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TREATMENT OF MALE BREEDERS. 
TREATMENT OF MALE BREEDERS. 
It is generally customary to keep stallions and 
bulls confined in the stable, in rather low con- 
dition till the close of the winter or spring, and 
then commence feeding them high, preparatory 
for the season, still holding them in greater or less 
confinement. Such a course' is entirely wrong. 
In a state of nature, the males wander at will, 
enjoying the benefit of fresh air, and take due 
exercise. Hence the general superiority of wild 
over domestic animals. The former never de- 
generate in a state of nature, but the latter do, 
unless great pains are taken in properly breed- 
ing them. The wild horse, the ass, the ox, the 
buffalo, and the deer, of the present day, are un- 
doubtedly just as perfect as they were thou- 
sands of years ago. 
As they cannot be properly controlled, it does 
not answer to let stallions and bulls run at large, 
in the pasture with females ; and as exercise 
and fresh air are absolutely essential to their 
good health and vigor, the best way to obtain 
these, and keep them in good condition is, to 
break the former, when quite young, to the har- 
ness as well as the saddle, and the latter, to the 
yoke, and work them regularly, but moderately. 
A male, kept fat and in close confinement, 
his muscles are relaxed, and he is in a weak, fe- 
verish state. Now, like produces like, and the re- 
sult is, that while in this condition, it is impossi- 
ble for him to get so vigorous and hardy a stock 
as he would, if moderately fed and properly 
worked or exercised. But when worked, great 
care should be taken that he is not put to cover 
when in the least exhausted. Excessive service, 
or over work, must be guarded against, equally 
with idleness and too high feed, as both are de- 
cidedly objectionable. 
»-•-• 
Soaking Corn in Saltpetre. — I have never 
yet heard of corn soaked in saltpetre causing an 
explosion, after being taken into the crop of Mr. 
Crow; but I do know that this Crow family 
do not relish corn soaked in it. I have tried the 
►plan of feeding crows by strewing corn, not 
soaked, on the ground, and they soon called to- 
gether the whole family, even to thirty-third 
cousins, for a regular feast, and soon ate up the 
whole given them, after which they pulled up 
half a field of 20 acres besides, as dessert, not 
leaving even the third planting. 
I have soaked corn in saltpetre for several 
years. It gives the young plant a healthy ap- 
pearance and vigorous growth in the start, 
causing it to mature almost two weeks earlier 
than when planted without soaking. B. 
Improved Seed Sower. — Fig. 47. 
Improved Seed Sower. — This machine, with 
all its essential parts, has been fully tested in 
this country and in Europe, and is found to 
plant all the variously-formed seeds in drills, 
rapidly and with precision. 
The operator moves forward as with a wheel- 
barrow, when the drill is opened, and the seed 
is deposited, covered, and the soil is compressed 
at a single operation. An acre, with rows two 
feet apart, is easily sown in three hours. Direc- 
tions for using accompany each machine. 
COMPOSITION OF SPRATS. 
These fish abound in the waters surround- 
ing Great Britain. Professor Way found a 
slight variation in the component parts of 
these fish, according to the different seasons of 
analysing them, they being fatter at one period 
than another, thus yielding a larger portion of 
oil. He found them to contain 63.65 water, 
18.6 oil, and 17 .75 dry, nitrogenous matter, in 100 
parts. The dry matter, after separating the oil, 
gave 11.53 per cent, of nitrogen, or nearly 2 per 
cent., (1.94 precisely,) in their natural condition. 
The mineral matter obtained by burning the 
fish, was 2.11 per cent., and of this, about 42 
per cent, was phosphoric acid, 25 per cent, 
lime, 3.22 magnesia, 19.5 potash, soda and 
chloride of potassium 1.75, chloride of potassium, 
6.75. Many of these constituents are imported 
as varying materially. 
These fish may be considered a fair type of 
those abounding on our coasts at certain seasons 
of the year. They are sometimes found in 
such places, or in such profusion, as to prevent 
their consumption as manure. We suggest that 
when this is the case, and peat, or rich vegeta- 
ble mold can be procured, that they be at once 
mixed with it, in successive layers, throwing a 
thick coating of the vegetable matter over the 
whole. The entire mass will soon be converted 
into a valuable manure, which, at a favorable 
season for transportation, could not fail 'to com- 
mand a remunerating price among the fanners, 
