The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-08-30
agricultural department.
CONDUCTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN.


Horses In Fly Time.
" !, mcrciful man is nerciful TO his beast"
Every cxcrtiou horse makes costs
money to the owner. Ifhc travels ten
or fifteen miles day, regularly, it will
cost nearly double to feed him, that it
would to feed one who is taken out for q
little exercise only.
So it is with him in the stable If it
is light, and the air is confined, flies, in
any number, will find him and become
his tormentors during nearly all the time
of daylight hours. There is no rest for
the poor animal. He cannot get away
from his tormentors. He pounds the
floor necessarily to beat them off, breaks
the planks that he stands on, and fatigues
himself with constant exertion in trying
to protect himself.
The horse does not reason rs Esop's
fox did, when the flies tormented him
more than the trap by which he was held.
A friendly swallow proposed to drive
them away. "Oh, no." said the fox
"these have their fill 4; drive them away
and another hungry swarm will succeed,
and rob me of every remaining drop of
blood in my veins" So the poor horse
stamps with his feet, switches with his
tail, and swings his head from side to
side, while hungry swarm after swarm
succeed each other, until darkness COM
pels them TO suspend their voracious at
tacks. So the horse requires more feed
in consequence of this excrtion, and will
often lose flesh, though working but little,
and fed highly.
Now, oil this is unnecessary, and ought
not to be so. A little care, very little
genius, will prevent it all.
Throw open the windows, and hang
over them an old piece of carpeting,
horse blanket, or any other cloth that
will exclude the light. Keep the stalls
dark, but admit light enough before the
horse to enable him to see clearly, ifpos-
sible. In very hot weather, close the doors
and windows during the day and open
them at night.
In this arrangement, horses will stand
just as quietly in their stalls through the
hot weather as they do in the winter.
They can stand at rest or asleep at will,
cat less, and are better able to work than
when constantly tormented by flies.
1t is matter of surprise that so many
persons--persons who are great lovers of
horses, too-neglect these faithful ami
mails in this particular. They see that
they are well fed and groomed that they
are not driven too hard, or suffer from
cold, and yet allow them to be eaten alive
during the heats of summer!
In some neighborhoods, the stamping
of horses in the stables may be heard all
around during all the long summer days.
On some farms the noise is as familiar as
the cricket's song in an August evening.
A radical change in this matter ought to
take place everywhere.
When on the road, OF on the farm at
work, the horse is in defeaceless condi-
ton. He is buckled up, strapped up,and
hitched up, SO that he can scarcely turn
right or left to defend himself, and yet
very little is done to protect him from
annoyances which sometimes well.nigh
lead him to madness.
In passing through piece of wood in
hot day, we have seen yellow flies dart
upon the horse in shower, and in many
places where they struck drop of blood
would instantly follow. When refined
up by the check so that their heads can.
not reach the ground, they sometimes
drop upon their knees, and plunge the
nose into the soft earth, to drive off some
insect whose sting or bite becomes I'm.
bearablc. All this is allowed when most
Of it might be prevented by few yards
Of the thinnest cotton cloth, or nets, or
grass cloths made for the purpose.
If an ounce Of prevention is better
than pound Of cure" we wish the So.
ciety for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals would urge these considerations
upon all owners of horses.
The following formula is given in one
Of the late DR.. Dadd's books, to protect
animals against the torture Of flies and
insects -
Walnut leave, ounces
L0bela leaves.
Boiling water, gallon
When cool, strain it, and nd four ounces
of the tincture aloes, and apply small
quantity to the surface by means of n
sponge.