MISCELLANEOUS. 
365 
point of cutting; and care should be taken to cut the 
tail at a joint, for if one of the bones be cut through, 
the part left on will exfoliate (or rot), and drop off; 
and the tail cannot heal until exfoliation is done. If 
the tail be cut at the joint, it will heal in less time 
than the bone can exfoliate, and after the bone be ex¬ 
foliated, the tail will be longer in healing than if cut 
at.the joint It is common to suppose that there is 
danger from bleeding after docking. There is how¬ 
ever none, and so far as our experience goes, the tail 
is better for a copious bleeding, as it acts to diminish 
the tendency to inflammation. A hot iron is frequently 
used to cauterize the tail, and thus prevent the bleed¬ 
ing ; this is barbarous and worse than useless, as it 
increases inflammation. It should never be done. 
Separate the tail at the joint, tie the hair with a 
twine string close up to the end of the stump, 
and let it bleed ; it will in a couple of hours 
cease; the blood will dot and shield the tail 
from the action of the air (this is important in 
cold weather) and materially assist in the heal¬ 
ing ; at theend of the second day from cutting, 
untie the string, wash the tail with blood-warm 
soft water, and let it be to heal, occasionally 
washing it If there be no hurry to make 
the tail, let it heal before pricking. When 
healed, adopt our method for pricking as recom¬ 
mended in the April number. Let the tail be 
for a day or two after the pricking: wash it in 
warm water, and if there be much soreness, 
apply any soothing wash which will remove 
the soreness; in a day or two, or more (ac¬ 
cording as the soreness is removed), put the 
tail in the pulleys and continue to wash daily. 
Our cut will represent the manner of pulleying. 
The plate is so plain that no description is ne¬ 
cessary. A better method is, however, to have 
two pulleys, one on each side, but on the same prin¬ 
ciple. This will allow the horse to move from one 
side to the other, and yet carry the tail straight up. 
Sometimes the tail is carried on one side; if so it 
cannot be made straight without two pulleys; when 
the tail is carried awry, make the weight heavier on 
the opposite side, and cut the cord once more on the 
awry side than the other. With care it may be made 
straight; and a straight tail for the want of. care may 
be and is often made crooked. Whenever a tail is to be 
pricked merely, and left its full length undocked, it 
must not be pulleyed from the end, but the cord which 
goes from the pulley to the hair must be fastened in 
the hair at about eight inches from the body; otherwise 
the tail may be made crooked ; in a full length tail the 
end does not need elevating, but the centre of it does, 
to give it a handsome curve; this the pulleying from 
the centre does and avoids a crook which may arise 
from the weight of the tail if pulleyed from the end. 
Properly done, the whole process of making a tail 
is but little cruel or troublesome to ordinary horses; 
and only so to horses highly sensitive and nervously 
excitable; but to such, even saddle or collar galls 
are horrible. If there be no hurry, dock the tail and 
let it heal; this will be in a fortnight to one month ; 
and alter the first three days the horse may do his 
work. When healed prick and pulley ; keeping the 
horse after the first day or two in the pulleys day and 
night, unless he will not lie down when in them; 
but most horses will lie down. If these different 
Operations be not a vwded on to each other, there will 
be little difficulty or cruelty, and the tail will be cer¬ 
tainly made a good one. Tails are often ruined by 
pressing the docking, the pricking, and pulleying on 
each other, with perhaps the cautery of hot iron added. 
This concentrates the irritating and inflammatory ef¬ 
fect of all these operations, on to the tail at once; 
and a loss of hair, and even a ruined tail are not un¬ 
frequent consequences. 
In conclusion of our long article (long from the 
importance of the subject), we have to say, that in 
view of the safety of all who drive horses (except 
from elevated seats) the tails should be docked. Hu¬ 
manity will make easy, by proper care, the process 
of docking, pricking, and pulleying, and will protect 
the docked horse, by a net, from flies, ft is not neces- 
n | 
Pricking Horses.—Fig. 76. 
sary to dock tails to make them be carried well; that 
can be done by pricking and pulleying, and properly 
conducted these are not any more barbarous than all 
the ordinary breaking and training of horses. Dock¬ 
ing is required for safety, and true humanity, seeing that 
human life should be protected, will feel that a million 
of tails should be docked rather than one life be lost 
It is objected to docking, that it weakens the back. 
This is not so, at least never detected by experience ; 
nor does it strengthen the back as claimed by its 
strenuous advocates. Sometimes spinal irritation and 
even Jock-jaw are produced, but these and not the 
docking do the harm. 
The Present Winter.— We perceive that the 
believers in signs prophesy that the present winter 
will be a severe one ; but if the rule which we laid 
down three years ago prove correct, namely, that a 
dry summer is the forerunner of a mild winter, and a 
wet summer of a severe one, those who are so short 
in fodder will have no reason to complain. The 
two past months have been very favorable for the 
growth of grass, and young stock in favorable 
places in this vicinity, are still getting a pretty good 
living from the pastures. 
Composition for Grafting. —Take f lb. of bees¬ 
wax, \ lb. of tallow, and 4 lbs. rosin, melt the whole 
well together, and when it gets cold, work it up 
with the hand till it becomes of a proper consistency 
When used it will be necessary to warm it a little. 
