216 
A MODEL HORSE, ETC. 
A MODEL HORSE. 
r The cut below is the portrait of a thorough-bred 
English race horse, after the model of such as were 
more commonly bred in the latter part of the past 
century. Then they were stout, fleet, and endur¬ 
ing—could take up a heavy weight, run their four 
miles, and repeat, and all this at a pace that the 
fastest of the present day, with their light weights 
and short distances, would find it difficult to match. 
We do not wish to be understood as asserting that 
all the race horses of the present day have degene¬ 
rated, and are light, delicate, and weedy; for, on 
the contrary, many are still strong and fast: we 
only say, that, owing to the great change in run¬ 
ning horses, in England, now-a-days, this is the 
tendency. 
But to our model, which we think almost per¬ 
fect. See his broad, intelligent forehead; bright, 
gazelle-like eyes; fine, dished face; distended, 
fiery nostrils; short, pointed ears; arched neck 
and flowing mane ; deep, full chest; round barrel, 
well-ribbed up; short, strong back; powerful, mus¬ 
cular quarters; well-set and bushy tail; fine, sin¬ 
ewy legs; strong, elastic pasterns, and clear, open 
hoofs. 
Such a horse would not only make a fleet racer, 
but would be strong enough for the cavalry; and 
on good-sized country mares, would get stout road¬ 
sters. He is decidedly like the Arabian in all his 
points, except, that he is larger, stouter, and of 
course, much more serviceable for general use. 
VERMICELLI AND MACARONI. 
Vermicelli is the Italian word for a paste of 
wheaten flour, drawn out and dried in slender cyl- 
enders, more or less twisted, like worms, whence 
the name. The wheat, from which it is made, is 
first coarsely ground, so as to free it from the husk. 
The hardest and whitest part is then separated by 
sifting, a little more ground, and the dust separated 
from it by bolting. The remaining granular sub¬ 
stance, called by the Fnsnch, semoide, forms the 
basis of the best pastes. 
In the manufacture of this article, the softest and 
purest water appears to be necessary, 12 pounds of 
which are usually added to 50 lbs. of semoule. 
It is better to add more semoule to the water, than 
water to the semoule in the process of kneading. 
The water must be hot, and the dough briskly 
worked, while it is warm. The Italians pile one 
piece of dough upon another, and then tread it well, 
for two or three minutes, with their feet. They 
afterwards work it for two hours with a powerful 
rolling pin, which consists of a bar of wood from 
ten to twelve feet long, larger at one end than the 
i other, having a sharp, cutting edge at the extrem- 
I ity, attached to a large kneading trough. The 
whole process of kneading, however, might be per¬ 
formed in a more cleanly manner, and greatly sim-- 
plified by improved American machinery. 
When the dough is properly prepared, it is re¬ 
duced to thin ribbons, cylinders, or tubes, to form 
vermicelli and macaroni of different kinds. This 
operation is performed by means of a powerful 
press, which stands in a vertical position. It con¬ 
tains an iron platine, or follower, carried by the 
end of a screw which fits exactly into a cast-iron 
cylinder, called the “ bell,” somewhat like a sau¬ 
sage machine, the bottom of 
which, is perforated with 
small holes of the shape and 
size intended for the article 
to be manufactured. The. 
“bell” is filled, and warmed 
with a charcoal fire, to soften 
the dough into a paste, which 
is forced slowly through the 
holes, and is immediately 
cooled and dried by a blow¬ 
er, as it protrudes. When 
the threads, or fillets, have- 
acquired the length of a 
foot, they are grasped by 
the hand, broken off, and 
twisted upon a piece of pa¬ 
per, while still flexible, into 
any desired shape. 
Macaroni requires to be 
made of a less compact 
dough than vermicelli, it is 
usually forced through the 
perforated bottom of the press, in fillets, which are 
afterwards formed into tubes by joining together 
their edges before they have had time to dry. 
When left in the form of a fillet, or ribbon, it‘is 
called lazagnes by the Italians. 
Vermicelli is ma^e with most advantage from the 
flour of warm countries, which is the richest in 
gluten. For instance, the wheat from Sicily and 
the southern parts of the United States generally 
contains a larger proportion of this substance than 
that grown in higher latitudes. Yet, according to 
the analysis of Professor Johnston, the fine flour of 
the celebrated Amalfi or macaroni wheat, of Italy, 
contains, in 100 parts, 13.3 of water and 11.62 of 
protein compounds, (chiefly gluten). But this is 
not above the average of the proportion of gluten 
contained even in our New-York and western 
flours. It is believed that, if an enterprising indi¬ 
vidual would commence the manufacture of this ar¬ 
ticle, on an extensive scale, in this country, there is 
but little doubt that the filthy Italian macaroni 
would soon cease to be imported. 
