Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1840-11-28

next in order, and these we have of tn
very best kind, much better than SIM
lar implements in Europe; lighte
more easily handled, and there are on
or two in common use with us, such 70
lostance, as the horse rake, and tha
giant instrument, the cradle, which ar,
unknown or unused abroad; in truth
our people have had so much to do will
comparatively y small means that thei
ingenuity has been tasked to invent tn,
most efficient instruments. and to make
the most active use of them. Thu,
there are two words in almost all Ian,
guages, and well defined in most die
tionaries, but of which Europeans have
scarcely any idea, and these are the axe
and the plough. TO cut down a tree
! the great business of American settlers
is strange event to European far
mer. And then it may make us smile
to see, as we may on the continent OF
Eurpoe, at the present time, a whole
drove of horses-I have myself actual.
ly seen eight in single plough-and
sometimes the whole quadruped force
of the farm, three or four cows. and
perhaps bull or two, with the aid of
several horses, toiling slowly through
the great work of turning up the sod
nay, even in some parts of England, at
this moment, may be seen six large
horses, with two full grown men return
ing from the field after having ploughed
during the day. three quarters of an
acre, where one of our ploughmen. with
pair of horses, would have got thro'
an acre or an acre and half.
From the implements let us turn to
our stock of animals.
And first of our HORSES: Beginning
with the highest blooded stock, | think
it probable that the United States pos
sess quite as good a race as there is in
Europe. The prevailing opinion is, that
the Arabian horse is the original of that
animal. | doubt the historical fact /:
but if it be so, he is the parent stock of
the horse, Just rs the father of all apples
is the crab, which has been sweetcncd
by cultivation into the bell-hower.
Undoubtedly the Arabian has improved
the English horse-has given him finer
sinews, more compact bones, and
greater intelligence, till the cross has
become avowedly the first of his kind.
The truth is, that a race is but a quick
succession of long jumps, and the little
light Arab is out-iumped by the gigan-
tic stride of the stronger, larger, longer
legged English horse, who has beaten
him on his own sands in the east, and
would distance him on any course in
Europe. Indeed, the very first Arabian
imported into England two centuries
ago, called the Markham Arabian, was
constantly beaten, and my impression
is, that no Arabian horse ever did win
a race in that country. The belief OF
our breeders is, that whatever good
there may be in the Arabian is exceed
ingl " slow in showing itself; that he has
already given to the English horse all
he can give, and that it is on the whole
safer to adhere to the highest bred Eng
/ liSh stock, rather than risk its dcgcner-
acy by any inferior mixture. Our blood
/ horses, therefore, come directly from
England, and it is rather odd that the
Kings stables, while there was a King
and he had stables, furnished the high,
est priced horses for republican Ameri
ca. OF the comparative estimation o
the English and Arabian horse, We
have lately seen a striking example
The lmaum of Muscat sent to the Pres
ident of the United States two Arabian
horses, which, from the character o
the givcr, we are bound TO presume
were of the highest class. These horse.
were sold at public auction, and no one
could be found to give more for then
than six hundred and fifty dollars fo
one, and six hundred and seventy five
for the other. Now, in the same neigh
borhood where these were sold, ar,
very spirited breeders, who would no
buy these ArabianS at even so low ;
rate, but who had actually bought from
the stables of the King of England, a
the price of twenty five thousand dol
lars, favoritc horse, Priam, one O
f whose colts is in the exhibition here
even as between the English breed am
; our own, the impression on this side O
E the water is, that for some time past tn
r tendency of English breeding is rathe
t TO encourage speed than bottom; tina
their horses are becoming leggy, an
!, that the descendants of the Englis
4 stock, in this country, have more end,
= rance, more bottom for long heats tha
S their ancestors. The question, whel
Il ever it is tested, will be decided perhaI
it by few seconds. This style of hors
although the use 10 which he is rene