1871 .] 
4rll 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
plowing, but about two acres of carrots planted 
upon it will bring a very insignificant result, be¬ 
cause of the injurious effect of the upturned 
clay on the delicate and slow-growing seedlings. 
•------ 
Riding on Horseback.—Ho. 7. 
Although you may have taught the horse to 
Stand perfectly at his ease while standing still, 
and to be “light in band and light on his legs,” 
you will find that the moment you attempt to 
move him forward at a walk, he will throw out 
his nose at the first step, and be as ungainly as 
ever. Take hold of ids mouth immediately and 
endeavor to supple his neck. If lie continue 
the resistance, halt him at once, bring his head 
into position, and let him rest a moment before 
advancing again. He will soon learn to walk 
with his mouth light. If he seem to step too 
short, as though too much restrained by 
the curved position, press him lightly with the 
heels to send him forward. You will soon learn 
when the free movement of the horse indicates 
a just balance (or equilibrium) between the fore¬ 
hand and the hind quarters. It is this that 
yon must always study to preserve—drawing 
back the bead when there is too much for¬ 
ward tendency, and applying the legs when 
the horse goes, as horsemen say, “behind 
the bit,” that is, with 
an uncertain, short step. 
The next step is not to 
trot, but to move back¬ 
ward at a walk. This 
you can attempt only 
when the use of the curb 
causes the horse to bring in 
his head before it shortens 
his step. Get him well 
collected at a halt; ap¬ 
ply the legs until you feel 
a forward tendency of the 
weight, showing that the 
hind legs are free to step; 
then draw backward on 
the curb to such a degree 
that the horse, to pre¬ 
serve his balance, •will step 
backward, that is, the 
horse’s weight being in 
perfect balance between 
your legs and hand, so 
that you can send it in either direction—throw 
it backward by the use of the hand, causing the 
horse instinctively to step in that direction, to 
prevent falling, just as when you force, his 
weight forward he advances his feet to receive 
it. This is the secret of Baucher’s treatment, 
and its perfect mastery, accompanied with prac¬ 
ticed skill, is perfect horsemanship. As soon as 
the horse has taken a single step backward, 
loosen the rein and withdraw the legs from his 
sides, and pet him and praise him, to show that 
he has done what is desired—which knowledge 
is dearer than oats to a kindly-tempered horse. 
After a little he will take two or three steps 
backward, and in time will move backward as 
gracefully as forward. 
Having taught all you can teach of movements 
in a direct line at a walk, repeat the lessons at 
a trot. You will have the same difficulty as in 
the former case, and you will probably be longer 
in overcoming it. The faster the motion, the 
greater the tendency of the horse to throw his 
weight forward and to bear on the bit. Don’t 
try to draw him back by an extra pressure on 
the curb, but hold your hand firm and touch 
him gently with the spurs; this will drive his 
hind legs under him and take the weight from 
the forehand. He will in time learn that lie 
can go more easily and more safely with 
Ids -weight on his haunches than on his 
shoulders, and ids gait will then become easy 
instead of hard. When he trots perfectly, teacli 
him, which will be easier, to gallop with the 
same collected motion. In doing this, pursue 
the same routine that lias been laid down for 
the walk and the trot; that is, do not allow the 
horse for a moment to carry his head too low 
or too far out, to bore on the bit, as though he 
would drive his fore feet into the ground, 
neither let him commit the opposite fault of 
throwing his whole weight on his haunches as 
if to rear, and so make every step a miniature 
jump. The habit of “boring” is inveterate 
witli some horses, and can not easily be con¬ 
tended against by ordinary means. Baucher 
had a device (which he withheld from pub¬ 
lication) that is very effective. Both curb-reins 
and the left snaffle-rein being held in the left 
hand (in its proper position), the right snaffle- 
rein only is taken in the right hand and drawn 
upward, so as to press the snaffle against the 
corner of the mouth on one side, as shown in 
the engraving. This has an effect that an 
upward pressure on botli snaffle-reins entirely 
fails to produce, and its knowledge lias given 
to the personal pupils of Baucher a great 
advantage over those who have learned his 
system from his books alone. 
The gallop will never be perfectly easy and 
perfectly safe until it is what is called perfectly 
“cadenced”—the fore feet and tiie hind ones 
striking the ground with equal force and both 
neck and tail being perfectly supple. A horse 
traveling in this way may trip over a rolling- 
stone at every tenth step without danger of fall¬ 
ing, and he will perform a journey of twenty 
miles with much more ease to himself and his 
rider than he would make even five miles with 
(as is usual) fhost of the force of every leap 
falling on the fore feet. 
In accomplishing all this as much depends 
on the perfect balance of the rider’s temper as 
on the balance of his weight. Above all must 
nothing provoke or startle him to a rough hand¬ 
ling of the bit, which is his chief means of com¬ 
munication with the horse; a mistake will be 
interpreted precisely as an intention would he, 
and a very few mistakes will suffice to confuse 
all previous teachings. “Firm as a grasp of 
steel, yet soft as the touch of love,” this describes 
the perfect hand, and while it should yield to 
the horse’s proper movements and restrain his 
improper ones, as it can do only when guided 
by instinctive intelligence, it should be as inde¬ 
pendent of the movement of the rider’s body 
and of his efforts to keep a proper seat as though 
it were an iron hand attached to the pommel 
of the saddle. The legs, too, should he ever 
ready to perform their office—the thighs, to 
preserve the rider’s seat, and the lower limits 
ever on the alert to restrain any interruption 
of the equilibrium by reason of a faulty posi¬ 
tion of the horse’s hind legs. 
An Egg Farm. 
by h. n. Stoddard. —Seventh Article. 
The proper management of the breeding 
stock is a very important part of the scheme, 
for there must annually be raised a large sup¬ 
ply of pullets of the right quality. The profits 
of the establishment depend largely on the ex¬ 
cellence of the fowls, and as they can he multi¬ 
plied very fast from a chosen few, no pains 
should be spared to secure the very best as a 
source from which to stock the whole farm. 
There is hut one way to do this, and that is to 
keep individual birds in experimental yards in 
order to test their merits, recording the degree 
of excellence and the pedigree of the best witli 
as much care as would be given to breeding 
cows or horses. 
We will suppose it is designed to produce a 
strain of Leghorns that shall excel in prolific¬ 
ness, laying at an early age, and in other requi¬ 
sites. Procure a pullet from A and a cockerel 
from B, and put them in yard Ho. 1; purchase 
of 0 and D one bird from each, for yard No. 2, 
and so on, always taking care that no specimens 
are obtained from any locality where disease 
lias prevailed. The smaller breeding yards are 
used as experimental yards, and to allow each 
cock a proper number of mates, two or more 
half-blood Brahma pullets (whose eggs can be 
distinguished by their color) are added. Give 
each Leghorn a name or number, and enter in a 
book all details necessary for testing progress 
in improving the breed, such as weight, the age 
at which laying commenced, and the yield of 
eggs during the first year, at the expiration of 
which banish all but the best liens. The sec¬ 
ond year set the eggs of the reserved extra 
fowls, and keep the chickens produced by each 
pair separate from all others. At the age of 
live or six months, cull out the most promising 
pullets and cockerels, and pair them for testing 
and recording pedigree and prolificness as be¬ 
fore. By mating the produce of the original 
birds from A and B with the produce of those 
from C and D, finally the four stocks will be¬ 
come blended in one. Proceed in this manner 
a number of years, and when in the course of 
time a very extra prolific and vigorous hen has 
been found, which reached full size and com¬ 
menced laying early, and whose ancestry have 
excelled in the same respects for several genera¬ 
tions, as shown by the hook, then from her eggs 
cocks are raised from which to breed to replen¬ 
ish the main stock of layers at the itinerant 
stations. These cocks are put in the larger 
breeding yards, each with a flock of ten hens, 
and no further accounts are kept of the prolific¬ 
ness of individuals. 
After new stock is introduced to the experi¬ 
mental yards, as must be done yearly, care is 
taken for a series of years to avoid breeding 
akin, and as purchases will he made from fan¬ 
ciers, who to fix the conventional points have 
most likely bred close and impaired strength, 
crossing will immediately give a decided in¬ 
crease of vigor. Towards the last, however, 
