154 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



April 



ter how green and crude it is, and all overhaul- 

 ing will only impair its value for such a purpose. 

 But if it is to be spread on sward land after it is 

 plowed, it should be overhauled once or twice, and 

 made as fine as possible, and then plowed under 

 only two or three inches. If fine, it can be more 

 evenly distributed over the field, and more con- 

 veniently and certainly got under the surface. 

 The rains penetrate it more readily, and wash out 

 its fertilizing properties and convey them to the 

 roots of the plants. If fine, it comes in contact 

 with a lajger portion of the surrounding minerals, 

 bringing them to act together, and thus furnish 

 sustenance for the growing crops. 



On the other hand, if it is coarse, it requires 

 nearly double the labor to get it under the soil, 

 and a considerable portion will be left on the sur- 

 face, in the way of the hoe, and drying up so as 

 to supply little to the plants that need it. The 

 action alluded to in the preceding paragraph is 

 also lost, which is an essential loss. 



If, however, manure can be applied to stubble 

 land in the fall, and plowed under six or eight 

 inches, it may be put on in a crude state, and we 

 think there is no other way in lohich it can be ap- 

 plied with so much advantage. 



There is a little loss in overhauling manure 

 heaps, in the escape of its ammonia, undoubtedly, 

 but that loss is unimportant, compared with that 

 of using it in a coarse condition, so that it cannot 

 be intimately mingled with the soil. 



Fences. — So soon as the absence of frost will 

 permit, make new, or repair old, fences, and do 

 the work so thoroughly that no animal will be 

 tempted to "commit a "breach of the peace." 

 Animals may be educated to become unruly as 

 well as humans, but with good fences and a rea- 

 sonable pasturage, few will become "unruly." 

 Such as are found to inherit the "original sin" 

 should go to steaks and sii-loins as soon as pos- 

 sible. 



PoAcniNG. — It used to be the practice — per- 

 haps it is now with some farmers — to allow cat- 

 tle to run over the mowing fields and through the 

 orchards as soon as the snow left the ground. 

 Was it a good practice ? Why not ? Will some 

 one tell us ? 



The Oat Crop. — On lands that are sufficiently 

 dry, it is advisable to get in oats as early as pos- 

 sible, so that the work of seeding may be out of 

 the way, and that the crop may be taken off the 

 ground, and give the young grass opportunity 

 to get thoroughly established before freezing 

 weather. 



Draining. — August and September are pre- 

 eminently the months for this work, but if time 

 can be found to drain that disagreeable and un- 

 profitable piece of land that lies so near the house, 

 it would be a great comfort to the women to have 



it done. Besides, that is the best acre of grass 

 land on the farm, and drained and top-dressed a 

 little annually, it would yield two tons per acre, 

 for twenty years in succession. 



Of course, there are many other things to be 

 done on the farm in April, which will suggest 

 themselves to him who has the responsibility of 

 attending to them. He must remember that a 

 good start generally accomplishes about one-half 

 the thing to be done, and that it is the laggard 

 who is forever grumbling and puffing and blow- 

 ing and trying to catch up with the world, but 

 never does it. It is an exceedingly disagreeable 

 state of mind, always to feel in a hurry. Let us, 

 then, be up with the season in our work, be 

 contented and cheerful, and full of well-founded 

 hope of progress and profit through the growing 

 months. 



"The crocuses put up their lit'le heads, 



While it rains, it rains, it rains; 

 And the pink spires spring from their chilly beds, 



While it rains, it rains, it rains ; 

 The peach blossoms whisper within their cells, 

 ' We will open our eyes and peep from our bells, 



While it rains, it rains, it rains.' " 



HORSE TAMING. 



Want of space prevented our enumerating the 

 different animals experimented on by Mr. Rarey 

 at his first exhibition. The third one introduced 

 was a wild horse from South America, whose nu- 

 merous antics on entering, made very evident the 

 statement of Mr. Rarey that "he had never been 

 broke except to the halter." But before the nim- 

 ble mustang left he was thoroughly "broke" in 

 every sense of the word, and had effectually 

 learned the lesson which the tamer impresses up- 

 on every horse which comes under his influence, 

 that "man is the master." In less than fifteen 

 minutes time, this rampant little nag had become 

 the very pattern of gentleness and humility. So 

 there was no further use for him, and he was led 

 away bestowing, as he disappeared, a remarkably 

 meek look upon the audience, as much as to say, 

 "I'm a used up horse." After the exhibition of 

 two diminutive Shetland ponies, a magnificent 

 stallion was led in by the attendants, who were 

 careful to keep at a good distance from him, us- 

 ing all the latitude the ropes allowed of. He was 

 indeed a magnificent specimen of horse flesh, with 

 an eye betokening almost human intelligence, and 

 which excited a murmur of approbation from the 

 whole audience. A most vicious beast, for four 

 years he had been entirely unmanageable, having 

 killed two keepers, and injured several others. 

 He kicked, struck with his fore feet, and repeat- 

 edly endeavored to bite the tamer, through his 

 heavy muzzle. But it v/as all labor lost ; he fared 

 no better than his predecessors, and in a short 

 time was so thoroughly subjugated as to allow 

 Mr. Rarey to sit upon his back, handle his fore 

 and hind feet, even lay them on his face, pull him 

 about the stage while stretched on his back, and 

 most surprising of all, to remove the muzzle and 

 thrust his hand, and then his arm, into the ani- 

 mal's mouth. 



