Year: 1874

Confidence i'm Animals.


There are probably few persons famil-
lar with farm life who have not observed q
marked contrast between the general
character and appearance of the domestic
animal kept on different farms within the
circle of their acquaintance.


On approaching some farm houses, the
first salutation comes from a noisy, growl-
ing dog, who seems to take you for tres
paSser. The next, from his master, who
divides his energies between welcoming
you, and scolding the dog for not behav-
ing better. You visit the barn, and as
you open the door, 4 frightened cat scuds
across the floor, and with one look back at
you from her great green eyes, disappears
through some hole in the floor, or out at
a broken window.


The horses lay back their ears, squeal,
and kick the sides of their stalls, as much
as to say, I'VE feel cross, and can't help
acting it out The oxen and cows start
back as you pass before them, as if afraid
| they should be hit with a fork, and the
young calves and pigs scamper to the far
thest corners of their pens, to be out OF
your way, and even the chickens seem to
| be bound you shall have all the room to
yourself.


Among such animals, you will find the
horses balky and easily frightened, if a
harness or carriage breaks; the oxen run
at the end of every furrOw, either too
much gee or too much haw; the cows
kick and spill the milk; and the hens
steal their nests; and nearly all this trOu-
BILE is caused by a fractions master, who
controls not his own temper. If gate is
| carelessly left open, and the cows get into
the garden, the dog and the boys, with
plenty of clubs and stones, are sent to
drive them back. If the oxen are wanted
from the pasture, they must be driven into
some small corner of the yard, before they
can be yOked. If strap breaks in the
harness, a runaway, and broken carriage
is the result; all for the want of conf
dence between the master and his animals.


On another farm, the dog welcomes you
with dignified but cheerful wag of his
tail, and leads you to the door, or to the
presence of his master. The cat keeps her
place in the sunny corner, where she has
gone to take a nap. The horses WINNER
as you enter the barn, and seem glad to
see you, while the cattle reach over to see
who has come, or quietly chew their cuds,
as though that was what they were made
for. The calves and young cattle gather
around to see what new discoveries can be
made-and all this, because of the conf
dence between the master and his animals.
If his horse finds the harness coming off,
or the wagon running too close to his heels,
he quietly stops to have it fixed. All this
difference and more can be see any day, by
few miles drive in almost any part of our
country. We can find farms where all the
animals seem to be in constant fear of
something; while at other places the ami
mails seem to have perfect understanding
with, and the fullest confidence in, their
supreme but kind ruler.


OF course there is difference in the ma
tural dispositions of our animals. We
should choose those for breeding especial
ly, that are naturally quiet and peaceable,
and then by kind and reasonable treatment
keep them so.


We cannotbegin too early to handle and
pet the young animals we are raising. 1t
is wonderful how soon they will acquire a
feeling of confidence, and learn to come to
us for protection and care. And if we
would retain that confidence, we must
never, on any account betray it. 1t is al
most impossible TO regain perfect conf
dence in any animal that you have once
cheated or deceived.


A horse that has run away once, is gen.
orally more apt to run again. And the
heifer that has been once frightened or
abused, is ever after on the lookout for
danger. If you would have your heifers
make good cows. treat them firmly but
kindly. Let them not learn to associate
milking with pains and kicks, and loud
talking. Milking is, to them, an unnatural
performance, and you must have patience
while teaching them to submit to the Oper-
alton.


Horses and oxen should have such conf
dence in their drivers, that they will will
ingly and repeatedly make all reasonable
effort to do as they are hidden. A team
should never be told the second time to
start an unreasonable load. We don't be-
lieve horse would ever become balky, if
it were never misused by overlooking and
whipping. 1t is our best horses, those that
are full of spirit and spunk, that get balky,
and not the ''lunkheads" that don't know
enough to know when they are misused.


What is it but feeling of conscience
that makes the patient horse stand for
hours in harness, unhitched, waiting the
return of his master to give him the word
to go, before he will leave his tracks
And what is it, but this same confidence in
his master, that makes well trained horse
willing to be driven over uncertain places,
across shaking dilapidated bridges, and up
to noisy, pokerish-looking locomotives,
with their putting smoke-stacks and
screaming whistles? If it were not so
common, we should think it wonderful to
see the thousands of jobbing horses that
are left standing in our streets every day,
without hitching, awaiting the delivery OF
bread or meat or groceries, on their daily
routes. Yet accidents and runaways are
the exception instead of the rule.


We know our domestic animals may be
made to fear us, and probably they may
sometimes be partially controlled through
fear; and we presume they may sometimes
have feelings almost akin to love for their
masters, yet we believe that one great and
strong feeling that should be cultivated
above all others, between the animal and
his owner, should be this perfect feeling of
confidence. In this lies the masters power
With it and patience, the animal can be
taught almost anything, and will do what
ever it is trained to do. With this conf
dence between the animals and ourselves,
we can mingle with them, use and control
them-without it we are at their mercy.


How important then, in training our
steers, our heifers or our colts, that we
strive to make this feeling of confidence
perfect between them and US, and how
careful should we be never to betray that
confidence by an unreasonable word or
blow or act. As man looks up to Supe-
rior Power on which he can rely in times
of trial and doubt, so our animals seem to
look to us as their superior power, in
whose care they are both willing and glad
to trust. If you would govern an animal
well, gain It's confdence.-Ne,o England
Farmer.