1861. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMEU. 



263 



much prefer yours for the table, the flesh of which 

 is as white as the "snow that by the northern blast 

 has been twice bolted o'er." I think this variety 

 might be freely fed to milch cows without impart- 

 ing the "turnipy" taste to the milk and butter 

 that the Swedish and other turnips do. I believe 

 they possess the keeping quality in an eminent 

 degree, for I planted out last spring eight or ten 

 nice bulbs for seed, and they scarcely exhibited 

 any signs of vegetating, and I think they would 

 have cooked well in September. I grew them again 

 the past season, and can cheerfully recommend 

 them to all who wish to procure a "number one" 

 turnip for family use and for the market. 



Levi Bartlett. 

 Warner, N. H., Jan. 15, 1859. 



For the New England Farmer. 



OVBRIiOADIira AND OVEB^WORKINQ 

 HOBSES. 



The unmerciful use of the whip upon the noble 

 horse in our streets ever pains the ear and the 

 heart of the generality of such persons as may be 

 cognizant of the act. Though the animal may be 

 refractory at the time, still the spectacle, or re- 

 sounding of the lash excites our pity for his suf- 

 ferings. The driver, that regards the public sen- 

 timent and feeling in this respect, will use the 

 whip lightly and sparingly. But, if he inflicts pain 

 upon the public heart, by his unmerciful applica- 

 tions of this instrument of animal torture and 

 punishment, he will reap, as he will merit, ever, 

 the full reward of a general dislike. The act is 

 inhuman and vulgar, and it bespeaks our human- 

 ity and progress in civilization, that we have an 

 enactment upon our statute book for the preven- 

 tion of this barbarity. 



The whip is an unnecessary instrument for the 

 correction of the most vicious horse. Intracta- 

 bility is unnatural to this animal. God created 

 him with a tractable and a docile disposition. He 

 was made, evidently, for man's domestic use and 

 purpose, and was most wisely and admirably 

 adapted in his creation, to the most perfect ful- 

 filment of that design, by his peculiar trait of 

 obedience. He becomes attached to the kind 

 master, and delights to obey his commands and 

 to do his will. He becomes vicious and unkind 

 from the eff'ect of abuse and mismanagement of 

 him, by his master. 



Horses are often whipped because they cannot 

 draw loads to which some indiscreet persons have 

 attached them, or cannot haul them as readily 

 and speedily as they could suitable sized ones. 

 And they are whipped to make them travel speed- 

 ily, after they have been travelling so long as to 

 become fatigued. In such casf's, every blow of 

 the whip is an injury to the horse ; in the one 

 case it increases his fatigue the more : in the oth- 

 er, it causes him to strain and stiff'en himself. 

 The strained and overtaxed muscles and joints 

 become stiff'ened and weakened. The value of the 

 horse for use, and for the market, becomes thus 

 more or less diminished. If we want quick mo- 

 tioned teams and free travellers, we must not strain 

 and fatigue them unnecessarily. It is better to go 

 twice with a given quantity of freight, than to in- 

 jure a horse or team, by overloading, more in 

 value, by this excess of loading, than is gained 



thereby. Whenever there is too much loading 

 for a team to draw easily, another horse should 

 be immediately added, or some of the freight 

 taken off". But if neither is done, the team should 

 be favored, by allowing it to move slowly, and to 

 rest often. It is better to let a fatigued horse 

 move more slowly, or to put him up to rest, rather 

 than whip him to renewed exertions to greater fa- 

 tigue and wear of life. 



By the abuse of the horse, we injure his pres- 

 ent value, and deteriorate the stock, or species. 

 Some teamsters boast of the instances of great 

 exhibitions of strength, by their teams. But such 

 boastings are not guaranties of their soundness 

 and value. They are not any better for such in- 

 stances of their displays of strength, but are 

 rather more frequently worse. 



We have no law against the abuse of horses. I 

 would that it could be prevented, somehow. Were 

 public sentiment or feeling as much against it, as 

 against the use of the whip, it would diminish. 

 But this is a still injury ; it does not always re- 

 sound with the lash, that is, every overloaded 

 team or horse is not, as a matter of course, pun- 

 nished with the whip. We pass and repass, fre- 

 quently, horses staggering under an oppressive 

 load. We often pass horses and teams injuri- 

 ously straining themselves in the transporting of 

 great loads, and take no thought, as we should, of 

 their suff'erings and injuries. 



Such abuse of the noble animal is most unwise, 

 uneconomical and unmerciful, uncivilized and 

 unchristian, and let us cease forthwith and for- 

 ever. G. o. B. 



For the New England Farmer, 



THE CUIiTrVATIOlSr OP •WILD FLOWERS. 



I cultivate many choice shrubs and flowers, but 

 never had any one of them yield me so much 

 pleasure as a bed of the common, blue, white and 

 yellow violet. Two years ago, I was out in the 

 field, when I came across a large patch of violets, 

 I thought I would return, and transplant them. 

 The, next spring I had forgotten about them, 

 when I was surprised to see them coming up so 

 vigorously ; they were in a warm south situation, 

 and bloomed very early, they were three times as 

 large, and long stemmed enough for bouquets. The 

 leaves were very much enlarged. Several of my 

 friends made the inquiry what are they ? I plant 

 them in large patches ; since then I have trans- 

 planted the white snake violet and yellow, favor- 

 ably ; the white prefers a very wet situation, also 

 the common wild lupin and the red lobelia or 

 cardinal flower ; these are in the reach of all, the 

 poor can have them, those that love flowers. Per- 

 haps you might suggest, in some of your articles, 

 the plan of transplanting some of our beautiful 

 wild flowers. I also take the Oardener^s Monthly 

 and my father takes your Weekly. Can the bar- 

 berry be budded with the white rose ? and will it 

 be yellow ? Is there any remedy for the small red 

 aphis ? Can you describe the processes of bud- 

 ding roses ? I would like to experiment on 

 some double blush roses. About the wild flow- 

 ers ; could not you write an article on them the 

 first of April, as I think they would be very ac- 

 ceptable to many of your readers. 

 Abington, 1861. Evelyn S. Doane. 



