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YOU. IX. NO. 33.} 
PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT.” 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.-SATURDAY, AUGUST U, 1858. 
[SINGLE NO. FIVE CENTS. 
\WHOLE NO. m. 
’MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
• AN ORIGINAL WEEKLY 
Agricultural, Literary and Family Newspaper, 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
WITH AH ABLE COUPS OP ASSISTANT EDITORS. 
Thi Rural New-Yorker is designed to be unsurpassed in 
Value, Purity, Usefulness and Variety ot Contents, and unique and 
beautiful iD Appearance. Its Oouductor devotes his personal atten¬ 
tion to the supervision of its varions departments, and earnestly labors 
to render the Rural an eminently Reliable Guide on the important 
Practical. Scientific and other Subjects intimately connected with the 
business of those whose interests it zealously advocates It embraces 
more Agricultural, Horticultural Scientific, Educational, Literary and 
News Matter, interspersed with appropriate and beautiful Engravings, 
than any other journal,— rendering it the most complete Agricultu¬ 
ral, Literary and Family Journal in America. 
r3T" Ail communications, and business letters, should be addressed 
to D. D. T MOORE, Rochester, N. Y. • 
EEST TIME FOR CUTTING TIMBER. 
Tms subj’oct was pretty generally discussed in 
the Agricultural papers some twelve years ago, 
since which time we have seen but little on the 
question. Some of our readers have asked for in¬ 
formation, and we therefore present a few facts in 
answer to the query, “ at what time should timber 
he cut to be the least liable to decay.” 
It was the popular opinion for many years that 
timber should be felled only when in a state of 
rest, and never when making growth. This popu¬ 
lar opinion was sustained by all the old authors, 
and in some countries of Europe, as in France in 
1GG9, laws were enacted forbidding the cutting of 
timber between the months of April and November. 
This was founded on the belief that a tree in a 
growing state contained more water or sap than 
when destitute of foliage, and consequently would 
decay more readily and make less durable lumber 
or timber. This conclusion, so far as the best time 
for cutting trees is concerned, may be correct, but 
the premises were long ago proved to be false, for 
it was found, as soon as careful experiments were 
made, that a living tree bas no more water or sap 
in it in summer than in winter. The difference in 
moisture, when actually measured by drying, 
whether the tree be cut in winter or summer, is 
very small. Still, practical men, mostly agreed 
that a tree cut in the summer would decay the 
soonest, and scientific men set about ascertaining 
the true cause. The most plausible reason for this 
earlier decay seems now to be, not the abundance 
of sap, but the fact that as soon as a tree with the 
leaves on is cut, a great portion of this sap is 
evaporated through the leaves, and the supply at 
the root being cut off the air enteis the sap vessels 
at the but of the tree, and extends through all the 
branches, causing fermentation of the juices and 
finally decay. 
As soon as animal or vegetable substances 
cease to live, the work of disorganization com¬ 
mences—they begin to turn back to their original 
elements, to furnish food for new plants and other 
animals and again become living organizations._ 
Heat, moisture and air are necessary to this impor¬ 
tant work, and in the summer, when the tree is cat 
all thiDgs seem favorable for this work of disor¬ 
ganization. If a tree or stick of timber can be 
quickly seasoned or dried, then this fermentation 
or incipient decay is prevented, just as it is in beef, 
venison or buffalo meat, by cutting it in thin slices 
and drying it in the sun and air,—the moisture 
being evaporated before decay commences. 
Another question of some importance is, whether 
the sap is not at some seasons in such a condition 
as to much more readily ferment and cause decay 
than at others. It seems to be the general opinion 
of vegetable physiologists that in the summer or 
fall a valuable store of matei ial is deposited in the 
tree to be used the coming season in forming new 
leaves and branches. Thus we see that the sap of 
the maple contains a large quantity of sugar long 
before a leaf is formed to elaborate the tap, and 
while the ground is still bound in the icy fastness 
of winter. This it would seem must be stored 
away the previous summer, but when the mat 
ter is organized which forms this sugar and water 
(sap) or where it is stored in winter, or what change 
it undergoes in the early spring, we cannot now 
telL Mulder in his ‘'Chemistry of Vegetable and 
Animal Philosophy,” says that all sugar is first 
formed into starch from carbon and water, and 
that it is from this starch that both sugar and new 
wood in the spring are produced. If this is true 
it would indicate that the timber could be much 
more readily seasoned without danger of decay 
before this soluble sugar is formed. AgaiD, if trees 
lay up a store of material for future use in forming 
foliage, fruit and branches, something as animals 
lay up a storehouse of fat, then we should judge 
that the bept time for cutting a tree would be soon 
after the falling of the lea f , or before any change 
had been produced in the sap in the spring. The 
loss of this store of material would, no doubt, in 
some degree, weaken the tree, and if permitted to 
remain in the cells and dry there in the seasoning 
process might add both to its strength and dura¬ 
bility. 
There can be no doubt but the woody fibres of 
the tree are the same in summer as in winter, while 
many contend that there is no difference in the 
heart wood—that it possesses but little vitality, if 
any, and merely serves as a support for the vital 
structure with which it is surrounded—having per¬ 
fected its growth, quietly awaits to be appropria¬ 
ted by man to his use, or to decay and furnish the 
elements for the growth and perfection of another 
like organization. We have now before us a cor¬ 
respondence giving the strength of small sticks 
cut at different seasons, but as these experiments 
were not made with a view to publication, and 
without much care, and were so small as to con¬ 
tain bat little heart-wood, which is really the only 
completely formed wood, we forbear to give them. 
Any reliable experiments on this point that would 
be of value, we would most cheerfully publish. 
Various means have been used to preserve tim¬ 
ber, and with varied success. Soaking timber in 
common brine is an old practice, sulphate of iron, 
blue vitriol, &c., have also been used in the same 
way. Of the various plans for preserving timber 
we may speak at another time. 
THE ART OF HORSE - TAMING, 
AS PRACTISED BY 
WILLIAM AND JOHN S. RAREY. 
Several months since we witnessed an experi¬ 
ment in the Art of Horse-Taming performed by 
Mr. Wit, Rakey, (brother of John S. Rarey now 
practising in England,) under a pledge of secresy, 
and we have been silent upon the subject so long 
as such silence could prove of the least benefit to 
Mr. R. A patent for the process could not be ob¬ 
tained, and the only mode by which that gentleman 
could derive a pecuniary benefit at all approaching 
the value of his instructions, was in thus requiring 
a promise of concealment on the part of those who 
attended his exhibition. A pamphlet was printed 
by Mr. Rarey, and distributed among his pupils in 
this country, and owiDg to the absence of an inter¬ 
national copy right law, said pamphlet has been 
re-printed in England, and generally disseminated. 
Since its appearance there, J. S. Rarey has reliev¬ 
ed all his pupils from the pledge heretofore given, 
and is now instructing his classes without any 
secresy being required. In our own country the 
press have commenced publishing the modus ope¬ 
rands of these gentlemen—and all obligations of 
concealment being thus removed, we purpose giv¬ 
ing Rural readers a full account of the system—the 
principles involved,—the manner of operation, and 
the results which have followed its practice with 
such uniformity as to render the process of Mr 
Rarey almost a certainty,—together with a brief 
history of some of the more notable persons who 
have at varions periods claimed the possession of 
more than ordinary skill in the management of the 
horse, and a superior power over the mental 
organism of this noble animal. 
The first person of whom wo have any knowledge 
as practising horse-taming wa3 a Moor, who ex¬ 
hibited his skill in Spain, in 1709. He was a man 
of immense muscular power, and upon this, in a 
contest with the horse, he depended for success. 
The second horse-tamer was called Jumper, and 
lived in Yorkshire, England. Of the power of 
Jumper over the horse, Mr. Castly, relates in 
Skeamington’s Modern System of Farriery, the 
following incident:—“When a young man I pur¬ 
chased a horse at a fair that was offered very cheap 
because he was unmanageable. Nobody could 
ride him. He objected to having anything upon 
his back, and when made to move forward with 
nothing but a saddle on him, he would throw him¬ 
self down upon his side with great violence and 
roll over. Jumper took this animal away and in 
ten days brought him back again, in as good con¬ 
dition, but perfectly subdued and almost as obedi¬ 
ent as a dog—he would lie down at this man’s 
bidding, and only rise at his command, and would 
carry double or anything. I took to riding him 
myself, and may say, that I was never better carried 
for six or eight months, during which time he 
never shewed the least vice whatever. I sold him 
to a Lincolnshire farmer, who said he would give 
him a summer’s run to grass, and shew him a very 
fine horse at the great Horncastle Fair. Happen¬ 
ing to meet this gentleman the following year, I 
naturally enough inquired after my old friend.— 
‘Ob,’ said he, ‘that was a bad business — the horse 
turned out a sad rebel. The first time we attempt¬ 
ed to mount him, after getting him up from grass, 
he in an instant threw the man down with the 
greatest violence, pitching him several yards over 
his head; and after that he threw every one that 
attempted to get on his back. If he could not 
throw his rider, he would throw himself down. We 
could do nothing with him, and I was obliged at 
last to sell him to go in a stage coach.’ ” 
Next upon the stage, we find J umpee's counter¬ 
part and superior, Sullivan, the “Whisperer.”— 
This man is described in Croker’s “ Fairy Legends 
and Traditions of Ireland /’ as follows:—“He was 
an awkward, ignorant rustic of the lowest class; 
his occupation, horse-breaking. The nickname of 
‘Whisperer’ he acquired from the vulgar notion 
of his being able to communicate to the animal 
what he wished by means of a whisper, and the 
singularity of his method seemed in some degree 
to justify the attribute. In his own neighborhood, 
the notoriety of the fact made it seem less remark¬ 
able, but I doubt if any instance of similar subju¬ 
gating talent is to be found on record. As far as 
the sphere of his control extended, the boast of 
veni, vidi, vici, was more justly claimed by Sullivan 
than by CLesar himself.” How Sullivan acquired 
the art, and in what it consisted, will be forever 
unknown, as he died in 1810, without divulging it 
He has a son who follows the business—but his 
failure to accomplish anything of importance, 
shows that he either has not the true secret, or does 
not possess the power of putting it in practice. 
Of the first two mentioned, — the Moor and 
Jumper, — their skill doubtless lay in manual 
strength, as it was often noticed that, after an in¬ 
terview with the animal practised upon, both 
horse and experimenter were entirely exhausted. 
Sullivan performed with wondrous celerity,— his 
movements were secret, but without apparent coer¬ 
cion. Every description of horse or mule, whether 
previously broken or unhandled, whatever their 
peculiar vices or habits might have beeD, submit¬ 
ted without show of resistance to the magical in¬ 
fluence of his art, and in the short space of half an 
hour became gentle and tractable, and the effect 
seemed to be durable. An instance of bis won¬ 
derful power over the horse >ve notice in the case 
of Mr. Whalley’s racer, {‘King Pippin.” Pippin 
was of a most savage and vicious disposition. His 
particular propensity was that of flying at and wor¬ 
rying any person within his reach; he would turn 
his head around, seize his rider with his teeth, and 
drag him down from his back. Being engaged to 
run at a certain time, endeavors were made to get 
him from the stable, but every means failed. One 
person, more venturesome than the rest, attempted 
to bridle him, but was immediately seized by the 
shoulders; and, in the words of a spectator, “was 
shaken as a dog would shake a rat.” The “Whis¬ 
perer” was introduced, shut up with the animal 
all night, and in the morning, this hitherto farious 
horse followed him about the course, laid down at 
command, suffered hi3 mouth to be opened and the 
hand of any individual placed therein; in short, 
was as quiet as a sheep. He ran and won the race 
— continued docile for a considerable period; but 
about three years afterwards the vice returned, he 
killed a man and was destroyed. 
We come now to the horse-tamers of the present 
day — the Rarey brothers. We have not had the 
pleasure of a perusal of the pamphlet published in 
England, but the teachings of Mr. Wm. Rarey while 
in this city, were, in some respects, totally different 
from a portion of that given in the New York 
paper which ha3 recently furnished an exposition. 
We hardly believe that the author of the article in 
the New York journal aforesaid can reconcile a 
few of his statements. In the opening of the 
Rarey process, he says“ The one principle which 
you must establish firmly in your mind, and which 
is so essential in horse-taming that it is almost the 
corner-stone of the theory, is the law of kindness. 
Next to kindness you must have patience, and next 
to patience indomitable perseverance. * * * 
In a natural state he is afraid of man, and never, 
until you teach him that you do not intend to hurt 
him, will that fear cease—we mean that wild, natu¬ 
ral fear—for you must have him fear you as well as 
love you, before you can absorb his attention as 
much as is necessary to break him to your liking.” 
In the second paragraph following the above, we 
read:—“Choking a horse is the first process in 
taming, and is but the beginning of his education.” 
Three illustrations, (leaving a single engraving for 
Mr. Rarey and his system,) are given, exhibiting 
tbe varions modes by which the “law of kindness” 
is revealed to the animal on the “ choking ” princi¬ 
ple. Mr. Rarey while here totally ignored all 
such applications, and would hardly make use of a 
whip in the lightest manner. The rules laid down 
by Mr. R. for the government of the horse, we find, 
nearly verbatim, in a review of the pamphlet by 
the London Athenaeum, and are as follows: 
, “ First —That he is so constituted by nature that 
he will not offer resistance to any demand made of 
him which he fully comprehends, if made in a way 
consistent with the laws of his nature. 
Second —That he has no consciousness of his 
strength beyond his experience, and can be han¬ 
dled according to our will without force. 
Third— That we can, in compliance with the laws 
of his nature, by which he examines all things new 
to him, take any object, however frightful, around, 
over, or on him, that does not inflict pain—without 
causing him to fear.” 
The affectionate enthusiasm with which the 
horse is spoken of by Mr. R. in the paragraph an¬ 
nexed—copied from his work by the Athenaeum— 
would also seem to indicate that anything but 
W 
Fig. 1. First position. 
harsh means are used in his subjection. Mr. R. 
says:—“The horse, according to the best accounts 
we can gather, has been the constant servant of 
man for nearly four thousand years, ever reward¬ 
ing him with his labor and adding to his comfort 
in proportion to his skill and manner of using 
him; but being to those who govern him by brute 
force, and know nothing of the beauty and delight 
to be gained from the cultivation of his finer na¬ 
ture, a fretful, vicious, and often dangerous servant; 
while to the Arab, whose horse is the pride of his 
life, and who governs him by the law of kindness, 
we find him to bo quite a different animal. The 
manner in which he is treated from a foal gives 
him an affection and attachment for his master not 
known in any other country. The Arab and hiB 
children, the mare and her foal, inhabit the tent to¬ 
gether; and although the colt and the mare’s neck 
are often pillows for the children to roll upoU, no 
accident ever occurs, the mare being as caref*ul of 
the children a3 of the colt. Such is the mutual at¬ 
tachment between the horse and his master, that 
he will leave his companions at his master's call, 
ever glad to obey his voice. And when the Arab 
falls from his horse, and is unable to rise again, he 
will stand by him and neigh for assistance; and if 
be liea down to sleep, as fatigue sometimes com¬ 
pels him to do in the midst of the Desert, his faith¬ 
ful steed will watch over him, qnd neigh to arouse 
him if man or beast approaches. The Arabs fre¬ 
quently teach their horses secret signs or signals, 
which they make use of on urgent occasions to call 
forth their utmost exertions.” 
Fig. 2. Teaching the horse to /meet. 
Mr. Rarey places much stress upon the kindly 
tones of the human voice, manner of speaking, 
the words used, and finishes his philosophizing 
upon the subject by detailing a short sketch of an 
“Arab and his Steed,” in which he endeavors to 
show the entire comprehension possessed by the 
horse of the language addressed to him. We quote 
it entire:—“A Bedouin, named Jabal, possessed a 
mare of great celebrity. Hassan Pasiia, then 
Governor of Damascus, wished to buy the animal, 
and repeatedly made the owner the most liberal of¬ 
fers, which Jabal steadily refused. The Pasha then 
had recourse to threats, but with no better success. 
At length, one Gafar, a Bedouin of another tribe, 
presented himself to the Pasha, and asked him 
what he would give the man who should make him 
master of Jabal’s mare? ‘I will fill his horse’s 
nose bag with gold,’ replied Hassam. The result 
of this interview having gone abroad, Jabal be¬ 
came more watchful than ever, and always secured 
his mare at night with an iron chain, one end of 
which was fastened to his hind fetlock, whilst the 
other, alter passing through the tent-cloth, was at¬ 
tached to a picket driven in the ground under the 
felt that served himself and his wife for a bed.— 
But one midnight Gafar crept silently into the 
tent, and succeeded in loosening the chain. Just 
before starting off with his prize, he caught up 
Jabal’s lance, and poking him with the but-end, 
cried out, ‘I am Gafar? I have stolen your 
noble mare, and will give you notice in time.’ 
This warning was in accordance with the customs 
of the desert, for to rob a hostile tribe is consider¬ 
ed an honorable exploit, and the man who ac¬ 
complishes it is desirous of all the glory that may 
flow from the deed. Poor Jabal, when he heard 
the words, rushed out of the tent and gave the 
alarm; then, mounting his brother’s mare, accom¬ 
panied by some of his tribe, he pursued the robber 
for four hours. The brother’s mare was of the 
same stock as Jabal's, but was not equal to her; 
nevertheless he outstripped those of all tbe other 
pursuers, and was even on the point of overtaking 
the robber, when Jabal shouted to him, ‘Pinch 
her right ear, and give her a touch of the heel.’— 
Gafar did so, and away went the mare like light¬ 
ning, speedily rendering further pursuit hopeless. 
The pinch in the ear and the touch with the heel 
were the secret signs by which Jabal had been 
used to urge his mare to her utmost speed. Jabal’s 
companions were amazed and indignant at his 
strange conduct ‘0, thou father of a jackass!’ 
they cried, ‘ thou hast enabled the thief to rob thee 
of thy jewel.’ But he silenced their upbraidings 
by saying, ‘ I would rather lose her than sully her 
reputation. Would you have me suffer it to be 
said among the tribe, that another mare had 
proved fleeter than mine? I have at least this 
comfort left me, that I can say she never met with 
her match.’” 
Fig. 3. The horse in a kneeling posture preparatory 
to tying down. 
When you enter the stable, in which is the horse 
to be experimented upon, stand still for a Bhort 
time and let the horse observe you, and as soon as 
he stands quiet advance slowly, upon the left, or 
near side, on a line with the shoulder, your right 
hand hanging by your side—the left bent at the 
elbow, with the hand projecting. As you move 
forward go not too much toward his head or croup, 
so as not to make him move either forward or 
backward, thus keeping your horse stationary; if 
he does move a little either forward or backward, 
step a little to the right or left very cautiously; 
this will keep him in the right place. When al¬ 
most fn contact stand motionless for a second or 
two, giving the animal another opportunity to sur¬ 
vey you, then, speaking in a soothing tone, place 
the hand lightly upon the shoulder, woiking np 
towards the neck, stroking in the direction in 
which the hair liep, down the side and front of the 
face to the nostrils. When the nose is reached 
suffer the hand to remain that the horse may smell 
of it two or three times, and then, as Mr. It. faceti¬ 
ously remarked, “you’ve got the animal.” Now 
halter securely. Next in order, pass down the 
neck to the shoulder and onward to the fore arm, 
when you must prevail upon the horse to lift the 
leg which is fastened in the manner described in 
our illustration, No. 1. A looped strap that can be 
slipped over the knee is the most expeditious. We 
will here remark that the floor should be liberally 
covered with straw (tan-bark or saw dust is better,) 
to prevent any iDjnry resulting to the knees, and 
knee caps it would be well to apply. While in this 
position, after letting him stand for a short period, 
buckle a strong surciDgle around the horse, the 
surcingle having a loop upon it, (see fig. 2,) then 
fasten a strap around the fet-Iock of the off leg, 
passing the other extremity of the strap through 
the loop. When this portion of the business is 
completed you are ready for active operations. 
Fig. 4. Lying doum and subdued. 
The object now is to back the horse about the sta¬ 
ble until he is tired and evidently wishes to lie down, 
then compel him to move forward, and when the 
animal lifts the off foot for that purpose, draw up¬ 
on the strap fastened around that leg, thus eleva¬ 
ting it to a like position with its mate. The pro¬ 
cedure is portrayed in our second engraving. Just 
as soon as this strap is drawn tightly, seize the hal¬ 
ter close to the head and let the animal down 
easily npon his knees, as seen in fig. 3. This is a 
critical period and the operator must possess cool¬ 
ness and energy to prevent disaster to himself or 
the animal. When the horse attempts to rise pull 
