lameness, through any cause ; 

 pumicid foot; sand- crack ; spavin; splent ; thick- 

 ening of the back sinews of the leg ; thrush ; ossifi- 

 cation of the cartilages of the foot ; defects or dis- 

 eases of the eyes ; coughs, roarings, broken wind, or 

 any defects of the lungs ; quidding, or imperfect 

 mastication ; cribbiting ; biting ; kicking ; restiveness. 



" In order to complete the purchase, there must 

 be a transfer of the animal, or a memorandum of 

 agreement, or the payment of earnest-money ; the 

 least sum will suffice for eai-nest. No verbal promise 

 to buy or sell is binding without one of these ; and 

 the moment either of these is effected, the legal 

 transfer of propertj' or delivery is made ; and what- 

 ever may happen to the horse, the seller retains or is 

 entitled to the money. If the purchaser exercises 

 any act of ownership by using the animal witJiout 

 leave of the vender, or by having any operation per- 

 formed or done to him, or medicine given, he makes 

 him his own. The warranty of a servant is consid- 

 ered to be binding on the master. 



" A man should have a more jjerfect knowledge 

 of horses than falls to the lot of most persons, and a 

 perfect knowledge of the vender, too, who ventures 

 to buy a horse without a Avarranty. Where there is 

 no warranty, and a defect is discovered after pur- 

 chase, an action may be brought on the ground of 

 fraud ; but this is difficult to be maintained, for it is 

 necessary to prove that the dealer knew the defect, 

 and that the purchaser was deceived by his false 

 representation. If the defect was evident, the pur- 

 chaser has no remedy — he should have taken more 

 care ; but if a warranty was given, it extends to all 

 unsoundness, palpable or concealed. Although a 

 person should ignorantly or carelessly buy a blind 

 horse, warranted sound, he may return it ; the war- 

 ranty is his guard, and prevents him. from so closely 

 examining the horse as he otherwise would have 

 done : but if he buys a blind horse, thinking him to 

 be sound, and without a warranty, he has no rem- 

 edy. The law supposes every one to exercise com- 

 mon circumspection and common sense. If the 

 horse should be afterward discovered to be unsound 

 at the time of the sale \\hen the warranty was given, 

 the buyer may return it and recover the price ; but 

 this proof is requisite ; coughing on the following 

 morning will not be sufficient, except the horse was 

 heard to cough previous to the purchase, for the 

 horse might have caught cold by change of stable. 

 Although not compelled to give notice to the seller 

 of the discovered unsoundness, it will be better for it 

 to be done. The animal should then be tendered at 

 the house or stable of the vender. Should the latter 

 refuse to receive him, he may be sent to a livery- 

 stable ; for, in case of action, the expense will be 

 recovered with the price ; and it will be prudent for 

 the buyer to refrain from any medical treatment. K 

 a person buys a horse, warranted sound, and dis- 

 covering no defect in hira, and relying on the war- 

 ranty, re-sells him, and the unsoundness is discov- 

 ered by the second purchaser and the horse returned 



