The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-08

ate kick ut fly. TWAS an unfortunate
thing for the horse. He fell to pieces
on the spot, while the fly escaped with
out injury. The owner of the drove, how
ever, managed to get the horse to town
and sold him in sections to rig a party
out with "spike team; and realized, l
was told, right smart on him. I don't
know how much that is, but reckon it
about $45. But joking aside, he who
comes here expecting to find as many
good horses as you have in your: State
will be disappointed. There are some
good ones but most Of those I have seen
were simply balloon frames, in a terribly
unfinished condition. They lacked an
ell part or a gable-end at least. For
farm work, the mule is more generally
used, and as a mule is very much the
same the world over, he needs no de-
scription. will say however, that
there are some very fine ones in this
country, and that they sell considerably
higher than horses.
TEXAS HOGS.
Now you read about our far famed
pecan and walnut mast, and form the
impression that our porkers have nothing
to do to get fat, and keep so. You are
partly right and partly wrong. They,
like the cattle, live, but they are not re-
markably fat. The factis, your regular
Texas hog is natural born vagabond.
A most complete and perfect scavenger.
He don't seem to belong to anybody in
particular nor to every body in general.
He will eat anything that comes in his
way, and if it does not come in his way,
l have good reason to believe he will
60 out of his way to get it. A pair Of
old worn out boots or q fat turnip are
relished alike by him. He will eat Ell.
ther and look thankful and, I might add
wishful for more. His nose measures
between a foot and fourteen inches in
length, by United States standard RUE,
and appears to be made for roofing.
His extreme length from east to west is
about five feet, while his dimensions
from north to south are less-usually
about five inches. He, like the horse,
has downcast look, and one will often
notice that one side of his face has been
struck by paralysis or an ak. 1t is de-
f6cult to tell which. Heis a vagabond,
as / said, and not remarkable for beauty.
And know, farther, that he is u chron.
ic thief, for I have often caught the first
four feet in length Of him under the
barn door in the morning, when would
60 out to feed the horses. He would
always go away, though without any
trouble, when l would take the pitch
fork and labor with him.
Inject him up town on the side walk,
whenever I walk that way, and find
he Will turn out for me in civil manner
usually; i. e., if have time to wait
fifteen or twenty minutes for him 80 do
50. If not, I generally turn out myself.
The fact is the average Texas hog
roams everywhere, as free as the wind
that blows,-and, in some cases, pre-
cious near as thin, for you can Sc.
through some Of them. have described
the majority of them, aud as it is re-
corded that the devil once entered into
them, and run them down the bank into
the sea, have been on the lookout :or
some months for that Particular bank
and rather expect to find it. When
l do find it shall expect to find that
same lot Of porksrs spoken of In the BIZ
bic, with the devil still in possession, the
size of life. But l will close, by saying
that in describing some of the stock
mere, L have not over drawn It as much
as many might think. The cattle are
good; horses from fair to middlins, and
most OF the hogs Of Il very coarse varic-
ty. Sheep are looking we'll at this sea-
son OF the year. noticed flock of
some 700 the other day, that were get.
ting their living without any difficulty
on the prairie. The farmers are piowi,.g
and many Of them are planting corn, etc.
Early vegetables begi4 to come iuto
market, and last week l heard of :. fine
watermelon being brought in. Pretty
good for the middle Of February I
thought. The weather ut this time ia
delightful. Will write to YOU again