534 
AMEEIOAI^ AGEIOULTUEIST, 
[Decembeb, 
Teasels and their Culture. 
The Teasel is oue of tliose special crops, that in 
Europe is confined to certain localities, both in 
Engiand and on the Continent. For some reason 
we have lately had inquiries as to the crop, and the 
manner of cultivating it. Teasels have been more 
or less cultivated in the older States ; but the main 
supply is imported. A wet season is, in Europe, 
disastrous to the crop. Our climate is, on account 
of its dryness, adapted‘to teasel-growing. As 
the harvesting is by hand, and extends 
through about six weeks, the cost of 
gathering the crop is the chief obstacle 
to its culture in this country. To those 
who wish to experiment in growing 
teasels, we give an outline of the 
method of culture. The Wild Teasel 
(^Dipsacits sylvestrifi), is found as an in¬ 
troduced road-side weed in the older 
Northern and Middle States, and it is 
supposed that the cultivated or Fuller’s 
Teasel (B. Fullonum) is a variety derived 
from that. Tiiis Teasel is a strong, 
biennial, branching plant, some six feet 
high, with prickly stems and leaves. 
The main stem and the branches are 
terminated by a crowded oval flower 
cluster, which is about two-and-a-half 
inches long, and an inch-and-a-half in 
diameter. The smali lilac-colored flow¬ 
ers are densely crowded on this head, 
and each flower is subtended by a 
stout bract or chaif, which is hooked at the end. 
When the flowers fali, the heads are a collection 
of these hooked bracts, and when dried, form the 
teasels of commerce. They are used in forming the 
nap upon woolen cloth, and though many attempts 
have been made in that direction, no substitute has 
been found for the teasel. The heads, or teasels, 
are fixed in a frame, or upon a cylinder, which 
slowly passes over the cloth ; the hooks pull out 
the fibres, all in oue direction, and thus “ raise a 
nap.” If any obstacle is met with, the hook will 
break, without injury to the cloth. Teasels need a 
strong clay soil, one that is not very rich. The 
seeds are sown in drills, twenty inches apart; when 
the plants are up, they are thinned to ten inches in 
the rows, some growers transplanting the surplus 
plants to other rows prepared for them. The crop 
is kept clean during the first season, 
and it is well, when winter sets in, to 
cover the soil between the plants with 
straw. The next season the flower stalk 
is thrown up, which branches and bear.s 
flower heads. Earth is drawn against 
the plants, to assist them in resisting 
the wind. When the blossoms drop 
from the heads, these are cut singly, 
leaving each with a stem eight or nine 
inches long. Each plant yields from 
forty to fifty teasels. The heads are 
spread under cover, and when dry, are 
assorted into three grades, the largest 
being known as “kings.” As it takes 
from two to three thousand teasels to 
dress a piece of cloth, and these are 
used up in the process, it will be seen 
that the consumption of teasels by 
woolen manufacturers is very large. 
The crop is a very exhaustive one to 
the soil. A sufficient number of heads 
are left to ripen upon the plant, to 
supply seeds, which are thrashed out 
with a flail. Any surplus of seeds is 
fed to poultry, which are very fond of them. In 
England, the crop is regarded as an uncertain and 
a speculative one, as the frequent rains of that 
country often prevent it from properly maturing. 
None among the seedlings we have seen, bears the 
slightest resemblance to the parent Seckel. One 
has such an exact resemblance in shape and every 
other respect to the Boussock, that we at first sup¬ 
posed some mistake had been made, and that we 
had that variety instead of a seedling. A trial 
proved that however closely the exterior might re¬ 
semble the Boussock, the flesh was entirely differ¬ 
ent, being very spirited, with a high vinous flavor, 
and more acidity. The flesh is fine-grained and 
melting, and the fruit quite good enough to bear 
No. 1. 
HEADS OF HORSES FOR SPEED. 
No. 2. 
the name of its enterprising originator—the Bogart. 
There is still room for improvement in pears. 
Horse Physiognomy. 
A horse’s head indicates his character very much 
as a man’s does. Vice is shown in the eye and 
mouth ; intelligence in the eye and in the breadth 
between the ears, and between the eyes ; spirit in 
the eye and in the pose, in the mobile nostril, and 
active ear. The size of the eye, the thinness of the 
skin, making the face bony, the large, open, thin- 
edged nostril, the fine ear, and the thin, fine mane 
and fore-top, are indications of high breeding, and 
accompany a high-strung nervous organization, 
which with good limbs and muscular power, ensures 
In the second pair of heads, we have those of 
cold-blooded draft horses, not needed for speed, 
but for the steady exercise of muscular strength. 
The heads are meaty, the nostrils fleshy, the eyes 
of medium size. The skin is thicker than in fine- 
bred and thoroughbred horses, while the ears, 
though often small and neatly-formed, are fleshy 
and less delicate, and the mane more abundant. 
Traits of moral character are, however, similarly 
indicated. Intelligence is apt to degenerate into 
shrewd self-indulgence and laziness, with wit to 
let his mate do Che most work. Spirit 
is shown by the mobile ear and open 
eye, and vice by the uncertain, restless 
eye, the ear laid back, and the air of 
distrust in strong contrast to the trust¬ 
ful honesty of the horse’s true nature. 
Number 3, shows a draft horse of wil¬ 
lingness and spirit, free from vice by 
nature, but of spirit and intelligence 
enough to have vicious traits developed 
by bad treatment. Number 4, on the 
contrary, is a knowing horse, having a 
wise caution, laziness without stupidity, 
good-natured ; one that will bear the 
whip and need it before he will do his 
best. The stupidly, lazy horse, that 
drivers call a “lunk-head,” has a dull 
eye usually, a narrow forehead, and 
contracted poll. He is not represented 
in this group, but occurs not infre¬ 
quently, is always a blunderer, forgets 
himself,and stumbles on smooth ground, 
gets himself and his owner into difficulties, caiks 
himself, is sometimes positively lazy, but often a 
hard goer. He needs constant care and watchful¬ 
ness on the driver’s part. A buyer of equine flesh 
should be able to detect the good and bad qualities 
of the animals he contemplates purchasing. This 
valuable knowledge is only acquired by a careful 
study of the various parts of horse physiognomy. 
No. 3. 
HEADS OF DRAFT HORSES. 
No. 4. 
A New Seedling Pear. — Mr. E. H. Bogart, 
Queens County, N. Y., several years ago sowed 
seeds of the Seckel Pear. The result was a large 
number of seedling pear trees, some of which are 
showing fruit. Last v’ear he brought us several of 
the new pears, and as others came into bearing this 
season, he submitted specimens for our inspection. 
a considerable degree of speed in the animal. 
We herewith present engravings of two pairs of 
horses’ heads. The first are horses of high breeding. 
Number 1, is high-strung and mettlesome, with an 
untrustworthy eye, and a vicious mouth—a power¬ 
ful animal of great endurance, but being wilfull, 
is hard to control. Number 2, is equally high¬ 
bred, with great breadth of forehead and head, 
with a large, full, generous eye, not lacking in 
spirit. The bony face indicates blood, the ear and 
the thin-edged nostril show spirit, while the 
whole expression of the animal’s face is one 
of abounding docility, kindliness, and honesty. 
The Exportation of Apples. 
In view of the short crop of apples throughout 
the United Kingdom, the English journals are 
discussing the sources whence the needed supply 
of fruit is to be drawn. All the feountries of Con¬ 
tinental Europe report a short crop of apples, save 
France, and here the late and better 
kinds are not abundant. “ It will be 
from America that the supply for the 
United Kingdom will be derived,” is 
the general conclusion. It is ad¬ 
mitted by dealers in England, that 
the prospects of shippers to that 
country, “ were never more promis¬ 
ing, particularly for the better and 
later descriptions of apples.” It is 
to be hoped that our shippers will 
not repeat the mistake of a few 
years ago, when in a season of scar¬ 
city in England, all qualities of 
fruit—any that were apples, were 
sent abroad. As a consequence, many 
shipments did not bring enough to 
pay the freight. The English buyers 
will pay liberally for good fruit; poor 
stuff they will not have at any price. 
It is to be regretted that much dis¬ 
credit has been brought upon Ameri¬ 
can apples, by sending over barrels 
that had been topped; the selected 
fruit placed near the heads, while the 
the barrels was filled with fruit of poor 
The practice of placing one or more 
layers of the best specimens of fruit upon the top 
and bottom of each barrel, may be desired by some 
of our own dealers, but it does not meet with favor 
abroad. An American brand no longer guaran¬ 
tees honest packing, and buyers insist that the 
contents of each barrel shall be emptied into an 
immense tray, in order that the entire contents 
may be Inspected before a purchase is made. 
With confidence in the honesty of our packers 
restored, we shall enjoy a quick market for our 
orchard products in London and elsewhere abroad. 
bulk of 
quality. 
