disease. Hoofs and horns are appendages of 
the skin, and when jwhite*(i'¢., unpigmented) *” 
they are found to be movie brittle, weaker, and) 
more liable to disease than when c lored with 
pivment, . Certain skin eruptions are more pro- 
nounéed on white cattle atrd white dogs, and on 
white patches of piebuldharses; and cracked 
heels and grease are much more prevalent in 
white stockinged horses than in those w th 
blackspoints. Jn the latter case the influence 
‘oficcolor in causing the truuble is undoubtedly 
subordinate to the irritatidn produced by the 
frequent washing and careless drying to which 
the legs of such horses are subjected; and on 
the whole the author’s experience has not. been 
such as to confirm the view that color has much 
to do with the causation of, or liability to, 
disease in a general way. a 
The two most striking examples of the asso- 
ciation of color and disease are the melanoti¢ 
Sumors occurring under the tail in the region of 
the anus in grey horses and brown eattle. and 
the disease of the womb of white virgin heifets, 
called ‘‘ white heifer disease,’ commonly met 
with in the hilly parts of Cumberland and the 
Lake district (England). These diseases are 
neyer found in animals of any. other color. 
Attention is drawn by De Varigny, in his 
work on “ Experimental Evolution.” to the view 
__ that in albinos © absence of pigment and sterility 
are ‘co-ielated expressions of the same constitu- 
tional ch nge,” and he also observes that “the 
cause which induces albinism generally affects 
the reproductive functions ina marked manner,” 
partial or total sterility being induced. 
Metschnikoft’s investigations in regard to the 
function of white blood corpuscles in disease 
have led him to couelude that depigmentatien 
of inen’s hair @nriny advancing years is due to 
the destruction or eating up of the pigment. by 
the white blood cells. lt this be true, and if it 
be argued from it th. a:l-absence o: pigment is 
due to iny. sion aud attack of these living cells, 
it would appear that color, or more correctly in 
this conuexion, absence of color or pigment, 
Instead of being a predisposing cause of disease, 
as is generally held,is rather an cfiect of disease. 
This view is supported also by the whitening of 
the hair, which grows on surfaces previously the 
seat of sadule-galls and other sures on dark- 
oolored horses. 
Temperament. 
Except that nervous and skittish horses are 
more liable to accidents, ai d freqnently exhibit 
alors of appetite, purging, © other slight de- 
rangement after a fright, or abuse, or other 
excitement, it may be doubted whether tempera- 
ment has as much influence on the causation «f 
disease as is usually supposed. The idea that 
activity of the general or systemic circulation, 
which is saia to Le associat: d with high breedir g 
and the sanguine temperament, predispcas to 
inflammatory diseases and congestions is not 
supported ly experience in practice. In point 
of act, conge tions are more frequent in horses 
of lingu d disposition und circulation, and in- 
flammation w.ll more often supervene on the 
attack of a common cause ina fat, ill: conditioned 
horse with sluggish circulation than ina trained - 
muscular liorse, with heai t-and circulatory organs: 
up to concert p.tch. On th. other hand, the 
tendency to drops.c:l- swelling and puffiness of 
the extiem.ties in coarse-bred horses:and wh.ch 
is put down to lymphatic temper: ment aud 
rluggich circulation, is more revsonably accounted 
for by the. matumical features-of. the tissues 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. Myr 16, 1966 
Pain may be felt more acutely by a horse of progeny were sitlilarly at fault. It was. often 
ahighly nervous temperament than by a cross- bjected by the farmer that he conld not spare 
bred ‘slug”; but it by no means follows that his best mares for breeding, but this, in his 
the suffering of pain is male more pr mouncedly ‘opinion, was a great'mistake. For general farm 
manifest. In point of fact, the reverse is more work he thought a Su?folk Punch horse, like 
Often the ease, and to perators of extended those shown at the Shuw, mated with their best 
experience, the first violent plunge of the fari mares, would produce a hardy, active cliss, 
thoroughbred at the first cut of the scalpel; which would do more light. work on less feed 
followed by the grim setting of the teeth and than the heavier animals. Guod tempor shoald 
the dogged bearins of piin without forther fuss, be sought in both stallion and dam. Often com 
are evidences of “pluck”. on which could almost — plaints were made of the few foals left by travel- 
be bused an estimation of the animal’s evpacity Jing stallions, but this was often the fault of the 
for “seeing if out ’ at the end of a sternly farmer, who worked his mares until they, vere 
contested race. This capacity to bear p in with-in poor condition. .Few would question: the 
out murmur is a feature in tne ligh-bred one im statement that they did not breed such gooit 
marked ¢ontrast to the squealing and groaning, horses now as 30 years ago, and they. had only 
wriguling, aud sweating and general cowardly to look at the class of stallions and brood mans 
behvior which is kept up contintously by ihe on some.farms to see why there were so many 
underbred one while under. thy knife. wee's about. If wool-growers. were to br ed. 
Sex, sheep on similar lives. they would soon get very 
; little wool from their floeks. 
ft is obvious that the anatomical variation of 
the sexes will account for the occurrence of 
disease in one sex which cannot .occur in the 
other; but apart from this it has been observed 
that in some few diseases to which both sexes 
are subject, notably roaring in horses and 
bladder affections. that the proport:cn of affected 
males is measurably greater than females. 
The increased functional activity of the gene- 
rative orgrns of females during pregnancy and 
the lactation: perio! induces tendency to disease, 
and the alteration of the: nutritive-equilibrium 
which oceurs at such times is sometimes respon- 
sible for grave derangement of the system. 
Mares ‘in season” are frequently subject to. 
attacks of hysteria, and are not seldom the 
victims of accident. 
In regard to handling horses, it was a great 
mistake to break them in too young, He had 
seen horses in harness on the farm at two yours 
old; these never got a chance to mature pre- 
perly. I+ would be far better to leave them until 
three years. Always see that-the c.llar fits the 
horse, and never give him more than he can 
pull. Never let a young horse think you are 
afraid of him Ride or drive with a firm. rein, 
and always break a young horse to. harness 
alongside free movers. They must not be too 
fast, but something to teach the colt good paces. 
It pays to fed and groom the horse well. For 
light work, good chaff and long hay aro sutticient, 
but for heavy or fast work add bran and oats, 
A team of three horses, well looked after, will do 
more than six of the same type badly fed. It 
was not very mach trouble to keep » horse in 
fair condition ; but let him get low, and it ig 
surpri ing the amount of feed he will eat before 
he is acredit to his owner. Horses like a change 
of diet as well as their masters, and, when 
possible, the feed should be varied occasionally. 
They must never forget, in dealing with the 
foal, that he must, on no account, be allowed to 
go on short commons, as, if stunted when young, 
he w:ll seldom get over it. In weaning great 
care must be exercised. and it is best to teacl: 
the foals when quite young to eat bran anid 
chaff. This will assist their growth, and, wher 
taken from the mother their development will 
not be checked: © : 
oe 
Horse-breeding. 
Mx. Noswortuy. 
Few subjects were of greater i:nportance to 
the farmer. who shovld rear at leist one or two 
foals each year, and these cf the best type 
possible. They had a splendid market in India 
for their hi rses, and it behoved them all to 
consider whether they could afford to lose it by 
yearing inferior animals He was thoronghly 
eonvinced that a great injury was being done to « 
the industry by the many mongrel stalliois 
travelling in the farming districts. In his opinion, 
farmers were largely to blame for this, as, if they - 
did not patronise them, they would soon dis- 
appear. He was in favor of the proposed tax on 
travellit g stallions; a fes of £10 per annum 
would resuit in othing bat fair to good horses 
trav lling. As there was no class of work the 
horse is call:d upon to perform that does not 
Feyire some special quatifications, the farmer 
should decide first.of all the class of animal that 
Sorghum 
Amber Cane Lucerne 
tssex Rape 
Globe and Long Red Mango 
And Paspalum Seed 
0000 
he intends ty raise, and decide accordingly on 
the hor:e! e will patr-nise. If for any particular Bone D ust 5 
marhet, he must know the requirements of that Bone Super Ammonia’ 
market. There was one point that-could not be “ic Ios 4 
insist: @ upon too strongly, and that was, that 4 Ete.) . Ete. 
Shell’ grit | Oyster shell 
Bone Meal ... and ... Chick Meal 
—_— 
the be + stallion is the cheapest in the end. His 
fee miy be perhaps £1 more; but his progeny, 
if well looked after, will fetch £20 to- £25 ; while 
the progeny of. some horses will be hard to 
dispore of at £8 to £10, yet the actual cost of 
r a ing the foal is the saine: Sufficient judgment 
was not cxercised in the se.ection of horses for 
farm work For the waggon and road work they 
required a nice shapely draught of fair size, and 
he advised mating good farm mares to a Clydes- 
dale horsey Too often the farmer. made the 
mis: ake of breeding from hig old mares, or from 
a mare of little use, because, she is too slow or 
crippled. The natural consequence was that the 
F. F. Clement, — 
SEEDSMAN 
229 RUNDLS STREET EAST 
Telephone 1360 > 
