METHOD OF FASTENING HORSES. 
8? 
its roots; while the larger and heavier the young 
plants become, the more sure are they to remain 
where the implement leaves them. Repeat the ope¬ 
ration throughout the season, as often as necessary, 
always drawing the implement in the same direction. 
If a few plants that have become a little rooted in 
the drills are torn out occasionally, it is of little 
importance, it being the general good ©f the whole 
that we have in view. Continue the use of this im¬ 
plement until the plants are as thick as possible in 
the drills, and about two inches in width. The 
plants will thus cover the ground beneath them, 
and almost entirely prevent the growth of weeds and 
grass. To confine the rows afterwards to the re¬ 
quired width, blades are set in the implement in place 
of the pins, to cut off the runners as they grow. 
The shares of the cultivator will do this, but not so 
accurately. To avoid injuring the leaves of the 
plants in the drills, the blades are formed by flatten¬ 
ing out the lower end of a pin similar to the others, 
making it a little hooked, and so setting it, that the 
vines will readily slip on the cutting part. 
As a horticultural implement this may answer 
not only for laying out strawberry beds and turning 
their runners, but at the same time as a marker for 
all sorts of beds. 
Description.—a a, Teeth or markers, set one foot 
apart, b b, Pairs of pins about 6 inches in length 
round and smooth, inserted on the opposite side to 
a a. These pins are two inches apart, and are set 
one foot apart, exactly opposite the markers on the 
other side. 2, Is a blade for cutting off superfluous 
runners. 3, One of the teeth or markers formed of 
wood, fastened to the head of the implement by an 
iron pin. 
In this implement I make no claim to the inven¬ 
tion of the markers, any further than their combina¬ 
tion with the blades and pins ; they are merely inci¬ 
dental, and the implement would be complete with¬ 
out them. Philetus Phillips. 
Middletown Point, N.J., Oct., 1845. 
METHOD OF FASTENING HORSES. 
I observe in the January No. of your paper a 
sensible article upon the Stable, yet not in full ac¬ 
cordance with my experience and opinion. You 
recommend tying the horse to the front of the stall, 
passing the rope through a ring with a weight on 
the end. Many horses cannot endure a pressure on 
the head, back of the ears, as is observed in a case 
of what is called Jits or blind staggers, when pro¬ 
duced by having the check rein buckled tight, and 
the horse warmed by a sharp drive, the veins be¬ 
come enlarged, and the pressure of the headslall 
upon the vein, back of the ears, retards the circula¬ 
tion, and the horse is in great distress, when by re¬ 
moving thb check rein and headstall, relief is im- 
j mediate—consequently the vein should be left free, 
or with no extra pressure. 
My plan is to have a ring in the back of the 
manger, about as high as the horse naturally holds 
his mouth, giving length for him to reach for food 
in all parts of the manger or box, and when lying 
down the head cannot touch the gflOund or bottom. 
The horse rarely stretches himself out and places 
his head flat, except when a hot sun is practising 
mesmerism upon him. The danger to be avoided is 
permitting the horse to stretch himself out in the 
stall, and to endeavor to roll. This he usually will 
after a drive, when warm, as his skin itches, and 
he rolls to allay the pricking. If the halter is long 
the chances are he gets cast, and, if in a bad posi¬ 
tion, the owner has the satisfaction the next day of 
helping him out of the stable, never to return. By 
tying to the front of the manger you cannot give 
length sufficient to enable the horse to reach food 
in all parts of the manger, without incurring the risk 
of his putting his head on the ground and attempt¬ 
ing to roll. By tying to the back of, and across 
the manger, there is no risk of the horse getting his 
foot over the halter, a common accident when tied 
in the old way. S Y. 
Oyster Bay, Queens Co., Jan., 1846. 
We deem our correspondent’s plan quite objec¬ 
tionable. If the halter be long enough to permit 
the horse to lie down, he may as well be tied to the 
front of the manger. If he be tied short to the back 
of the manger he cannot lie down at ease ; his head 
must be quite elevated. When he lies down, no 
pressure will be brought on to the poll, but all onto 
the jowl. But pressure on the poll does not impede 
circulation ; on the throat it does. If the halter be 
loose and the horse be tied short, pressure may, and 
most likely will, be made on the jugular vein, and 
the difficulty apprehended by our correspondent 
may occur. Now "with a weight, when the horse 
is standing, no pressure is exerted, as the weight 
rests on the bottom of the manger. When he 
backs or lies down with his head on the floor, the 
weight is raised. A very light weight will keep 
the halter straight, and from under the horse’s feet; 
and if light, the horse can lay his head down, and 
the head’s mere weight will be enough to hold the 
weight suspended, and nO muscular force need be 
exerted for that purpose. Our correspondent’s plan 
prevents the horse from being halter cast, but it 
does not permit him to lie at ease. Our plan does 
both—and the weight only is held up by the head 
when the head is flat on the floor. Our experience 
is too long to permit us to doubt the goodness of 
our plan. 
Horses will constantly, day and night, in sunny 
and in cloudy weather, lie flat down with the head 
on the ground or floor—give them a chance and 
they will do it whenever they lie down W ith a 
tired horse, it is absolutely necessary that he should 
have full rest, to recover soon. If he can lie flat 
down, he can rest more perfectly. The weight 
should be so arranged that the halter rope is always 
straight, and should never press on the head except 
when the horse backs in the stall or lies flat down. 
This at once prevents all chance of the horse being 
halter cast; and yet permits perfect rest. 
