1851 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
267 
ed to what they were wont to be; and all because we,in 
our eagerness to gain possession of blood horses, have 
lost sight of the really useful and seviceable breed. 
Such being, beyond contradiction, the condition of 
our breeds of horses of the present day, it becomes a 
duty imperative on us, as it has seemed to be on the 
French writer, to inquire into the causes of these sad 
fallings-ofF in our equine stock; for • fallings-off,’ and 
grevious ones, they most unquestionably are. In the 
translated article, from which we have been quoting, it 
is stated, that the introduction of English blood for the 
purpose of ‘ regenerating’ their ‘ old stock’ has worked 
unfavorable changes among the horses in France. 
That racing has, up at least to a certain point, been 
productive of the happiest effects in improving most of 
the breeds of horses in our own country, is too manifest 
to admit of a question. To racing, in fact, for our blood 
stock we owe everything. Our racers are unrivalled. 
Arabia herself, although their acknowledged parent, can 
no longer send competitors that can run run with them 
for the prize of speed and bottom. But, in our fond¬ 
ness for, and eagerness to excel in, so beautiful a breed of 
horses as the English racer is all over the world acknow¬ 
ledged to be, it becomes a question whether we have 
not outrun our object, or, in other words, carried what 
we have all along viewed as ‘perfections’ rather too far? 
—sought it at the cost of utility and serviceability? 
Have we not at the present time more blood-horses in 
the country than we have ever been known to possess 
at any former period? And are not the really service¬ 
able hackney, hunter,'troop-horse, and harness-horse, 
in proportion on the decrease? These are vital questions 
—questions to which we would fain give other answers 
than such as observation and experiment and truth dic¬ 
tate to us. As we have already hinted, we believe the 
main cause of this decrease in our more useful classes 
of horses to be owing to an over-fondness on the part 
of our breeders for blood , to the sacrifice or exclusion 
of that property which is so necessary to be combined 
with it, viz. bone. ^ 
To the preceding observation, we add the following 
from a late number of the North British Agriculturist , 
in reference to the difference in the points of the Ara¬ 
bian and the English race-horse: 
The English race horse differs in some points from his 
Arabian ancestors—his size has increased from 14 hands 
2 inches to 15 hands 3 inches or 16 hands in height, 
while in his conformation he has become rather narrow¬ 
er over the loins, and longer in the forehand, but he has 
partially lost the fully developed joints with the sinewy 
tendons which is one of the characteristics of the pure 
Arab—-he has also lost to a degree the fine intelligent 
eye and playful docility of the Arab. Many causes have 
been in operation to produce this change. The altera¬ 
tion of form has been probably effected, with the view 
of securing greater speed though such a form is less per¬ 
fect for general purposes. The form of the Arab horse 
shows a perfection in its proportions which has been 
hitherto overlooked by physiologists. In numerous 
measurements which we have made, the superiority of 
the Arab over the English form was to our mind quite 
conclusive. 
Buying and Selling. —A. cotemporary gives the fol¬ 
lowing fine advice on this subject: “ If you expect to 
prosper, never try to be ‘ sharp for a trade.’ Always sell 
at a fair price, when offered, if you wish to sell at all— 
never wait for a high one. Sell for cash or sure pay— 
and not at a high price on credit, at the risk of losing a 
debt. Always pay a fair price for what you really need 
—no farmer will prosper in making it an object to pur¬ 
chase below it.” To which we may add, that we knew 
two neighbors, one of whom went for fair prices, the 
other for shaving. The honest man dealt freely with 
whom he chose; the shaver was avoided by all;—the one 
could always hire the best and most trusty hands; the 
other only the poorest, who could find no other places; 
the one had many open hearted friends; the other more 
secret enemies. Which, do you think, passed the most 
comfortable life? 
ill t Inrtiniltwnl Sipnrtmrat. 
CONDUCTED BY J. J. THOMAS, MACEDON, N. Y. 
The Best Cherries. 
The eight standard cherries recommended by the Ame¬ 
rican Congress of Fruit Growers, were May duke, Black 
Tartarian, Black Eagle, Graffion(or Bigarreau,) Knight’s 
Early Black, Downer’s Late, Elton and Downton. Suc¬ 
cessive years of trial must of course vary or modify this 
list. There are some new sorts which promise great ex¬ 
cellence, and among them, none more than Dr. Kirt- 
land’s new seedling, known as No. 10. From two years 
fruiting, we are inclined to place it at the head of the 
list of cherries for mild delicious flavor, while its early 
maturity, and large size, and the fine growth of the tree, 
are great additions to its value. The Early Purple 
Guigne, after many years trial, stands entirely alone as 
the best very early variety, ripening with the May Bi¬ 
garreau, to which it is much superior in size and greatly 
in flavor. The Doctor , another of Kirtland’s seedlings, 
is its best successor. This is rather earlier than the Early 
White Heart, is usually somewhat larger, and decidedly 
better in quality.. 
Knight’s Early Black , which is larger than Black 
Eagle and equally good, often proves a scant bearer. 
The Graffion, (known often as “ Yellow Spanish,”) is 
also rendered less valuable by its deficient productive¬ 
ness in many localities. Like the Mayduke, it appears 
to be peculiarly liable to the attacks of the curculio. 
During unfavorable seasons, it appears to be unusually 
subject to decay on the tree. The Elton, although hot 
first in delicacy of flavor, still stands eminent for its fine 
quality, fine appearance, and great productiveness. In 
the last named quality it exceeds the Downton, but falls 
below it in quality. Downer’s Late still maintains its 
high stand for hardiness or unusual freedom from most 
of the disasters to which cherries are incident, its excel¬ 
lent flavor and prolific bearing. Its only defect is its 
moderate size. 
After all, it will be hard to find any new cherries su¬ 
perior to those old established sorts, the Black Tartari¬ 
an and Mayduke;—the former for its size, bearing qua¬ 
lities, and agreeable flavor to most persons; and the lat¬ 
ter for the unequalled richness of its juice when fully ri¬ 
pened. 
For a succession of reliable, productive, and valuable 
sorts, we do not know that we could at present give a 
better list than the following:—Early Purple Guigne, 
Doctor, Kirtland’s No. 10, Rockport Bigarreau, Black 
Tartarian, Elton, Downer’s Late, Belle Magnifique. But 
as some of these may fail in unpropitious seasons, none 
being wholly secure from accident or disease, a larger 
selection should be planted where admissible. 
Long-keeping Apples. 
A great deal of inquiry is made for the best long-keep¬ 
ing varieties of the apple; and the subject is worthy of 
much inquiry. It is easy enough to have a good supply 
through winter—a period when the requisite degree of 
coolness is so easily obtained for the preservation both 
of the fruit and its flavor. Hence the ease with which 
