98 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



April 



eeems to be opening, and preparing to enrich us 

 with its gifts." 



Now we may bid winter farewell, in earnest, 

 for although April is proverbially a coquettish 

 month, and we are not to suppose because she 

 smiles on us one hour she will not frown the next 

 — still there is an onward progress. Slowly, but 

 surely the way is being prepared for the fair things 

 of suninier, and the harvest of autumn. Not yet 

 have the trees all put on their beautiful garments, 

 but the maple down by the meadow is "clothed 

 in> scarlet," the willow droops with its burden of 

 tender blossoms, (we called it pussy willow in our 

 school-days,) and the fresh green grass is spring- 

 ing in all sunny and sheltered places. It is true 

 that the "return of spring" on paper, is common- 

 place enough, and everything that can be said of 

 its "beauties," &c., &e., has been said a thousand 

 times, but the return of spring in reality, is al- 

 ways new. Though one may have seen threescore 

 and ten of them, he never loses the feeling of 

 fpesh young life which it brings. And yet, per- 

 haps, we all look at it from a different point of 

 view. The invalid rejoices in the prospect of a 

 season better adapted to his enfeebled frame ; the 

 farmer regards it with an eye to his plow and 

 broad fields of waving grain — his flocks and herds ; 

 the little child thinks of the checkerberries— (he 

 probably calls them ivy plums) — which look so 

 bright and cheerful under their broad, thick leaves 

 — of the bird's nests, which he knows very well 

 where to look for, — and of all the grand rambles 

 he is going to have in the woods now that the 

 snow that has lain so long — it seems to him a 

 year — is melting away. The old man looks out 

 upon the reviving world and thiaks how his win- 

 ter will soon p*ss, and spring will come to him in 

 another, and more congenial world ! 



The young lady, (is it not so ?) puts by her 

 skates with a sigh, and can only find consolation 

 in the lovely shape of her new spring hat ! We 

 are glad, by the way, that any form of out-door 

 exercise should have found so much favor in the 

 eyes of the fair sex, and we hope that the prevail- 

 ing mania of the past winter will extend itself 

 Still farther, and that walking, riding horseback, 

 &c., &c., will come in fashion, — for if you can 

 only make a thing fasld-onable, it is safe. 



Of all the "rights" that have been withheld 

 from our countrywomen, that of a hardy physical 

 development is the most important, and the re- 

 formers who are bold enough to break down the 

 ancient barriers in the way, are deserving of pub- 

 lic thanks. Our own creed on the subject of 

 "women's rights" is very brief. Let her be thor- 

 oughly educated, morally, intellectually, and phys- 

 ically, and she will fall into her own sphere, 

 whateyer that may be, as naturally as the earth re- 



Well, we shall find our compensation by-and-by, 

 and if our spring is short, so much the more rea- 

 son why we should make the most of it. Isn't 

 this true philosophy ? 



vr.l- !•» oTj its axis. 



fn.= hill. 



HORSE TRAINING. 

 We had the pleasure, a few days ago, of wit- 

 nessing Mr. Rockwell's power over the horse, 

 in a series of experiments made at Concord, Mass. 

 In the first place, he drove a splendid stallion 

 through the streets, without bridle, reins, or har- 

 ness of any kind, except a surcingle passed around 

 the body of the horse and attached to the shafts 

 by a loop. At another time he drove a pair of 

 stallions in the same manner. On both occasions 

 the horses were driven through a crowd of peo- 

 ple, sharp corners, among numerous other horses 

 and vehicles, and were guided with more exac*:- 

 ness than most of the lookers-on could have man- 

 aged their teams with bits and reins. He con- 

 trolled the animals, evidently, through their fears. 

 There was a magic power in the long whip which 

 he held in his hand. The eyes and ears of the 

 horses were all attention ; no motion of the whip, 

 however slight, esca])ed their notice. If the whip 

 leaned right or left, they instantly followed its in- 

 clination, or if its pliable extremity went entirely 

 round, they gracefully swept about and described 

 the circle, bearing gently off when the wheel 

 pressed too hard upon the protecting iron. 



Mr. Rockwell experimented upon more than a 

 dozen horses in our presence, and with entire suc- 

 cess in every case. We have space for only one 

 which will well enough illustrate the whole. This 

 was the case of a mare> weighing about 1050 

 pounds and eight years old. She was not "brok- 

 en," as the term is, until she was six years old. 

 There was no special difficulty in handling her 

 then, with the single exception that she did not 

 like to have her feet touched, either before or be- 

 hind. The habit of resisting when she was shod 

 grew upon her, so that the last time tliat work 

 was needed, previous to the exhibition, it took 

 four men two hours to accomplish it, and then the 

 work was unsatisfactorily performed. 



The mare was led into the ring, and Mr. Rock- 

 well took a cord of the size of a common clothes 

 line, and ten or twelve feet long, made a loop in 

 one end, put it into her mouth, then threw the 

 other end over her neck and brought it back 

 through the loop, and held it in his hand. A 

 headstall, without winkers, was upon her head. 

 In this position he stood two or three minutes, 

 speaking to the crowd, and then gave a sudden 

 and powerful jerk upon the cord at right angle 

 with her body, bringing the mare's head nearly 

 round to her side. Then he caressed her a little, 

 when two or three other, tiger-like springs fol- 

 lowed in quick sucop«^ion, evidently to the ?reat 



