THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
From the Boston Plowman. 
Horse Breaking. 
There is a difference ofopinifin among horse 
dealers in regard to the time when you should 
commence showing your aulliority over the 
motions ot the young horse. Some contend 
that they can be belter broken after being al- 
lowed to run perfectly free for three or foui 
years; while others insist that there is danger 
of their becoming self-veilled it they are not 
compelled to submit at an earlier age. One 
point is certain : it is best to let the colt run per- 
lectly free until the time comes when you have 
the leisure to control him completely and ef- 
fectually. Half-breaking is worse than no 
bre iking; orders once given must be obeyed or 
orders would be better withheld. 
The first s'ep to be taken, in breaking a young 
horse, is to convince him most satisfactorily 
that his halier is stronger than himself. If he 
breaks his first rope he will never forget it; you 
may fasten him afterwards a hundred times 
with a timber chain and he will make a hun- 
dred attempts to break it— because his memory 
is better than his judgment. He must not be 
suffered to break loose, at the first lying, on any 
consideration whatever. We often see very 
gentle horses that will stand quietly in harness 
for hours, if you aueinpt not to fasten them ; yet 
they will give your halter a try as soon as they 
find you have attempted to make them fast. 
This will never be the case if you have done 
your duty in halter breaking. 
HOW TO MAKE A HORSE GO. 
The next step is to teach a horse to move at 
your bidding. For unless you can do this it is 
oflittle consequence vihether you can fasten 
him or not. A well broken horse will move 
when you desire he should, either forward or 
backward. 
You mu.'^t be extremely cautious bow you is- 
sue your first orders to “move.” You must 
not expect to be able to drag your horse after 
you until lie has become used to following — you 
cannot even “ lead him to drink” unless he wills 
to follow, and his will should be won by kind- 
ness, unless you prefer to rule always by brute 
force. 
After your colt is fairly halter broken — after 
he has been made fuliy sensible that your pow- 
er, at the post, is superior to his, you will do 
well to coax him to move, either by inviting 
him to eat something agreeable, or to follow 
some agreeable company. You may tie his 
halter fast about his motner’s neck, and he will 
walk by her side; or you may tie him to the 
shaft of the wagon to which she is harnessed, 
and let him travel with her. 
In some districts we find colts of jour months 
oil travelling with much regularity and order 
by the side of the mother that carries the family 
to meeting in the chaise. The colt’s halter is 
made fast to the fore end of the shaft, and he is 
kept out ot mischief, moreeffectually than some 
children are, during the whole of the service. 
Coltsthat have been taught to go to meeting 
are hall broken; whereas if they were allowed 
to run perteclly free, going to meeting would 
be of no service. 
Now vour colt is taught to stand and to move 
at your request; after much repetition he will 
acquire such a habit of obedience that it wi 1 
be natural and easy to him. Before he is old 
enough to draw a load you can place a harness 
on him and let him become used to that. He 
should never be allowed to draw hard when 
youn?- Nor should any burthen, heavier than 
a saddle, be placei.i on his back before he is 
three years old. Some owneis will not allow 
a grown man to ride before the colt is four. 
BEST AGE FOR BREAKING. 
We cannot see but one objection to halter 
breaking while the coll is quite young, and that 
is the temptation to back him before his spine 
has become sirong enough lobeara great weight. 
The owner must guard against such an abuse, 
and he will then have a horse more kind, more 
gentle, more sale, and more certain in draft. 
than if bis colt were allowed to run wild till 
three or four years of age. In addition to this, 
the labor ot breaking will be found less if you 
comir ence with the first summer; and young 
colts bear restraint with less repining and loss 
of flesh than full grown colts. 
When you first put a young horse to drag a 
load, be quite -ure it is a light one. Never 'et 
him conjee ure that his load can keep him back. 
Teach him to proceed till you command him to 
stop, and mind that he stops on ground where 
he can readily start again. Speak plainly and 
distinctly to him. Say “ w hoa” when you mean 
w'hoa, and say “go” or “ come,” or something 
that sounds quite differently from whoa, when 
your meaning is difierent. 
We have had high spirited horses that wmuld 
stop at once, by the word of mouth only, w'hen 
the harness failed and the reins were broken— 
when the sleigh upset, and when the chaise 
broke down. With such horses you feel more 
safe than when you depend wholly on the rein, 
or youi blind bridle. You have a double chance 
of safety in. case of accident. 
BACKING OUT. 
Horses as w'elt as broken oxen should be 
taught the art of backing. How much we are 
t.'oubled to back some carriages out of a shed! 
A young horse should be taught to walk back- 
ward, while in a cart or chaise, where the 
ground descends and where he can easily fol- 
low. It is almost as easy to leach him to go 
back as to go forw'ard. Speak to him— say 
“ back,” plainly, ai d use such plain language 
as an Irishman can understand. 
From the Boston Cultivator. 
Poultry. 
A correspondent in Richmond, Me., contem- 
plating to keep a large number of fowds, makes 
inquiries as to the best breeds, mode ol manage- 
ment, the number that may be kept together, 
the- best grain raised in Maine for food, &c. &c. 
Although w’e have kept various breeiis ot 
fowls, we cannot determine which is best, and 
il inquiry be made of those who pay much at- 
tention to the subject, we find that opinions are 
as various as the}!^ are about the kinds of cattle. 
If we consult our poultry books, they only de- 
scribe fhe difierent varieties, leaving the reader 
to make his own decision. It is the same with 
fowls as with different kinds of cattle, one ex- 
cels in one thing, another in another. It is diffi- 
cult to find all the desirable ([ualities united in 
one breed. 
The Polands or Top Knots are among -the 
most noted birds. They are middling size, very 
beautiful, good layers, e.xcepting in cold wea- 
ther, and not inclined to sit,- Their flesh is ex- 
cellent, l^ut not good for the market, as their 
legs are black. They are rather tender, and 
the young chickens not so easy to raise as those 
ot the hardy races. This bird is seldom found 
■ puie in New England, where peopte are noted 
for attempting improvements by mixtures. 
The Dorki-ngs are a lamuus breed, combining 
several good qnaTirie.s. Hood layers, sitters, 
nurses, and their flesh is good. Their legs are 
geiieraliy of a Tight or flesh color, having been 
bred in England where this color is prelerred, 
yellow being the .most objectionable color in 
that country. The.se are seldom found pure 
long alter they have been impor’ed. Some pre- 
fer the large white, others srvi' they are too coarse, 
and give their prel'erence to the small while, 
still leaving room for other opinions in favor ol 
the speckled vai iety. 
The BnrPs Cmmly is a large, hardy race*, 
and though the chickens have hardly any fea- 
thers lii! ihey are 4 orb weeks old, being as ugl\ 
looking as a toad, yet they are hardy. I'his 
bird is large. We have seen capons in this 
market from Pennsvl vania, about 18 months 
old, that weighed, dress'eJ, 194 d''*- a pait'- They 
often astoni.sh the Na'ives who inquire, “ what 
fowls are these'?” being puzzled to tell whether 
they are Iwkrys or geas’', never thinking that 
they are hens. When these chickens are about 
halt grown, they areas large as other birds 
nearly full grown, and W'ill sell well to persons 
who do not know' what is good to eat neither 
before nor after it is cooked. Their flesh is 
hard and coarse-grained, and the} are long in 
coming to maturity. They will answer for 
soups, broth, and slew's. They are not very 
good layers and their eggs are small for fowls 
of a large size. 
The Game breed is the best fighters. But 
since men have left off fighting themselves, they 
are not inclined to rear fowls lor cruel sports. 
They are good layers and are remarkably har- 
dy. Their flesh is the finest of any. But they 
are so pugnacious that the male chickens olien 
kill one another. A little touch of this breed 
is well in the chieftain of a flock, to give him a 
marshal bearing. We have a noble crow biddy 
which has a tincture of this blood ; but he does 
not fight, for he never runs after those 'who are 
disposed on his appearance to trust to speed for 
safety. One-sixth or one-eighth of this breed 
is enough in a class of animals that have as 
high a sense of honor as a duelist. 
The Boobies are valued by some, but we think 
that they are too clumsy and coarse; they lay 
small eggs for large fow'Is, and they are tender; 
the chickens a re difficult to rear. 
The Guilderlands are called fine fowls, but 
they are as yet but little known, and their pe- 
culiar qualities are not well defined. 
The Russian ox Siberian fowls are called ex- 
cellent layers. They are of a very grotesque 
appearance, having feathers resembling the 
beard of a .Tew, and quills or feathers on their 
legs. But little is known of them in this coun- 
try, and being scarce they are difficult to ob- 
tain. 
As to food in Maine, we believe that roots 
W'ill be the cheapest, such as potatoes and car- 
rots, using some pumpkins with them, and 
while hot, after boiling, stir in meal and bran . 
When grain is plenty, it is most convenient to 
use that as the principal food, especially in cold 
w'eather. In some large poultry establishments 
in Europe, roots are the principal food. 
We have heard and known several cases of 
keeping many fowls together, say several hun- 
dred, and' almost invariably failutes have taken 
place Irom the fow’ls being sick, or not laying 
enough to pay expenses. Whether the w ant of 
success has been owing to mismanagement, or 
to evils that naturally result from large flocks, 
we cannot tell. We should think il advisable 
in case of keeping large numbers, to divide 
them into flocks of about 50, or less, each. It 
may answ'er to have 100 in a flock, but w'e think 
they W'ill not do so w'ell as a smaller number. 
Reward of Industry. The Eufru’a(Aia- 
b'.ma) “ Shield.” of the 1st instant, says We 
were shrwn on Saiurday last, a beautiful set of 
Silver Castors, which were awarded bv the Apa- 
lachic.oto Chamber -of Commerce to C<4. A. 51 c-^ 
Donald,, of this place, fot the bes',-Iot of cotton of 
twenty bales,- sold in that city during the last 
se'i.son. The castors are [ lain and neat, co-ting 
SlOl in the city of New-York. Thus has the 
worthy Colonel been rewarded for his industry 
and skill — and as an indurement to others to 
direct iheir atiention more to the quality than the 
quantity of their cotton, w'e wi.l state '.hot Col. 
AtcDon'ild’s premium cqtton commanded, when 
sold, at least two cents more than the highest 
market price for good cotton. For [uesent 
crop nine cents have teen offered in the city of 
New York qnd refused Had eveiy p'oiHe:' in 
the cotton-growip£ region, pursued Col McDo- 
nald’- plan of raising cotton, no one can begin 
to estimate the advantages the ccnntiy would 
now be reaping. Wheff will the people learn 
wisdom? 
Sore Backs or Gai.i,s on EIorses. — Rub 
white lead in sweet oil until a g'lod paint is 
made, and apply a coating of this to the injured 
place. Milk will do where no oil is io be had. 
It is one of the most effeciive applications. — 
Some for the same difficnliy use a solution of 
vitriol in water; bur, in most cases, the white 
lead is preferable. — Far. CaLinet. 
