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AMERICAN AG-RICULTURIST. 
[Jandaky, 
Milk, Beef, and Labor.I. 
Milk. —We here name the three purposes for 
which neat cattle are bred, and first we con¬ 
sider the production of milk. The question is 
often asked, “ How may a man soonest estab¬ 
lish a good dairy herd ?” By purchase of cows. 
But then, how to purchase? Let him go into 
a good dairy region, and buy the best young 
native or grade cows he can, wdthout reference 
to any thing but youth, soundness, and the dairy 
qualities he desires. If he wish quantity of milk, 
he must look out for that, taking testimony and 
guarantees in black and white, in addition to 
his own best judgment, or that of an expert. If 
quality (richness in cream for butter) be the 
mark, he should examine the milk, see it set, 
and examine the skim milk and the cream, 
trusting no cow for rich milk that is not a good 
“ haudTer ”—that is, having a soft, pliable, unc¬ 
tuous hide, that can be grasped in the full hand 
over the ribs. Soft, fine hair is not essential. 
Parting the hair to see the skin, it should have 
a buttery yellow or almost orange color, and in 
the insides of the ears, and about the eyes, and 
under the tail, the same color should appear 
brightly. The buyer should never fail to in¬ 
quire and receive definite assurance in regard to 
the length of time a cow will hold out in milk; 
and whether marked diminution of flow takes 
place after she has come in heat once or twice, 
or after she has been got with calf again. A 
good cow ought to give an undiminished flow 
of milk (varying somewhat according to the 
feed and time of year,) for four months, and a 
gradually diminishing flow for four months 
more; then (supposing her to have been got 
with calf three months after calving) from one 
fourth to one fifth the quantity given soon after 
calving, for two months more. The best cows 
we have ever known were hard to “ dry ofi ” 
Bi.x weeks before calving, and in careless hands 
we have often known them to be milked till the 
new milk “ sprung,”—showing as great excel¬ 
lence in the cows as culpability on the part of 
their owners. These were cases of noble cows 
and prize-takers at fairs, sold to city gentlemen. 
No man has a right to own a cow and remain 
in ignorance of what is her proper treatment 
under all ordinary circumstances. Misther 
Michael O’Flaherthy is too apt to profess a wis¬ 
dom which he does not possess upon these and 
kindred subjects, and do much harm ignorantly. 
Cows selected as we have advised will cost a 
good deal—not only money, but care and pa¬ 
tient investigation. They will, however, repay 
the cost. The herd will be a motley one, unless 
pains shall have been taken to select the cows 
with some reference to similarity of color and 
form. This is seldom worth while, though we 
would by no means advise the purchase of de¬ 
formed animals, yet some of the best cows for 
milk we have ever known, were of very poor 
shape, bony, pot-bellied, hollow backed, crook¬ 
ed legged, and coarse enough; but some were 
very handsome. It is not best to attempt to 
to find among any thoroughbred stock such a 
herd of cows as would be considered very profit¬ 
able dairy animals. They would cost too much, 
and would disappoint expectations besides. 
The herd once established must be maintained. 
To do this a thoroughbred bull of good quality 
should be used. Shorthorns as a breed are beef 
producers, and this is not the object in view. 
Some families of Shorthorns, however, are 
famous for quantity of milk. A Shorthorn bull 
of such a family would be excellent for a milk 
dairy, but, on the wlnle, probably not superior 
to an Ayrshire, to which the preference for a 
cheese dairy would probably be justly given. 
For a butter daii 7 an Alderney bull would be 
the best. In the choice of a ljull for a sire of 
dally cows, his dam’s milking qualities should 
be carefully ascertained, as also those of his 
sire’s dam. The progeny of a thoroughbred 
bull may be calculated upon with considerable 
accuracy; not so with a “ native,” “ scrub,” or 
grade bull. By the use of such sires, though 
they may be very handsome, a rapid deteriora¬ 
tion of the herd is very sure to follow. 
•» I I m — I — 
How to Break a Colt. 
The word “ break ” seems to imply that the 
young horse has a temper 'which must be 
broken, rather than a will which should be 
trained to act in unison with that of his master. 
The training of a horse should alwa 3 ’s proceed 
upon the principle that he is a rational animal— 
that is, that he has a will, affection, love of ap¬ 
probation, of caresses, and of sugar—intelli¬ 
gence, ability to comprehend cause and effect, 
to understand language and tones of voice, 
quickness to detect the temper of the man who 
handles him, to know if he is kind and loves 
him, or fretful, malicious or passionate, and like- 
I vtohiirt liim. Tlie Iiorse is naturallj’’timid, and 
his fears, if aroused, not onlj’’ make him less man¬ 
ageable, but impair his judgment, making him 
sec harm in almost every thing. 
Tlie whip should be used as a wand of au¬ 
thority, as giving the trainer’s arm a longer 
reach, and as a means of giving signals—very 
seldom as a rod of correction. When it is used 
to chastise, never threaten, or let the horse know 
he is to be whippeil, but, having him perfectly 
under control, so tlat his springs and struggles 
M’ill do no harm, give him one or two severe, 
quick cuts. This must be done without the 
least pile—“more in sorrow than in anger”— 
an^ the training should be resumed exactly as 
if notiling had happened. If a man is never 
spiteful and angry with the colt, the home will 
rarely or never show any real viciousness. 
A colt, properly trained, comes to the age of 
3^ or4 vears, halter broken, kind, fond of being 
handled and petted, and glad to see his master, 
who should have been in the habit of giving 
him an ear of corn, a sweet apple, a carrot, or 
lump of sugar, so frequently that he will follow 
him like a dog whenever he goes to the pasture. 
For the good of the horse, even unpleasant 
familiarities, such as his nose over one's should¬ 
er, or in one’s pocket, ought not to be sternly 
rebuked. Three ounces of sugar will, in our 
opinion, go further towai'ds breaking a colt, than 
a day’s w'ork with the whip, and even at present 
prices, sugar is a good deal the most economical. 
The colt being of such a character, he maj’ be 
harnessed, putting on each piece of harness 
carefully, so as not to cause alarm, taking care 
always, should he show any alai-m, to let him 
smell the arliele and look at it to his heart’s con¬ 
tent. The best place to harness a colt is a 
loose box, 9 or 10 feet square. The trainer 
should be deliberate, even tediously slow per¬ 
haps, if the colt is high strung. If he is very 
fractious, he may be Rarey-fied, so that he shall 
know definitely who is master. No person 
who is the least afraid of him, or who would 
jump or start when an attempt to kick, bite or 
strike might be made, should be allowed to 
h.ave any intercourse with a horse in training. 
First put on a strong bridle, having measured 
his head and made it fit beloreliand. It sliould 
be of a size to be put on and off easily, and have 
a smooth bit, wound with cotton cloth. It is 
well to accustom him to take a piece of wood 
into his mouth like a bit, repeatedly befoi c put¬ 
ting on the bridle. This done, let him stand 
an hour not fastened, or give him a few turns 
about a circle, holding him by a 20-foot rein or 
rope. Previous lessons should have accustomed 
him to take various paces at the will of his. 
trainer about such a ring, sugar or other dainty 
having been the reward of w'ell-doing. At the 
second lesson in harness, let an asssistant take 
the line in centre of the circle, while the trainer 
takes the reins behind the colt, at first merely 
holding them, then letting him feel the weight 
of the hand on them, and finally guiding him, 
little by little, until he may be driven indepen¬ 
dently of the assistant, and beyond the circle. 
"When accustomed to the harness, standing 
and being exercised in it during one or two 
lessons each day for two days or a week, accord¬ 
ing to the disposition of the animal, he may be 
put into the thills, but neither the traces nor 
holdbacks hitched. Now let an assistant rock, 
rattle, and move the w^agon a while, and then 
aid the trainer to move it foiward, w'hile the 
colt is made to walk slowdy, letting him have 
his head and look at the w’agon. Befoie at¬ 
taching the traces, at the second lesson in har¬ 
ness perhaps, the trainer on the nigh side, and 
his assistant on the other, may grasp the thills 
each with one hand, just in front of the tuga. 
letting the horse step forw’ard and draw the 
wagon by the thills, and letting him feel its 
weight as much or little as desired. He may 
be backed somewhat in the same way. By his 
actions, one may easily judge when it will be 
safe to hitch him to the wagon. The vehicle 
selected should be one not heavy but strong, 
and which w’ill run with little noise. One sim¬ 
ple thing should be taught at a time, seldom 
two distinct ideas at one lesson. They should 
be daily repeated at each lesson until perfectly 
familiar, and, after each good pei-formance, the 
horse should be caressed and rew’arded. 'VVhat 
a horse learns in this way he remembers, and 
he will quickly exhibit a really remarkable con¬ 
fidence in his master and alacrity to serve him. 
---— .ie— --- 
Economy of Keeping Hats. 
The habits of vermin are almost if not quite 
as important subjects of study as those of more 
valued live stock; and some statements de¬ 
rived in part from a professional rat-catcher, 
who has made a life-b^iness of studying the 
vulnerable points of rats, so that he can flank 
the enemy, storm and take his strongholds, and 
economically maintain his prisoners alive, may 
be of much practical value to the readers of the 
Agriadiurist. The common brown rat is the 
Mus domesticus. It appeared in this country 
about the period of our Revolutionary war, and 
has increased with great rapidity, having almost 
if not entirely exterminated the black rat (Jf. 
rattus,) which was common before, and which 
is smaller and not so sharp a fighter. The 
brown is the only proper rat at the North, but at 
the South two species are not uncommon 
—the Florida or white bellied rat, and the cot¬ 
ton rat; and in Mexico and Texas we find the 
roof rat living in thatch, etc., and the Mexican 
or bush r It. These all breed very rapidly, but 
none more so than the common rat. They be¬ 
gin to breed at two to three months old, and 
will have six to eight litters a year, of eight 
j’oung each on an average under favorable cir¬ 
cumstances, males and females being atn'iit 
equally divided. Were there no natural bin- 
