1873.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
373 
A Model Carriage-horse. 
We seldom find a more perfect horse for car¬ 
riage and saddle than the one our artist and en¬ 
gravers have faithfully portrayed in the illustration 
presented herewith. His name is Dom Pedro, he is a 
gelding-, owned by Mr. Lawson Valentine, of Orange 
Co., 1S T . T. He was bred in Schuyler County, his 
sire being a Morgan from Vermont; his dam was 
by Texan Jim.—quite a famous horse that stood in 
Seneca Countj' for many years, and sired a large 
number of fine carriage-horses. This ‘‘ Texan Jim ” 
is said to have been a wild horse captured on the 
plains of the Lone Star State. Dom Pedro, liow- 
-ever, is strongly of the Morgan type. He is well 
himself to that class of farm and draught horses 
represented by the Normans, Clydesdales, etc. But 
the majority of the best carriage horses come from 
the small farms where oue or two colts arc foaled 
each year, or from an accident on the part of the 
trotting-horse breeder. If breeders would turn 
their attention to the production of such horses as 
Dom Pedro, their profits would be quite as large as 
now, as there is an unlimited demand for them; 
and their work would be more beneficial to the 
public at large, both pecuniarily and morally; 
Gentlemen often spend days and weeks in search 
of carriage horses, and when they do find one com¬ 
bining the desirable qualities of form, weight, spirit, 
speed, endurance, and good training, are willing 
to pay a corresponding price for him. Only those 
of skill in the use of the sulphuric acid employed 
to “ cut ” the bones with. Bones are composed of 
phosphate and some carbonate of lime, and organic 
matter, the latter containing the valuable in¬ 
gredient, nitrogen. The phosphate of lime of 
bones consists mostly of one part of phosphoric 
acid united with three parts of lime,* which, being- 
insoluble in water, is not available to plants. But 
this phosphoric acid is the most valuable' con¬ 
stituent of bones, and to make it available in the 
cheapest manner is the one problem of both manu¬ 
facturer and farmer. The manufacturer does this 
by treating 100 lbs. of finely crushed bones with 
about 50 lbs. of sulphuric acid. This acid combines 
chemically with a portion of the lime of the phos¬ 
phate, leaving the phosphoric acid united in the 
proportioned and finely moulded, full of vigor and 
energy, yet so docile that ladies handle him easily. 
He seems almost conscious of his beauty, and when 
turned out loose in field or paddock, he will curvet 
and prance, and dash over the green sod, in view of 
spectators, with much of the grace and spirit of his 
free ancestors of the plains. His head is fine, and 
his face shows a high degree of intelligence ; the 
eye is bright and spirited, but gentle. He is quick 
to respond to the call of his master or mistress, in 
saddle or harness, or when loosed from the halter. 
In color he is a bright chestnut; he stands about 
151 hands high, and weighs 1,050 pounds. His 
body is well rounded in barrel, rump, and neck; 
his legs are fine, hard, and muscular. In “ac¬ 
tion ” he is exceptional, and “ steps like a prince 
of the blood.” He is a superior roadster, though 
not a trotter, nor is desired to be such. “To be 
king among carriage and saddle horses, is greater 
than to be second on the turf.” 
The raising of carriage horses is too little practised 
among breeders, their knowledge and interest be¬ 
ing more centered in the production of trotters; 
though one is found now and then who devotes 
who have engaged in this horse hunting, can under¬ 
stand the scarcity of good horses. Were the demand 
appreciated,there certainly would be a better supply. 
Home-made Fertilizers. 
The most successful farmer is the one who avails 
himself of every means to enrich his land from 
home resources, and allows nothing to go to waste 
which can be utilized for plant-food. If success 
comes when refuse material is only partially util¬ 
ized, how much greater the success when this refuse 
is so manipulated as to secure all of its fertilizing 
properties in the most available form, and in a 
condition best suited to the needs of the crop ? 
Fertilizers from Bones 
are those most frequently attempted by farmers, 
because of their known value for the majority of 
crops. Well made commercial superphosphates 
are found to be very efficient fertilizers, and farm¬ 
ers often seek to imitate them, but with indifferent 
success, always with inconvenience, and often with 
injury to person or implement, on account of lack 
proportion of one part, to one and two parts of 
lime,t either of which is available to plants. Now 
it is found that when bones—not treated with acid 
—are reduced to a fine powder, they are more 
available as plant-food than when in coarse lumps ; 
and the finer they are, the better and quicker act¬ 
ing fertilizer they make. If a fertilizer, nearly or 
quite as valuable as the commercial article, can be 
made at home, without acid, it is certainly desirable. 
How Shall it be Done P 
By putting bones, coarse or fine, even whole ones, 
into a compost heap of stable-manure or muck, the 
decomposing action of the organic matter will 
work upon the bones, and in three to six months’ 
time thoroughly reduce them to a fine mechani¬ 
cal condition. The acids set free in the decom¬ 
position also act in a manner similar to the sul¬ 
phuric acid of the manufacturer—uniting with a 
portion of the lime, and thus bringing the phos¬ 
phoric acid into a more available form, as well as 
converting the organic portion of the bone—or, 
* Tii-basic phosphate of lime, 
t Mono-basic and bi-basic phosphate. 
