The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-12-05
TOPICS FOR THEFARM.
Judging Draft Horses.-We de

TOPICS FOR THEFARM.
Judging Draft Horses.-We deem |
this a good time (says the Lire Stock !
JournaD to enter protest against the |
prevailing custom of judging draft |
horses in the show ring mainly with
reference to weight, as one would judge |
a group of fat oxen prepared for the
butchers block. In the latter case, the
quantity and quality of the meat are
the primary considerations; but we fail
to see why such a test should be applied
to the former. We don't eat horse flesh
in this country, consequently mere
weight of carcass is of no value, except
as it gives greater ability to draw
heavy load; and if this weight be made
simply of an accumulation of adipose
tissue (fat), it is a positive cumbrance
rather than help, and should be
judged accordingly.
There can be no question that size is an
all important feature ina draught horse,
| but to be of value the desired weight
must be made up of other tissues than
| fat. Bone and muscle must form an
important part in making up the weight;
and even here we cannot depend upon
the tape lines nor the scales to make an
average. The quality of each is vital
consideration. If the indications are
that the bony tissue is of soft, spongy,
porous nature, if the joints are gummy
and defective, or the muscles fabby and
ill-placed, the hoofs fat and brittle or
too much contracted, or if the DISPOSE
ton be sluggish and dull, like that of
an OK, no amount of mere weight should
be permitted to atone for such serious
defects.
A good draft horse must possess
strong vital organs, which fact is usually
indicated by the form and relative size
of the trunk. His Joints and legs must
be strong and perfect, free from curbs and
spavins, the skin lying close and firm to
hard and elastic cords, with an entire
absence of beef upon these parts. The
feet should be large, neither fat nor
mule-s shaped, the horn hard and elastic,
but not brittle. The bottom of the foot
should be examined to see that it pos
sesses the desired concave appearance,
and that the frog doesits work perfectly
: because it is in the feet that our heavy
draft horses are most nOtoriously de-
: fective. As we have said in former
;. number of the Journal, the principal re
A quisite of good draft horse is, gooc
: size, made up without superabundanct
n of fat; but to this must be added
i. docility, souudness and endurance
u Given all the valuable qualities abov'
+ described in perfection, and then th'
more action and style he possesses tn
i better. He may be nearly perfect in al
n respects, and yet be too small to b.
e classed as irst-class draft horse. Or
d .. the other hand, he may weigh ton
4 but if the weight be made up mainly o
e fat, or if he be ill-tempered, unsound O
k lacking in endurance, his value i
t. materially lessened. He may posses
all the points above enumerated and ye
l. be so deficient in energy and so heav
:, and sluggish in his movements as t
come far short of perfect draft horse
Y, When called upon to act as a judge i
IS this class the intelligent horseman wi
?, give due prominence to all these point
e and will not be deceived by mere mea
3 urement or weight; the true test bein
- the comparative adaptation of the an
s. mails to perform the work which pc
tains to the class in which they al
rs shown.
as The Bee as Builder.-There is, pc
le n haps. no occupation more attractive an
of absorbing than that of bee culture; or
never wearies of watching the indust1
and ingenuity of these little worker
and in this connection l cannot resi-
introducing a somewhat technical stat
,o ment, made to me few days since by
h friend, who is an engineer and arch
os tect, which illustrates Shakespeare
- words, $50 work the honey bees-cre
W lures, that, by rule in nature, teao
Il, the art of order to a peopled kingdom
Al There are but three geometrically reg
lar figures (that is, figures having equ
ys sides and equal angles) which can
9Sss arranged around a point so as to tai
til up the entire space. First-Six eqr
:, lateral triangles, each angle on which
IL IL sixty degrees, or the six angles equal
It, three hundred and sixty degrees, Il
circumference of a circle. Second
Il Four squares, each of which is nine
au degrees, or the four angles equal
S - three hundred and sixty degrees. Thi
lhs Three hexagons, each angle Of whi
u.s. is one hundred and twenty degrees, al
/, the three equal to three hundred a.
ne anS sixty degrees. Now, it is susceptible
eS geometrical demonstration that hex
r gon affords the largest amount of in
VI rior space within the smallest amount
comb or frame work. The bee in arcl
an an lecture is conservative. Bay windoy
W, mansard roofs and other modern i
provements are wholly ignored.
limits his efforts to line of adaptatio
G1 1;d embracing his own body, the mater
I IA he works with and structure he erec
'ie- m How different the condition of man! T
vas vas ield is the world; his resources the
vee55 finite variety of nature; the purpo
aiu a q of his life illimitable; his will is l
t. free, and by the light of reason hewol
!. his own lines of adaptation. He enjt
~ w. the largest liberty of all Gods creatur
ue- but in none of his activities does he
tain that degree of infallibility VIII
marks the efforts of the little busy b
Ike working under the straitened men
u condition which we call instinct.-F
lgh Thurber.
ESSn "a KNn