The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1848-04-05
Horticultural.
TREATMENT OF HORSES,

TREATMENT OF HORSES,
Our sympathies have frequently been
excited by the bad treatment of horses,
which we have witnessed. They are
hard driven, seldom blunkettcd, poorly
fed and groomed, and miscrnbly stabbed.
Horses must be short-liycd ut the South.
Nor can we see how they will escape
colds, consumptions, bowel complaints,
and diseases in every form. In riding
from. Warrenton to Sparta, in the mail
stage, We have seen the team driven l6
miles in cold night, stnnd several hours
while moist with sweat, without blankets
VI shelter, before stable room could be
found at On exchange post. 1t was ear
lier than the driver cared to start, and
there was not room for another horse in
the little log hut, till the team therein was
taken out. A handful Of burning corn
cobs on the ground in the stable, served as
warm nucleus, around which the coach
man coi!cd himself and slept, whilst u
couple Of negroes entertained solitary
passenger, by answering as best they
could, q thousand questions about the fare
Of man and beust, In land where every
thing is as. novel as it well can be. Il
higher standard of comfort is greatly need
en-, especially for dumb brutcs. Leaving
the question Of humanity Out Of view, it is
the worst possible economy to treat horses
bndly. When horse is driven so MS to
pcrspjre freely, he should he bla llsctted
when stopped. He should not merely be
regularly fed, watcred, groomcd, bcddcd
and sailed, bpt bis food should be varied,
so as TO suit his appetite, meet the pceuli-
nr wants Of; healthy respiration, and the
demands ofnntuse TO fepnir the constant
waste Of bis nis@sies, bones, nerves and
brain.
Ahorse is noble, active and valuable
animal, whose constitution, habits and nn-
atomy, should be carefully studied. There
are important elements in his brain, flesh,
tendons and bones, which ought TO be dali
" supplied in his food. The breeding of
horses, and the. rearing, breaking and
management Of colts, are branches Of ru-
raj science and practice, quite too much
neglected in every portion of the Union.
Common farmers are strangely opposed to
stndyjng the Jaws of animal vitality. and
the means which GoD has appointed to de-
yelope fine hone, sinew and muscle, good
wind and bottom in the Horse. It costs
no more to raise superior animal, that
will do good service IL or Is years, than
a ppor, slow, feeble one, whose powers
of endurance arenex 10 cypher.
Peas and oats are much better fnod for
road. sters than corn. Horses cannot trav-
el SO long, nor so fast when kept on the
latter faod, nor will they be SO healthy or
iopgliyed, as they are when fed on oats,
meas, clover or vetches.
Southern Cuhirator.
DEEP PLowiNG-AN EXPERIMENT.
In ls43, one quarter Of an acre, on dry
gravelly soil, was plowed four times in one
day with six horses, ffteen inches deep,
and sown in wheat. On similar land ad-
Joining, an equal quantity plowed as we'll
only FIVE inches deep, was sown with the
same grain, and at the same time. The
result was that the former gave five bush.
els and three pecks more per acre than
the latter, and $50 lbs. more straw.
Facts are useful things-we wish our
friends would furnish more ofthem.