98 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Feb. 



ders it next to impossible to get good sound 

 stock, either to use or to breed from. 



The sj-stem of crossing which has been 

 adopted since the introdwction of thorough- 

 bred stallions around in the country, appears 

 to be a further cause of the degeneration of 

 our general stock. Let his shape and quali- 

 ties be good, bad, or indilierent, the one 

 which possesses a sprinkling of blood is sure 

 to be the animal which will be selected as a 

 sire. His light action, showy appearance and 

 high-sounding pedigree will be a sufficient 

 recommendation to those who are ignorant of 

 the various poi«<6' and qualities which are con- 

 nected with the strength, substance, durability 

 and disposition of the animal. Besides, the 

 same horse is certain of being put to a great 

 number of mares of all sorts, shapes and sizes, 

 without the slightest regard to that exact adap- 

 tation of form and size of dam, which is ab- 

 solutely necessary in order to secure a satis- 

 factory result. JBreeding from blood-stallions 

 is highly commendable, provided it is done 

 with judgment and discretion ; but the prac- 

 tice of violent crossing is dii-ectly objection- 

 able, and cannot be too strongly condemned. 

 Extremes' in crossing are very rarely success- 

 ful ; and it is really astonishing to see farmers 

 so constantly putting their complete cart-mares 

 to thorough bred horses, expecting to have 

 foals of a class fit for fast work, whereas nine 

 times out of ten they are fit neither for slow 

 nor fast use. 



By the practice here referred to, breeders 

 expect to produce a horse combining both 

 strength and action ; but they are very fre- 

 quently treated to an animal of such a nonde- 

 script form, that he is fit "neither for the land 

 nor the sea." In place of being a fair medi- 

 inn between the sire and dam, he will take 

 chiefly after the one in some parts, whilst in 

 other places he will lean entirely to the oppo- 

 site side ; and he is consequently so badly bal- 

 anced and proportioned that he is compara- 

 tively useless. His temper, moreover, is fre- 

 quently characterized by a want of conform- 

 ity to the purpose for which his owner might 

 think him in other respects besit adapted. — JJr. 

 N. H. raaren, in Prairie Farmer. 



POSITION OF THE HORSE'S NECK. 



'J'he sliape and position of the horse's neck 

 should be particularly observed by the person 

 who trains, rides or drives the horse. It is 

 rare to see two horses formed so exactly alike, 

 that tliey can bear to have their heads elevated 

 to the same height, Avithout painfully interfer- 

 ing with the action andjjowcr of all parts of 

 the body. How unseemly and how barbarous 

 is it, then, for some ignorant trainers, riders 

 and drivers, to screw up all the horses, no 

 matter how divi'rsified their shapes, that un- 

 fortunately fall into their hands, to the same 

 point, for the purpose of giving them what 

 they are pleased to call a graceful carriage? 



Do such people ever imagine that gracefulness 

 results from a peculiar and appropriate adap- 

 tation of the dillcrent pai-ts of the animal to 

 each other, and not from a partial distortion, 

 such as we often see exhibited under the influ- 

 ence of the heavy bit, or that most brutal in- 

 vention, the bearing rein ? 



Were it not for its cruelty, it would be very 

 amusing to observe the manner in which some 

 men in riding or driving prop themselves up, 

 for the purpose of pulling, with might and 

 main, at the poor animals' mouths, in the fool- 

 ish hope of being thus able to keep them from 

 falling, at the same time that they render them 

 so much more attractive to the passers by. 

 Their task is certainly a very anxious and la- 

 borious one, and, if persevered in, it is sure 

 to end with broken knees, and perhaps a 

 broken nose. The horse is placed in such an 

 unnatural position, that his entire action is in- 

 terfered with, and lic^ gets such a habit of lean- 

 ing on his bit, instead of watching for himself, 

 that he is nearly certain of dropping the first 

 momenthisgovernorforgets thepulling process, 

 A taut rein, with a quick hand, will have far 

 the best chance for keeping a stumbling horse 

 on his feet. He will then depend on his own 

 vigilance and exertion, in the same way as he 

 would if he were running at freedom. — Dr. 

 Paaren in Prairie Farmer. 



THE IRA ALLEN" FARM. 



Our correspondent, "Z. E. J.," furnishes 

 the Verviont Farmer with a description of this 

 farm, now under the care of C. P. Allen, Esq., 

 Mr. Burnabee, fai*mer. It is in the town of 

 Ira'sburg, once mostly owned by Ira Allen. 

 Within the last two years about three and a 

 half miles of stone wall have been laid in road 

 and division fences. The stones had to be 

 drawn but a short distance, and their removal 

 improved the land. 



A New Barn 

 has been built, fifty by seventy feet, and twen- 

 ty feet posted, above a cellar eight feet deep 

 under the whole barn. This cellar is to re- 

 ceive the droppings from the stable above, and 

 the great amount of muck that is mixed with 

 manure. Upon tliis the design is to winter ten 

 pigs, the luuuber to be increased indefinitely 

 by breeding in spring and summer. The sev- 

 en pigs now here (Dec. 2G,) are fed upon bar- 

 ley meal, and the usual swill from the dairy. 



The first story of the barn, above the cellar, 

 is seven feet high and is divided into horse sta- 

 ble, granary, cow stable, and sL\ pens for 

 calves or for hospital purposes. The stan- 

 chions are so arranged that the cows stand in 

 two I'ows facing the center of the barn, a feed- 

 ing walk between them, and back of the cows 

 on each side are the pens referred to. Twelve 

 cows were wintered last year ; twenty are now 

 in the stables, and the number is to be in- 



