276 



THE ILLINOIS FARMER 



September 



Morgan Horses. 



Among the best horses of the Northern and 

 Eastern States, are those called the Morgans, in 

 not a few characteristics resembling the Arabian 

 horse. They are well known and esteemed for ac- 

 tivity, hardiness and docility ; are adapted for all 

 work ; good in every spot, except for races on the 

 turf. Some of these horses have been known as 

 fast trotters. They are lively and spirited, lofty in 

 their carriage and elegant in their action, carrying 

 themselves gracefully in the harness, and, for the 

 saddle none exceed them. These horses have size 

 in proportion to their weight ; bone clean, sinewy 

 legs, compactness, short, strong backs, powerful 

 lungs, strength and endurance. A mixture of the 

 Morgan blood, though small, iray be easily known 

 from any other stock in the country. There is a 

 remarkable similarity prevailing in all of this face. 

 They are known by their short, lean heads, wide 

 across the face at the eyes ; eyes lively and prom- 

 inent ; open and wide in the under jaws, lai^e 

 wind-pipe, deep brisket, heavy and round in the 

 body, broad and short in the back, short limbs in 

 proportion to size, broad quarters, a lively quick 

 action, indomitable spirit, move true and easy in a 

 good round trot, and are fast on a walk. Their 

 color is a dark bay, chestnut, brown or black, with 

 dark flowing mane and tail ; their hight is about 

 fifteen hands ; the head is well up, and they move 

 without a whip. Like the Arabian, they are high 

 mettled, but uniting the playfulness and good hu- 

 mor of the pet Limb, with the power and courage 

 of the war horse, whose neck, in the language of 

 Job, "is clothed with thunder, mocking at fear 

 and rejoicing in his strength." These horses have 

 been sold as high as two thousand dollars, and a 

 number of them occupy the stables of the Emperor 

 of France. — Am. Stock Journal. 



Prairie Tea — Jersey Tea — American Tea. — 

 Charles Boynton writes from Lyons, Iowa, as fol- 

 lows : 



"Inclosed with this I send a few of the tip-ends 

 of the sprouts or branches of a shrub that grows 

 plentifully throughout this region, on the higher 

 portions of the prairies, and which has been called 

 by some Prairie Tea, but is generally known as 

 Red Root. It grows about two feet high, in clus- 

 ters of shoots springing from the root, or from the 

 shoots of last year's growth — I think both. The 

 root is large when compared with the top, is very 

 tough and runs out in horizontal branches to a 

 great distance. It is much dreaded by prairie 

 breakers, and a higher price is paid for breaking 

 up land in which it abounds. It is of a red color 

 and is very astringent. The leaves of this plant 

 have, no doubt, in decoction, somewhat of the fla- 

 vor of tea, and they resemble it in shape and other 

 characteristics. I am led to suspect that it may 

 contain Thein, and I have or can gather sufficient 

 of it for an analytical test, if such can be had. I 

 think it likely that the same thing has been pre- 

 sented to you before, and that you are better ac- 

 quainted with it than myself. If you see fit to 

 show it to the Club, I shall probably learn some- 

 thing about it from the IVibune." 



Yes, sir, you will learn that it is the identical ar- 

 ticle that was extensively used after "the great 

 Boston tea party," and during the Revolution was 



called "Jersey tea," and of late has been called 

 "American tea," and as such has been gathered 

 and cured to sufficient extent to fill a great many 

 empty tea chests, and from these the tea has been 

 retailed in this city to considerable extent ; a good 

 deal of it h-'s doubtless been sent to the country 

 and sold at a dollar a pound to the very persons 

 who have had to pay an extra price for breaking 

 prairie that was covered with the identical shrub 

 bearing the leaves which furnish their tea-party 

 beverage. The leaves of this shrub do not contain 

 Thein, nor do they contain anything deleterious, 

 and they do make rather a pleasant beverage, 

 which is a very good substitute for the real Chi- 

 nese article. The leaves should he gathered when 

 fresh and green and dried in the shade, or else like 

 tea leaves, by fire heat in shallow pans, stirring 

 constantly. We recommend our Western friends 

 to try a little of the abundant "prairie tea." 



The above we cut from Solon Robinson's report 

 of the Farmers' Club in the N. T. Tribune. Few 

 of our readers j in Central and Northern Illinois, 

 who are not familiar with the Red Root of the 

 prairie breaker. The root is of solid wood and of- 

 ten three inches in diameter. The top is annual ; 

 that is, it is always burned to the ground, and thus 

 makes an annual growth. If protected from the 

 fire we do not know that it could not stand the 

 winter. — Ed. 



Lightning Rods. — S. H. Sutton, Naples, N. Y., 

 says: 



"I am an attentive reader of the doings of the 

 Farmers' Club, and would be pleased to have yon 

 present a subject to the Club for discussion, viz f' 

 Are lighthing rods a security and protection to 

 buildings against the effects of lightning ? 



At this time there are two or three splendid 

 teams and carriages fitted up for the purpose of 

 'rodding' every man's house and barn that they can 

 by eloquent arguments, make to see the great dan- 

 ger of lightning, and the 'great protection' their 

 rods will give to life and property, Many of my 

 neighbors never have been struck yet with light- 

 ning ; yet they have been struck by these peddlers 

 with the idea of their danger, and badly struck 

 with the bill of expense. Now, before I 'rod' my 

 house I want to know what the Club thinks of the 

 utility of lightning rods," 



Well, sir, if you have been, as you say, an atten- 

 tive reader of these reports, you do know that the 

 subject has been most fully discussed, both by 

 lightning rod makers and by those who disbelieve 

 in their utility, and that the evidence adduced has 

 always been largely in favor of not incurring one 

 dollar of expense for a conductor. The reasons 

 for this conclusion are, that we cannot find that 

 they have ever saved a building, or that an insur- 

 ance office will take a risk for one cent less upon 

 a house with than it will without conductors. Be- 

 sides, we do know that buildings furnished in the 

 most "scientific" manner with conductors, have 

 been struck by lightning, and some of us would 

 not accept a conductor as a gift. That is what 

 the Farmers' Club thinks of their utility. r—^ofon 

 Bobinson in N. Y. Trib. .^ ... ,. ^. 



