PART IV. AGRICULTURE. 243 



more fatigue. Training is an important branch of rearing beasts 

 of labour. Much depends not only upon the knowledge, but also 

 upon the natural temper, of the person employed for this pur- 

 pose. We always observe, that horses, which have been long 

 under the care of the same servant, imbibe in a considerable 

 degree his temper and spirit. In horses, as in men, this temper 

 and manner, if impressed upon them at an early age, gene- 

 rally remain through life. Common labouring horses gene- 

 rally acquire all their bad practices while under the dominion 

 of those boys which in farmeries have the care of attending 

 them and other cattle while at pasture : whereas if this busi- 

 ness were committed to grown up persons of steadiness and 

 ingenuity, or, were these young persons better instructed and 

 more critically looked after, the advantages would certainly be 

 considerable. It would render an animal that is useful much, 

 more so, and prevent many accidents which arise either from- 

 bad education or inherent vicious habits*. 



* It is impossible to mention the horse without regretting the cruelties which, 

 by the lower classes, are every where and every day inflicted upon this noble ani- 

 mal, as well as upon asses, mules, and horned cattle. It is deeply to be re- 

 gretted, that there is not a suitable and effectual mode of punishing such offenders. 

 Even in London, where working horses are uncommonly sagacious and tractable, 

 it is shocking to see the unprovoked cruelties of draymen. In Edinburgh it is 

 much worse ; there the cart-horses are, besides this barbarity, generally overloaded, 

 always in bad condition, often covered with wounds, bruises, and putrefying 

 sores ; sometimes they are seen to drop down dead in the streets, and frequently 

 are starved to death in the stables of their inhuman proprietors I 



