The weekly Shasta courier., 1873-01-18
FARM AND GARDEN.


when you see one that is model.
There is more money lost and more
honest men are defrauded, in the buy
ing and selling of horses, than in any
other product of the farm. For the
last twenty years / have had all sorts
and shapes of horses, from the pony to
the Shanghai, and the greatest weight
in the least bulk is the animal for SER
vice. A morse weighing from 1000 to
400 pounds is large enough for farm
work. You must understand what you
want an animal for, before you go to
buy. One minute is long enough to
examine the standing points of horse.
These are: A good lively eye, inclined
to hazel, and pleasant countenance;
fiat leg and open foot; shoulders set
rather back, and thin at the withers; a
short back, and no objection if it is
slightly arched; the proper shape of
the hinder parts depends on what you
wish the horse to perform.
The prevailing blemishes are blind
ness or weak eyes, ringbone, SPAWN,
hoof- bound, curbed or thorough-pinned,
stifed, etc., all of which an expert OBJ
server will detect in one minutes time.
The heaves is the most difficult to de-
tect, as that depends upon the treat
ment the animal has had for the week
previous. The thumps, or palpitating
of heart, may be detected easily, by
moving and exciting the horse, and
stopping him suddenly. AS to the age
of horse hurting him, it depends
upon how he has been used until he is
six years old; if sound then, he is good
for twelve or twenty years service yet.
Judging the age of horse by his
mouth is very uncertain You can tell
to certainty within one year until he
is six years old, then you must judge
from general appearance. Some judges
rely on the tusk, but some horses never
have any tusk-about the same number
of mares have tusks as horses that have
| none.
Some men will tell you that they
know the age of horse by the jaw, or
the wrinkles about the joints of the
tail. You might as well say that you
known the age of a man by the wrinkles
in his face. The wearing of the teeth
depends upon the general health and
lungs of the animal. Bad teeth follow
diseased lungs.
In purchasing horse, rely upon
your judgment, and when you trade, do
not ask neighbor, as every man ought
to know his own business. If there is
much talking to be done, let the other
do it. What you say, let it be to the
point, and stand to it.
APPLES FOR Mich Cows.-The
Hartford Co,uant gives an account of
an experiment made this fall in feeding
apples to mich cows, by Erastus Ellis
worth, of East Windsor Hill, Conn.,, a
gentleman eighty-three years of age.
A large COW, something along in years,
feeding exclusively on summer pasture,
and producing four wine quarts daily,
was used for the first experiment, be-
ginning, about August first, with four
quarts of apples night and morning.
The quantity was increased, until, at
the end of a week she was eating a
bushel of the hardest, sourest wind-fall
apples each day. This COW was near
her time to going dry, but such was the
effect of the apples as to bring her pro-
duct of milk from four quarts to rather
more than six quarts per diem.
Another COW, in fresher milk, yield
ing eight quarts daily, was then put
upon ration of apples. At this time,
Mr.. Ellsworth's cows had been running
several days in rowen feed, which
would naturally help flush the milk
pail. Yet upon the top of this succu-
lent pasture the second cow was brought,
when upon her full rations of apples
half bushel night and morning-to a
regular daily yield of twelve to fourteen
quarts of milk.
All of these cows, five in number
excepting one-would have eaten more
apples if they could have got them.
That one was younger and smaller,
though a good-sized heifer. Half a
bushel was found to be as many and
sometimes more than she could manage
at one feeding.
The butter made from the milk was
first rate, and there had not been no.
ticed the least symptom of the i'll effect
of the apples on the cows.
GREEN FooD FOR FowLs.-Mr. l..
Wright, in his new serial work on
Poultry, has these observations on
green food, which are of great import
ance to all who attempt to breed fowls
in confined quarters:
The last requisite in the shape of
diet is regular supply of green food.
Here, again, fowls kept on grass will
need no attention; but for birds penned
up, the daily provision of it is an abso-
lutte necessity, though most beginners
are ignorant of it. We well remember,
in our own early experiences, how our
fowls died, we could not, at first, tell
why; and one fine Buff Cochin cock,
whose only fault was strong vulture-
hook, was, in particular, greatly regret
ted. An experienced friend let us into
the secret, and after that we had no
difficulty in keeping fowls, even where
it is said they can not be kept in health,
viz, in yard paved with large flag
stones. The best substitute for natural
grass is large ,turf thrown in daily to
each four or five hens; and even in