36 
American agriculturist. 
ance bound up with it, was called for, and 
each child with a small bible was directed to 
find every passage that contained a particu¬ 
lar word. All looked, at the same time, for 
a single reference. The first that found it 
was commended for his familiarity with the 
order of the books in the Bible. The prac¬ 
tice was a good one. We early became ac¬ 
quainted with the different portions of the 
scriptures and knew where important pas¬ 
sages were found. Sometimes the refer¬ 
ences were to be committed to memory, and 
the lesson consisted in a simultaneous reci¬ 
tation of all the passages referring to a par¬ 
ticular subject. At other times, the order 
of the books, the number of chapters in each, 
and the character of Scripture worthies were 
assigned as our evening study. Again, arith¬ 
metic would be substituted. Interesting 
problems were solved ; compound numbers 
were written with their appropriate signs 
and then variously combined. Sometimes 
notes, orders, accounts, or receipts were re¬ 
quired to be written on the slate, and the 
use of capitals and punctuation were illus¬ 
trated. Another variety of employment con¬ 
sisted in the recitation of poetry. If no other 
book was at hand, Watts furnished an un¬ 
failing supply for all present. Father, moth¬ 
er and children all vied with each other in 
reciting these almost divine lyrics. All 
these exercises were useful. They occu¬ 
pied our attention and stored our minds with 
useful thoughts. With the multiplication of 
books and journals, such exercises might be 
indefinitely varied and serve to promote both 
the intelligence and happiness of families. 
How much better are such diversions, than 
games of chance or noisy amusements. Try 
it, my friends, and share the toils of study 
and the joys of acquisition with your chil¬ 
dren. -5®“ 
BAD EFFECTS OF GRASS ON COLTS, 
When horses are turned out to grass in 
the spring of the year, the succulent nature 
of the food causes them to purge, often to a 
great extent; this is considered by many 
persons a most desirable event—a great 
misconception. The herbage is overcharged 
with sap and moisture, of a crude, acrimo¬ 
nious nature, to such an extent that all cannot 
be taken up by the organs destined for the 
secretion of urine, or by the absorbant ves¬ 
sels of the body ; the superflous fluid there¬ 
fore passes off through the intestines with 
the indigestible particles of food, and thus 
the watery faeces are thrown off. Flatulent 
colic or gripes is a frequent attendant. The 
system is deranged ; but the mischief does 
not terminate here. If the purging is con¬ 
tinued, a constitutional relaxation of the 
bowels is established, very debilitating to the 
animal, and often difficult to control. I am 
so decidedly opposed to an unrestricted al¬ 
lowance of luxurient grass to horses at any 
age, that nothing could induce me to give it 
to them. After the second year, hay should 
form a considerable portion of the daily 
food in summer, to every animal intended 
for hunting or riding. 
If a horse is supported entirely upon the 
grass which he collects in a rich pasture 
field, or upon that which may be cut and car¬ 
ried to him in his paddock, he must consume 
a much greater bulk than of hay in an 
equivalent time, to afford nourishment to the 
system. Grass being very full of sap and 
moisture, it is very rapidly digested, conse¬ 
quently the horse must be continually eating 
it. This distends the stomach and the bow¬ 
els, and the faculty of digestion is impaired; 
for the digestive powers require rest as well 
as other organs of the body, if they are to 
be preserved in perfect condition. By the 
custom of grazing, the muscular system is 
enfeebled, and fat is substituted. This may 
escape the notice of superficial observers, 
who do not mark the distinction between the 
appearance of a fat and a muscular animal; 
who conceive, so that the bones are covered, 
and the points are rounded, all that is requi¬ 
site has been attained. But that is a very 
fallacious impression. Let any person who 
is skeptical on this point ride a horse in the 
summer who has just been taken out of a 
grass field, along with another kept on hay 
and corn, at the moderate rate of seven or 
eight miles in the hour ; the grass-fed horse 
will sweat profusely, while the other will be 
perfectly cool and dry. This proves that 
the system of the one eating grass over¬ 
abounds with fat and those portions of the 
blood which are destined to form that de¬ 
deposit. 
Those who advocate grazing will no doubt 
exclaim, “ Oh! this is a test of condition, 
which is not required in young and growing 
animals.” I beg to state that it is highly im¬ 
portant, if tlic dome of condition is to be at¬ 
tained by animals of mature age, that the 
growth and gradual development of their 
frames should be composed of those healthy 
and vigorous elements upon which the struc¬ 
ture of future condition can be raised. Ani¬ 
mal substances are to a very great extent 
subservient to the nature and quality of the 
food with which the individuals are nourish¬ 
ed. I believe farmers would find it much to 
their advantage if they were to consider this 
subject with reference to feeding cattle and 
sheep, so that they might select those kinds 
of food which abound with properties more 
conducive to the production of flesh than fat. 
There is no kind of food which the horse 
consumes which has not a tendency to de¬ 
posit fat. It is a substance which must ex¬ 
ist to a certain extent; but as it is muscular 
power, not a predisposition to adipose rotun¬ 
dity, which enhances the value of the ani¬ 
mal, the reasons are obvious what guide 
should be taken in the selection of food. 
I have on a former occasion hinted the 
propriety of bruising the oats, and 1 will 
now state my reasons for doing so. The 
first I will mention is economy. Three 
bushels of oats which have undergone that 
process are equivalent to four which have 
not, and the animals which consume them 
derive greater benefit. Various schemes are 
adopted to induce horses to masticate their 
corn, all of which are ineffectual. Scatter¬ 
ing them thinly over the surface of a spa¬ 
cious manger, mixing a handful of cut hay 
or straw with each feed, and such like de¬ 
vices, will not cajole the animal to the per¬ 
formance of mastication. A horse that is 
disposed to bolt his corn, however carefully 
it may be spread along his manger, will 
soon learn to drive it into a heap with his 
nose, and collect as much with his lips as he 
thinks fit before he begins to masticate. 
Whatever food enters the stomach of any 
animal, and passes away in an undigested 
form, may be considered as so much dross 
or extraneous matter, which, not having af¬ 
forded nutriment, is prejudicial to the crea¬ 
ture which consumed it. A mistaken notion 
of economy is often the incentive to turning 
horses out in summer, to be entirely depend¬ 
ent upon grass for their support. A few 
remarks will surely dispel that error. Twen¬ 
ty-two bushels of oats—allowing one bushel 
per week from the 15th of May to the 16th 
of October—may be as the produce of half 
an acre of land, and half a tun of hay that 
of another half-acre, although a tun and a 
half per acre is not more than an average 
crop. It requires at least an acre of grass 
land to support a horse during the period 
above named .—Mark Lane Express. 
Appropriate Name.— Most of the marriage 
ceremonies in Appleton, Wisconsin, are per¬ 
formed by the Rev. Mr. Yocum. 
HOP GROWING. 
(Continued from page 27.) 
Setting the Poles .—The proper length oi 
poles requires much judgement. The vines 
themselves indicate sufficiently how long a 
pole to use. The poles are of various 
lengths ; and if the vines in a hill are very 
large and thrifty, they will need a longer 
pole than if they are smaller and more feeble. 
The quality of the land is also some indica¬ 
tion, as well as the quantity of manure used. 
If the land is very rich, it will produce a 
much more luxuriant growth than if of a 
poorer quality. The expense for poles is a 
large item in the original outlay for hop 
growing. It will be seen, from the opinions 
of the writer of the communication before 
quoted, that the method of poling is a matter 
of considerable consequence. The English 
growers often use a much larger number to 
the acre than experienced growers with us. 
It is very common in the Kent and Sussex 
hop plantations to see as many as two thou¬ 
sand five hundred or three thousand poles to 
the acre. Sixteen or eighteen feet is as 
long as it is thought best to use them by 
many English growers, and it is not uncom¬ 
mon to see them from ten to twele, or four¬ 
teen, feet; and the reason given for using 
short poles is, that the use of poles longer 
than the natural growth of the plant coaxes 
it too high, and stimulates it beyond its 
strength, and causes a feebleness in its roots 
the next year; Avhile, if the poles used are 
found in summer to be too short, the tops of 
the vines may be supported by others. The 
usual time for poling hops with us is in May; 
for plants grown from cuttings, the second 
year of their growth ; and for plants grown 
from seed, the third year. The poles, two 
in a hill, eighteen inches apart, are usually 
inclined a little outwards, at the top, and to¬ 
wards the south, in order to give the great¬ 
est freedom of circulation to the air, secure 
greater sunlight, and a greater chance for the 
vines to swing free from the poles ; and un¬ 
less this inclination is given the tops of the 
poles, the vines are said to “ browse that 
is, they become matted together and injured, 
and are much more liable to blast. And the 
same objection exists to the use of more than 
two poles to a hill; the vines are more apt 
to “browse.” Cedar, hemlock, spruce, ash, 
chestnut, maple, pine, willow, and other 
kinds of poles are often used, and in some 
locations in this State the birch is not. un¬ 
common in hop grounds. This latter is con¬ 
sidered bad in England. In many localities 
birch poles are cheaper, and far more easily 
procured ; though, for lightness, beauty, and 
durability, the cedar or the hemlock are 
preferred by those who can procure them 
without too great expense. The American 
hop seems to prefer to cling to a white birch. 
The main objection to this wood is its rapid 
decay, making it unsafe to use it more than 
one year. Perhaps, on the whole, if the 
birch is not used and renewed every year, 
the spruce is the neatest and cheapest, con¬ 
sidering its lightness and durability. It will 
last five or seven years, or even longer, and, 
when the bottom is decayed, may be cut off 
and used shorter. The number to the acre 
will of course depend upon the number of 
hills, which are usually at least from six to 
eight feet apart, making from sixteen to eigh¬ 
teen hundred poles to the acre. The farmer 
already quoted says : “ The poles are 
worth $2 or $2 50 a hundred, ready for set¬ 
ting, and will cost, at sixteen hundred per 
acre, from $32 to $40. But, as good poles 
will last ten or twelve years, the expense 
per year will not be much increased.” 
After the poles are set in the manner indi¬ 
cated, in rows perfectly straight both ways, 
two to each hill, and inclined a little out- 
J ward, and the vines are long enough, two or 
