THE CULTIVATOR 
193 
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
“In Agriculture, Experience is of great value Theories of 
little, excepting as they are directly deducible from actual ex¬ 
periments and well attested facts.” __ 
Comments on the Oct. No. of the Cultivator. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker— The first page of this number, 
indeed I may say almost every page, affords abundant evidence 
of the heart-cheering fact, that the desire to improve American 
husbandry is rapidly diffusing itself over our whole country; 
and all that is now wanting to enable American farmers soon 
to compete successfully with those of Europe, will be to give 
this desire a proper direction, and zealous, persevering en¬ 
couragement. Your excellent paper has already done much in 
this truly patriotic work; and long, very long, do I hope, that it 
may continue its laudable efforts. These few prefatory re¬ 
marks I could not deny myself the pleasure of uttering, since I 
venture to say, that none of your readers can have derived more 
entertainment from your Cultivator than 1 have, nor can many 
have received more information. 
The first article that attracted my attention was the list of 
premiums offered by the American Institute. The managers 
have evidently taken it for granted, that, all competitors will be 
actuated solely by the principle of honorable ambition, for no¬ 
thing has been offered but gold medals. Hut there is not a man 
who has ever had any thing to do with an association or socie¬ 
ty which gives premiums for such objects, but must know, that 
the love of money is a stronger passion to address. The High¬ 
land Agricultural Society of Scotland, and the Royal Agricultu¬ 
ral Society of England, have been well aware of this difference; 
and therefore, we find that a large portion of their premiums 
consist of cash. Would it not be well, then, if not only the 
American Institute, but our numerous agricultural societies, 
would follow their example ? I have had many years’experi¬ 
ence, not as a competitor for premiums, but a contributor to¬ 
wards them; and feel very confident that where five would 
compete for a gold medal, there would be at least ten competi¬ 
tors for its value in dollars and cents. In this respect, the na¬ 
ture of man cannot be much or effectually changed by any sort 
of institute, but that of moral and religious education. 
Much is said in this number about the Hessian fly; but unless 
some of the individuals who write on the subject will point out 
some effectual way to prevent its ravages, practical farmers in 
general, will care not a straw by what entomological name it 
may be christened, nor to whom the honor may be awarded of 
ascertaining its true scientific title. 
In a note to the article headed “ Crops of 1841,” you remark 
that “the quality of the wheat crop of 1841 lias never been ex¬ 
ceeded.” This remark should have been limited to the states 
north of the Potomac, if not to those beyond the Susquehanna, 
since to the south of the former river, my information is f that 
the crop is below the average quality. 
Under the head of “ Proper Improvement of Land,” you have 
cited one very remarkable case to prove how far beyond all 
common belief, its productiveness may be increased; and there 
are very few things with which your paper could be better fill¬ 
ed than with details of similar eases, provided they were ac¬ 
companied by detailed statements of the various modes of im¬ 
provement Nothing could well do our brethren more good, 
for no subject is more important to them; nor is there any 
scarcely of which they are more generally ignorant or careless. 
Treatment of the Horse. 
Your correspondent W. B. from North Carolina, expresses a 
wish “to sec some extended remarks on the best manner of treat¬ 
ing work and traveling horses and you ask some of your cor¬ 
respondents to reply to his inquiry. To do so fully would re¬ 
quire a book or pamphlet of a considerable size. But the sub¬ 
ject is highly important to all who own horses, and particular¬ 
ly to those, of whom there are many, who know little or nothing 
of their proper treatment; I will, therefore, offer a few remarks , 
in the hope that some of your numerous correspondents who 
are better qualified than I am, may be tempted by my efforts to 
enlarge upon it. My observations will consist chiefly of direc¬ 
tions condensed from two works published in England, under 
the supervision of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Know¬ 
ledge. The first is entitled “ The Horse,” and is by far the best 
treatise I have ever read in regard both to the theory ahd prac¬ 
tice of the veterinary art; no farmer should be without it. 
The second was published only last year, and is called “ Out¬ 
lines of Flemish Husbandry.” It contains many very useful di¬ 
rections as to the management of farm horses, the correctness 
of which, as well as of those in the Horse Book, none could fail 
to perceive, if I had room to present the reasons for them, toge¬ 
ther with the directions themselves. 
To begin with the stable. This should be so constructed that 
its temperature during spring, summer, and fall, should be very 
nearly the same as that of the open air; and in winter, not 
more than 10 degrees above that of the external atmosphere. 
The size recommended as best, is (in the proportion for six 
horses) 40 feet long, 13 or 14 wide, and 12 feet high, if a loft is 
made to it, in which case there should be a plastered ceiling, to 
prevent the hay from being scented by the exhalations of the 
stalls and floor. The whole stable, especially the stalls, should 
be kept as clean as practicable, by frequently changing the beds 
and strewing plaster of Paris on those spots where the urine 
falls. This not only prevents its offensive odor, by combining 
with its ammonia, but thereby forms one of the most powerful 
of all the new manures yet discovered. The floor of the stalls 
should be sloped barely enough to drain off the urine not ab¬ 
sorbed b,y the litter and plaster of Paris, since a level position 
for the horses’ feet is the most natural, and consequently best 
for the muscles and sinews of their legs and ankles. 
Light is quite as essential to the soundness of your horses’ 
eyes, as pure air is to the health of his body. But it should be 
let in through glazed windows, and open gratings, which serve 
also as ventilators, under the eaves of the rooL No openings 
should be made, either under the mangers, or opposite, or just 
above the horses’ heads, as partial streams of air often produce 
colds, with all their bad consequences in horses ; especially if 
they are put up in such stables immediately after being much 
heated, and before they are rubbed dry. A glaring light, how¬ 
ever, should always be avoided, since horses can neither rest 
nor sleep, nor fatten so well in such light, as in that which is 
moderate. 
Under the head of “grooming,” it is recommended to treat 
farm horses differently from those kept for the saddle and car¬ 
riage. The farm horse which is worked hard all day, and turn¬ 
ed out at night, requires little more than to have the dust 
brushed off from his limbs, since the dandruflf or scurf which 
is removed by the curry comb, is a provision of nature to de¬ 
fend him from the wind and the cold. But if generally stabled 
then currying, brushing, and rubbing are necessary. These 
operations are indispensable to saddle and carriage horses • and 
should always be performed in the open air when the weather 
permits. They open the pores of the skin, aid in circulating 
the blood, m augmenting free, healthy, insensible prespiration, 
and serve instead of exercise, when that cannot be taken. 
Moreover, if regularly and carefully performed, with a plenty 
of good food in which two or three table-spoons full of brown 
sugar is occasionally mixed, they will secure that fine, glossy, 
dappled coat, to attain which, the health, and not unfrequently 
the life, of the horse is sacrificed, by keeping him covered up 
with blankets. Care should be taken in using both the curry¬ 
comb and brush, especially when new, not to apply them rough¬ 
ly, particularly to horses that have tender skins, and fine, thin 
hair. For all such, the curry-comb is hardly necessary, if 
they are well rubbed, and dressed with a soft brush and hair¬ 
cloth. 
Horses which are constantly stabled, should be moderately 
exercised for two hours a day, when the weather permits, if 
you would keep them perfectly healthy. This, however, should 
depend somewhat on their age, as a young horse requires more 
exercise than an old one. But for neither should it be violent, 
when given for he ilth; nor should the horse ever be put up un¬ 
til he is cool. The whip or spur should never be used for any 
fault but dullness or obstinacy, although it is very common to 
do it both for starting and stumbling, both of which are certain¬ 
ly aggravated by it, and thereby the rider punishes himself, in 
the end, much more than he does his horse. In fact, harsh, 
cruel treatment to horses, succeeds as badly as it does with 
children; and all who arc so brutal and inhuman as to be guil¬ 
ty of it, deserve well to become its victims : neither whip nor 
spur would be bad remedies for their detestable tempers and 
habits. 
It is common, immediately after hard working or traveling 
in hot weather, to wash horses all over, or to swim them in 
water much cooler than their skins or the atmosphere. This 
practice is very dangerous, often producing colds, fevers, and 
not unfrequently, fatal chronic complaints, unless the same 
exercise is speedily repeated. Even the partial application of 
very cold water to parts of the body, or the head, or the legs, 
when the horse is much heated, should be avoided; for his ap¬ 
pearing to be gratified by it is no more a proof that it is good for 
him, than the manifest gratification of a sot in dram-drinking, 
after having been drunk, is proof that he is benelittcd thereby. 
The poor horse which knows no better, experiences present re¬ 
lief, at the expense of future suffering that he is incapable of 
anticipating, or brute as he is, be would probably reject it. 
Rubbing in the shade and leading the horse about at intervals, 
constitute the proper treatment both for farm and other horses, 
when much distressed by severe work of any kind. 
But all precautions to preserve the health and vigor of your 
horses will prove unavailable, unless you pay equal attention 
to the kind and quality of their food; the manner of feeding 
them, and also of giving them water. 
To enable either farm or other horses to render the utmost 
service of which they are capable, they should be fed wholly on 
dry food, the grain and long forage to be old and sound, the first 
of which should be ground, and the latter chopped in all cases 
where practicable. For saddle and carriage horses under hard 
and constant usage, oats are better than Indian corn, and that 
is preferable to every other grain. The blades also, when well 
cured, are better than any other kind of long forage, as they 
contain more saccharine matter. When either farm or other 
horses are much heated, and great haste is indispensable, no 
other food should be given them than a small hand-full or two 
of old corn or oat-meal stirred into a few quarts of soft water, 
with a little salt dissolved in it. Before this is given, let their 
nostrils, inside and out, be cleansed by a sponge or rag wet 
with vinegar and water, if the former can be procured, if not, 
with water alone. After a very hard ride or travel in harness, 
the horse should be suffered to wallow, before any thing else is 
done to him, if time and weather permit, rather than to be led 
immediately into a stable to be cleaned and cooled. 
Manger feeding with ground grain and chopped long forage, 
is now very generally preferred in England and Belgium, as 
well as by the best judges in our own country, to the old fash¬ 
ioned, most wasteful way of giving unground grain in mangers, 
and unchopped forage in racks. These last are disused every 
where, but in a few places for green grass; and in lieu of the 
rack, wide, deep mangers are adopted, with small iron or 
wooden bars fastened across them, to prevent the horses from 
throwing out their food. In England the most common food for 
farm horses consists of a mixture of bruised oats, beans, and 
chaff, in the proportion of eight pounds of oats, which are equal 
to about five quarts, (their oats being a few pounds heavier per 
bushel than ours,) two pounds of beans, with twenty of chaff. 
Thirty-five or six pounds of suchfoodis the day’s allowance for 
medium sized horses while at work, and forty pounds of it for 
large horses. Such is the common allowance during winter, 
when the horses are constantly stabled. But from the end of 
April to the end of July they are usually turned out at night, 
and the whole of rest days. Other kinds of food, however, are 
much used by small farmers, such as barley, unmerchantable 
wheat, beans, peas, sweedish turneps, carrots, and potatoes, 
with grasses of various kinds, but very little oats or rye. In 
Belgium the chief food of their farm horses consists of green 
clover in summer, and roots with cut straw in winter. A few 
oats are occasionally given, but not in so regular a manner as 
to give great muscular strength. They usually go to work as 
soon as it is light, continue at it until ten, then rest and feed 
until two or three o’clock, when they resume and continue their 
labor till six or seven. In harvest time they work from day¬ 
break until evening, resting only a few hours in the heat of the 
day. A pair of horses with one plow are allowed for every 40 
acres of arable land, the whole of which, on an average, is 
plowed twice and harrowed three times; besides this they cart 
fodder and manure, and do the harvest work. Both in Belgium 
and England, they are moderately watered before and after 
feeding. When not worked, water is given them three times a 
day, and always of the softest kind, when it can be procured. 
Iu ordinary traveling also, a liberal supply of such water is 
strongly recommended to be given, a little at a time, which pre- 
vents excessive thirst, and the consequent drinking to ex¬ 
cess. This is very dangerous, especially to a horse much heat¬ 
ed, especially if the water be very cold. 
In addition to the foregoing condensed remarks, taken chiefly 
from the two excellent works already mentioned, permit me 
now to offer such information as I have derived from others and 
from my own long experience as an owner of every kind of 
horse but the race-horse, in regard; to the best mode of manag¬ 
ing those most useful animals, in our own country. I will 11 be¬ 
gin, (as the saying is,) at the beginning.” 
Colts should always be weaned before the grass is generally 
gone, and should be put into some enclosure where they cannot 
hurt themselves. Their dams should be stabled for a few days, 
and milked if their bags swell much. These colts should never 
be stabled until broke, nor much after that before they are full 
grown. But they should have well covered shelters, open to 
the south, under which to protect themselves from bad wea¬ 
ther. Plenty of good corn fodder or hay in winter, and grass 
when it comes, and as long as it lasts, will keep them whilst 
unbroke, in a healthy, growing condition, which is far better 
than keeping them very fat to force their growth beyond what 
is natural; for overgrown horses, like overgrown men, rarely, 
ifeverjhave hardihood, vigor, and activity in proportion to 
their size. In fact, very large horses are objectionable, for all 
purposes, except slow and heavy drafts. The gentling of colts 
should commence soon after they are foaled, and continue un¬ 
til they are backed. Frequent handling, occasional salting or 
feeding them out of your hand, and stroking their necks are all 
good practices. From two to three years old, they should lie 
accustomed by degrees, to the saddle and bridle; alight snaffle 
is best. Thus treated, the breaking becomes so easy, that 
they will rarely play any tricks, and may be soon taught, even 
to stand fire, by shooting off a gun or pistol, for a few days, just 
as they commence eating. In a word, uniformly kind, gentle 
treatment by their master, will always make such good, docile, 
gentle horses, that they will often follow him, like his dog, and 
will manifest equal regard for his person. 
All the general directions for the treatment of horses in Eng¬ 
land will suit quite as well for the horses of our own country. 
But the articles of food being somewhat different with us, I will 
now add a few remarks on that subject. In most of our states, 
the chief food for horses is Indian corn and the fodder thereol. 
Both are usually fed away in the most careless, extravagant, 
apd wasteful manner—the corn being given in the ears, and the 
fodder in bundles, which are thrown untied into the horse-racks 
or on the ground. Much, then, is wasted by being trampled 
under foot, and so dirtied that the horse rejects it, whilst many 
of the grains of corn pass through his body undigested, and of 
course, render him no service whatever. He also loses all the 
benefit of the cobs, which he rarely eats when whole, although 
they make an excellent food, if ground up with the grain. This 
mode of feeding is much the most general, notwithstanding it 
has been indisputably proved by actual and numerous experi¬ 
ments, that to give the corn and cob ground together, which is 
called cob-hominy, and the fodder chopped in a cutting-box, not 
only saves more than enough to pay the extra expense of grind¬ 
ing and cutting, but actually keeps the horse in better condi¬ 
tion than the same quantity of corn and fodder given in the 
usual way. Moreover, it is a cheaper food than any other of 
which grain, either whole or crushed, forms a part. Take oats 
for example, which are the most common, where corn is not 
used, and let us estimate the former at forty and the latter at 
sixty cents a bushel, which I think a fair general average in the 
states wherein corn is a staple crop. Now as only half the cob- 
hominy is grain, the mixture will cost only thirty cents a bush¬ 
el, and is generally deemed fully equal in nutritive qualities to 
a bushel of oats. If these also be crushed, we must add about 
four cents to their cost, and the difference between the two 
kinds of ground food,(the chopped fodder being the same in both 
eases,)wi 11 be about 14 cents per bushel, in favor of cob-hominy. 
Suppose then, that one gallon, three times a day, is enough, as 
experience has proved it to be, for an ordinary sized horse, with 
eighteen or twenty bundles of fodder, the saving in one week, 
by feeding with cob-hominy, will be a fraction over thirty-six 
cents, or nearly nineteen dollars a year for each horse, which 
is the annual interest of rather more than $315. Yet not one 
in a hundred of us ever thinks of saving it! Tew southern and 
western men who are “well off,” (as the saying is,) keep less 
than three or four horses that do no farm work, and this they 
do at an additional yearly expense, when oats and unchopped 
fodder are their food, of 67 dollars for three, and 76 dollars for 
four horses, rather than be at the small trouble of having their 
fodder chopped, and their ears of corn ground into cob-hominy. 
Ten or twelve poor children might be annually schooled for 
that sum. For horses that are often hard ridden and rapidly 
traveled, oats are generally deemed better than corn, as less 
heating; but a greater quantity of them must be given, in the 
proportion of about one and a half gallons of oats to one of com 
at each feed. Under such usage, green food should never be 
given if avoidable. But when the horse can rest for a few days 
some may be allowed him, in small quantities, by way of medi¬ 
cine. Any kind of grass that a horse will eat, may answer the 
purpose, but lucern and clover of the first cutting are deemed 
best—the second always salivates—an effect, by the way, for 
which no cause, I believe, has yet been discovered. Presup¬ 
posing that a horse has a plenty of wholesome food and proper 
grooming, if you would give him a finer coat than these alone 
can produce, let half a pint of sound wheat or a small hand full 
of brown sugar be mixed with his food, about once in every six 
or eight days, for a few weeks, and the object will be attained 
far better than by blanketing, which always makes him more 
liable to take cold, when exposed to bad weather, as he some¬ 
times must necessarily be. On long journeys, in hot weather, 
give your horse a double feed at night; in the morning travel 15 
or 20 miles before you feed him again, then do it lightly and af¬ 
ter he is perfectly cool. Give a few quarts of soft water both 
before and afteir his food, then resume your journey and go 15 
or 20 miles farther. This will enable yon to stop early every 
evening, without any night riding, and'will give both yourself 
and your horse a long rest to recruit your strength. If your 
horse be sound, you may thus travel him hundreds of miles 
without danger of his failing. 
Farm horses may be kept in good order at much less expense; 
for they may be fed, when unemployed, upon any of the roots 
which it is customary to give them'in England. In addition to 
these, we have the pumpkin and its varieties, all of which are 
good food for horses, but the seeds should always be taken out, 
as they are powerfully diuretie. If such food be at first reject¬ 
ed, horses may soon be taught to eat it, by mixing a little salt 
with it, and offering them nothing else for a few days. To this 
should be added, as soon as they will eat such a mixture, from 
thirty to forty pounds of chopped provender, for every twenty- 
four hours, and this may be made either of well cured coin 
tops, blades ; hay, wheat, oat, or rye straw, or chaff. Corn 
shucks, (which is the southern name for the covering of the 
ears,) answer well to mix when chopped up, with the roots or 
pumpkins; if they are salted as they are put up and kept dry. 
Another very good long forage peculiar to our country, consists 
of the various kinds of Indian pea-vines. These make excellent 
food for farm horses, if exposed to the sun until they are some¬ 
what wilted, then stacked in alternate layers with the straw of 
either wheat, rye, or oats, and each layer sprinkled with salt, 
as they are stacked. Thus fed and protected from bad wea¬ 
ther by warm shelters, open only to the south, and well covered 
with any kind of thatch, or corn tops or loose strawy farm 
horses may be kept healthy and in good order throughout the 
southern states, without their owners incurring the expense of 
wooden or brick stables for them. Stalls, however, should be 
made for them under the shelters, with divisions high and close 
enough to prevent their lighting, and in those they should be 
tied while eating. Their mangers or troughslshould be wider 
and deeper, than when racks also are used, although they never 
should be, or lazy hostlers will be sure to avail themselves of 
them, if not closely watched. When put to constant farm work, 
horses should have only dry food, three times a day. It may 
consist either of bran, shorts, cob-hominy, ground rye, oats, 
broom corn, or oats mixed with chopped stuff in the propor¬ 
tions already mentioned—that is, about thirty-five pounds for 
horses of common size, and forty pounds for the largest But 
after the grass is in plenty, and as long as it lasts, (if it does 
not salivate,) they may be turned out of nights and rest-days, 
although if your past ures are large, more time is lost every 
morning in catching them and getting ready for work, than 
would amply compensate, if spent in farm labor, for the ex¬ 
pense of keeping them up, especially should you have any grass 
to give them a moderate quantity in lieu of a portion of their 
dry food. To fatten a horse rapidly, his fodder or hay should 
always be chopped and steamed, before it is mixed with the 
meal of either corn, oats, or rye, and as much should be given 
him, three times a day, as he will eat without leaving any 
Give him also salt alone as often as he will eat it, and soft wa¬ 
ter at least thrice a day, but always with some meal of either 
of the above mentioned grains stirred up with it. A small 
quantity of ground Indian pe^s will add much to the nutritive 
properties of his food ; and thus treated, with moderate daily 
exercise, in good weather, the process of fattening will soon 
be completed, provided the horse be in health at the commence¬ 
ment. 
F ear that some of your readers perhaps, may deem the fore¬ 
going details relative to horses, more minute than they need be, 
