The Portland daily press., 1879-07-22
AGRICULTURAL.
How Horses Become Blind

How Horses Become Blind.
One of the worst eyetraps known is the
abominable hay rack, where horse has to
reach up and pull the hay down, filling his
name, foretop, and the worst of all. his ewes.
with hay seed, chaff or hatever NAV be
mixed with the provender. These traps are
met with nearly everywhere throughout the
land. These throw the horse in the most
unnatural position for feeding as the natural
position is to reach down and pull up, not
to reach up and pull down, as these hay
racks make him do. In reaching up to eat
1t exposes the foretop, face and eyes to seed,
chaff and dirt, which on getting on the head
once is liable to get into the eye at any time
We will now speak of the abuse that horse
men resort to in controlling horse. The
worst of it all is in striking him over the
head with a leather strap, your fist, club
or whip. Shame on the man that would
dare to club over the head the noblest of Gre
alton next to man! But am sorry to say
we find great many so-called good horse
men that take delight in sitting on their
wagon seat and trying to see how close they
can send the point of cracker to horses
ear, or strike some particular spot on the
back OF the head, neck or shoulders. But,
my word for it, man who win practice this
comes to grief sooner or later Instinct tells
the horse to be careful of his head, and es-
pecially of his eyes, for when they are gone
that ends his seeing as they can never be re-
stored or new ones put in, as we all know.
Therefore never strike horse about the
head. The number of horses eyes hurt by
slipping the collar over the head would sur
prise us all if known. A horses head with
good eye setting out boldly on square
face, is a hard thing to slip a stiff collar
over without rubbing and bruising the eve.
Next, we have the stable to contend with.
and it produces more weak eyes than any
other one thing we know of. The gases
arising from the body are ruinous to the
eye. Let a man stand over pile of warm
decomposing manure and see how quickly it
affects the eyes. But he never thinks about
the horse in his closely confined stall with
no ventilation either above or below to carry
away this poison. Set your stables up from
the ground, give ventilation underneath so
as o confine this gas and compel it to rise
through the cracks in the floor. Also put
good ventilation high above horses head
to cause current of air to carry off this poi
son as it generates. Always give the horse
plenty of light but not through small hole
make 1t large so as not to condense the rays
as they come through small opening. New
er white wash the stall, as white is very bad
Tor the eyes. Take sheet of white paper
and hold it before your eyes short time
and see its effects. But you can turn your
eyes away from it and the horse cannot as
he is tied up with white sheet all around
him. Never whitewash a stall, but always
use blue as it will never hurt the ewes.
Ohio Farmer.
Shorthorns for Milk.
AT the general meeting of the British
Dairy-Farming Association, Mr.. Finley Dun,
in paper on the subject of Shorthorns as
milk producers, held the following views:
He found that slow feeding COWS were
good mixers, and that quick feeders produ-
ced Indifferent milk. In Shorthorns there
were different grades, and by some five gall
ons of milk per day were given. Crossed
Shorthorns had proved very valuable as dairy
stock, and were much priced in the midland
counties; but in London many like the black
and white Dutch cows, which. in his opinion,
after time fell awry considerably and en-
tailed loss in selling out. The Irish went
In for ShorthornS and Kerries, and in Scot
land, especially in the West, Ayrshires. In
Edinburgh, however, he believed that 60 per
cent of the dairy cows were Shorthorns'
valued at from 925 to $50 each, and giving
from five to six gallons of milk per day.
The great predominance of the milk produ-
cling characteristic the Shorthorn formerly
possessed in a high degree. Impressive
ness, fixedness, and intensity could only be
obtained by judicious selection-by breeding
for good points, and eliminating all the OBJ
jectionable qualities.
There were no less than 900 breeders in
the United Kingdom and over 10000 COWS,
and the popularity of the Shorthorn was in
no way diminished, for the other day Mr..
Strafford obtained an average of ZOO gs at
Holker, and Mr.. Thornton 600 gs. at Dun
more two years ago. Registration had done a
great deal to preserve the purity of the Short
horn. The foundation rule was to prevent
over-feeding and undue obesity, and in every
way to promote the milking properties.
There was nothing to compare to good
pedigree Shorthorn as dairy stock.
1t was believed that cross between a
Shorthorn and HEREFORD made good distinct
i've breed, but in his opinion none of these
dissimilarS answered well for breeding. in
which great caution and judgment were re-
quired. Mr.. Dun had note from gentle
man who said that he could "not fly in the
face of royal judges and go in for milk, and
was therefore bent on feeding for show and
sale. Pure bred Shorthorns gave richer
milk, and the quality of cream was affected
thereby. Money invested in few good Short
horns for dairy stock would in ten years give
a better return than any other breed Mr..
Dun, in conclusion, wished the British
Dairy Farmers association to give the claims
OF the Short-horns little more considera-
ton, and carefully select the qualities that
would increase the milk supply.-Mdine
Farmer.