1862. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMEn. 



533 



tain its perfect operation is, first, to provide an 

 outlet for the water when it comes — by an efficient 

 drainage of the subsoil, and then to move the land 

 while dry, and break it up into clods and frag- 

 ments, no matter how large they be, and leave 

 for alternate rain, and drought, and frost, and 

 thaw, to do their utmost. — London Agricultural 

 Gazette. 



EXTKACTS AND KEPLIES. 

 rULLING-BACK HORSES. 



Can you, or any of your readers inform me if 

 there is any way to break a horse of the habit of 

 pulling back when hitched ? I have a horse, as 

 free fi-om faults, perhaps, as most horses, who will 

 break away v.iien hitched in a shed, stable or else- 

 where. As I am no horse jockey, I am afraid if I 

 trade him ofl' I shall got a worse one, and there- 

 fore think it is best to keep him ; but it is not safe 

 to leave him, either hitched or unhitched. I once 

 heard of a man who owned a horse with this hab- 

 it and accidentally broke him of it by hitching him 

 on the bank of a miil-pond, and the horse pulling 

 back landed in the water. But it seems to me 

 this might prove a dangerous experiment. 



I once owned a horse who was lame most of 

 the time from corns on the feet. I cured him by 

 building a new stall for him so he could stand on 

 the ground, and I would recommend this to any 

 one having a horse similarly affected. N. 



South Walpole, Oct. 12, 1862. 



Remarks. — We once had a colt addicted to the 

 same bad habit. She would break a three-quar- 

 ter inch new rope as though it were a tow string. 

 We had a halter made double, and of the best 

 materials, and was confident that no horse could 

 break it. It was used upon her in the stable for 

 several days. Whether she made any experi- 

 ments upon it or not, we never knew, but were 

 always careful not to hitch her to a post, or any- 

 thing else, that she could start. In a few days we 

 had occasion to leave her while pulling a wagon 

 from the barn floor, and hitched her to a post firm 

 enough to hold two or three horses. When ap- 

 proaching her from the barn, she suddenly settled 

 back upon her haunches and gave two or three 

 tremendous jerks that made her tremble at every 

 joint. When near enough we gave her a sharp 

 touch over the head with the whiplash, when she 

 tried the experiment once more, and that was her 

 last. After that, a piece of common twine wais 

 sufficient to hold her in the stall or to any post. 

 It will cost little to make the trial, and it is at- 

 tended with little or no danger. So long as a 

 horse continues to break his halter, or to remove 

 what he is hitched to, ho is encouraged to have 

 his own way, and the habit is strengthened by 

 every repeated success. Let us know the result. 



FENCES — AN EXPLANATION. 



The Farmer for August contains a communica- 

 tion from South Amherst signed "A Farmer," in 

 which he complains that I had written two articles 

 in reply to his in relation to my fence and that I 



"had associated him in an ungentlemanly manner 

 with a bad man, and furthermore had injured his 

 feelings by giving him the right to build it, to keep 

 him out of the way of tem])tation." 



In reply to the first accusation I will say that 

 the first article was not intended for publication, 

 but a private note of explanation to the editor, al- 

 thougii I omitted to mark it as such. The reflec- 

 tion that no one but himself knows who is hurt, 

 should, at least, mitigate the second charge and 

 the third, "to be kept from temptation" has been 

 the prayer of the wise and good in all age of the 

 world. 



If it will not be ungentlemanly I will ask him to 

 send me his name by letter, so that if further 

 apology is necessary I can make it in the same 

 way. 



Perhaps this will not appear unreasonable, 

 Avhen it is known that I have caused inquiries to 

 be made and have been unable to find him or his 

 fences. C. R. Smith. 



Haverhill, N. H., Oct., 1862. . 



FOWL MEADOW SEED. 



Noticing in the monthly Farmer for October an 

 inquiry for fowl meadow seed, I would say that I 

 have some two or three bushels of seed, pure and 

 fresh. A sample having been sent to the editor 

 of the Boston Cultivator, was pronounced very 

 pure. There is not much sale for it here, as our 

 farmers have not got in the way of using it, but I 

 think highly of it. On one piece I have, it is 

 slowly working its way into the lower land near 

 it, rooting out bulrushes and the like. I would 

 like to dispose of the seed, and would deliver at 

 the depot to any address, at market price. 



William A. Swallow. 



Nashua, N. E., Oct., 1862. 



For tite Aew England Fanner. 

 FALL WORK. 



The busy, I might almost say busiest, time of 

 the year has come suddenly upon us. Farmers' 

 wives step quickly, talk briskly and work myste- 

 riously. Various curious dishes are concocted, 

 and put away for winter use. The curtains are 

 stripped from the windows, the carpets from the 

 floors, and woman reigns as furiously, and a little 

 more so, as she did when spring cleaning engrossed 

 her attention. Up stairs and down she flies, ever 

 busy, ever cheerful, no matter how much work 

 she has on hand, if her heart only be easy. But, 

 alas , how many wives and mothers are doing 

 their fall work, now, with drooping spirits and lag- 

 ging steps, thinking of some loved one, who is far 

 from home, fighting, and perhaps dying, for his 

 country. 



The nicely made pots of preserves are set aside 

 with a sigh, and may be a tear, as the half-uttered 

 wish wells up from the heart, that Jamie, or George, 

 or Fred might sip from its luscious sweets; 

 but they, dear fellows, think themselves lucky 

 to get enough good wholesome food to appease 

 thair voracious appetites, without hardly casting a 

 thought upon the sweetmeats they know are prob- 

 ably being prepared at home, and which operation 

 they once loved so well to watch. But cheer up, 

 wives, and mothers, and sisters of the brave men 

 who have gone to help save the "Dear old Flag" 



