1870. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



535 



cation, and will satisfy the scruples of the most 

 conscientious parents. 



As an act of justice to the people of Boone 

 county, the same paper says, that thirty -one years 

 ago they gave one hundred and seventeen thousand 

 dollars as a bonus to the State University. A pri- 

 vate citizen of the county, Dr. Anthony W. Rol- 

 lins, placed at the disposal of the curators of the 

 State University, a sum now amounting to #26,- 

 000, the annual interest of which is to be forever 

 appropriated towards the education of poor but 

 promising youth, of both sexes, at the State Uni- 

 versity. 



SUMMER CARS OF HOQS. 



We believe one of the reasons why many 

 fail in realizing what they might from their 

 swine herds, is that they devote too much at- 

 tention to the corn field, and too little to the 

 hog pasture. In their eagerness to produce 

 an abundance of feed for their hogs in autumn 

 and winter, they are negligent in providing 

 them with sufficient food during the earlier 

 portions of the year. Hogs that are stinted 

 during the summer will not take on fat readily 

 on the approach of cold weather. A good 

 healthy growth should be kept up all the sea- 

 son. 



Now the truth is, an acre of clover to be fed 

 off in June is worth more in making pork than 

 an acre of corn that is to be devoured in No- 

 vember. The first can be produced by little 

 labor, while the latter is only raised at the 

 expense of patient and continued toil. The 

 grunting hog delights in fat pastures no less 

 than the bleating lamb and the lowing cow. 

 Pure cold water is as grateful to the one as to 

 the other. In fact the hog has greater need 

 of it than either of the other animals, because 

 he requires a bath every day, and would take 

 it too if he had the facilities. 



August is ordinarily a hard month for hogs. 

 The hog pasture, unless it is of unusual size, 

 is likely to become short and much of the 

 ground rooted over. The soil is often parched ; 

 the vegetation dried up ; the water scarce, 

 and nothing abundant but heat and flies. At 

 such a time, of all times, the hog requires at- 

 tention. 



A crop of peas, if sown even at this late day, 

 will be ripe early in the month of August. 

 Two bushels sown broadcast on an acre of well 

 prepared land should produce at least thirty 

 bushel of shelled peas, to say nothing of pods 

 and vines. 



For growing swine in the warm season of 

 the year there are few kinds of food that will 

 compare with peas. They do not need to be 

 harvested — the hogs will do that — will eat 

 them, if they are not too dry, stalks, leaves 

 and all. If peas will form less fat than corn, 

 they will produce more flesh ; and that is what 

 is wanted at the period that precedes fattening. 

 They are easy to raise where the soil ami cli- 

 mate is suitable for them ; do not exhaust the 



soil like most crops ; and come in at just the 

 time they are most needed. In England, 

 where it is impossible to raise corn, farmers 

 rely largely on peas to fatten their hogs ; 

 while in Canada, where they can raise very 

 fair corn they hold that more food can be 

 raised from an acre of peas than from an acre 

 of corn. — Frairie Farmer, ahr. 



HOW TO SELECT A HORSE. 



Probably in no article of trade are persons 

 so often deceived as in the purchase of horses. 

 So risky is this that many prudent buyers 

 never purchase except on a trial of a week or 

 more, and I would advise all who do not 

 know how to select a good horse to adopt this 

 course. 



In buying a horse particular attention should 

 be given to the eye. It should be clear, stand 

 out round and full. The eyebrows and lids 

 should be free from bunches, and there should 

 be no swelling under the lower lids. I would 

 turn from a horse that has a dull, sunken, flat 

 eye. In nine cases out of ten there is trouble 

 connected with it. Either the disposition of 

 the horse will be bad, or he will be lazy, or 

 his eyes will fail. A good way to test the 

 present condition of sight is to lead a horse 

 out of a dark stable into a strong light. If he 

 knits his brow, throws his head up as if to get 

 more light, acts if he wanted his glasses to 

 see clearly — stand from under, you may be 

 sure he has bad eyes. 



The feet should also be carefully examined. 

 A horse with bad feet is little worth. A good 

 foot is smooth, tough and solid. The heels 

 firm (not spongy) the frogs dry and the soles 

 shallow. See the foot that the honest smith 

 calls a good one. The shoulders should be 

 of medium size for common use ; as then you 

 have good speed and durability. 



The limbs should be clean, free from 

 splents, and wind-galls, and spavins and tu- 

 mors of all kinds, and should look as if made 

 for the body. In movement, the fore legs 

 and shoulders should seem to have but one ac- 

 tion. If you want a good horse look well to 

 this. 



The body should be well formed, back 

 straight, and the hips lower than the withers. 

 See that the breathing is natural and that 

 there is no uncommon motion under the short 

 ribs. A broken winded horse, unless rosined, 

 nearly always shows this. 



A horse with a large fleshy head, and thick 

 neck, also one with fleshy legs should be re- 

 jected. — Ohio Farmer. 



— The Iowa City Rep%iblican says Mr. A. J. 

 Bond, of this county, is now feeding 169 head of 

 cattle. This lot of cattle will probably bring him 

 $10,000 in addition to the value of the hogs which 

 follow them. He feeds hay and corn from the 

 shock in winter, turning on grass in summer. He 

 will plant 250 acres of corn this season. 



