HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Times, 1888-06-01, Page 3A STRANGE FERRY,
ET It ORAX, M. A.
If one should find himself ou the banks of
a swiftly -flowing .Himalayan river, too deep
to be forded, too full of recite to be grossed
by a boat, the ourrent too strong for any
swimmer to breast unai.ed, too wide for a
temporary bridge, and yet men, Women, and
children, ae well ae goods, to be parried
over, hewould neturailystaud nonplused as
to how it could be done. This very problem,
however, confronts the villagers who live on
the borders of thee(' rivers, and their ingen.
nity has contrived a ferry, a;fe, sure, and
quite rapid in its operation; and since in-
genuity is at a premium everywhere a short
account of this ferry will not be out of place
in this laud of bridges over the water, ferries
on the water, and tunnels under the water,
During my travels in the interior of the
Himalayas 1 found myself, one day in May,
on the banks of the large river Kali, which
is the boundary between English territory
and the native State of Nepaul.
Many miles to the south of niy position
was a fine iron auepension bridge, whioh had
been built by the two governments, and
with this exception uo .ether had been al-
lowed, so that the collection of custom
duties might be the more easily made. Bat
in addition to the aversion inherent in every
man to custom duties there was also this
difficulty in using this solitary bridge, that
a long journey was necessary to re,oh it.
Apparently the people were helpless, for the
Kali was just such a atream as has already
been described, but they had found a short
out and at the carne time made smuggling
easy.
As I at in front of my tent on this May
morning 1 was surprised to see a man appear
on a large rock almost immediately opposite
and wave a flag. That ib was a well-known
signal I had evidence at once in the sudden
activity in the village, which was but a few
hundred yards distant from my tent. The
country on the opposite aide of the river was
a dense jungle, and it flashed upon my
mind that this was one of the ferries used by
the people in crossing the river, and that a
rare opportunity was presented to see the
manner in which it was conducted. Smug-
gling was carried on only at night, with
great secrecy ; but as there was no restric-
tion upon the carriage of passengers conceal-
ment was unnecessary at this time. I,
therefore, at once descended from the bluff
on whioh the tent had been pitched, to the
bank of the river.
Reaching the shore I found that several
men had already come from the village, in
response to the signal, and had brought with
them a large number of gourds, tied together
in bundles of considerable size. These gourds
were of a peculiar shape and enormous size,
having long curved necks and rounded
bodies. They had been dried with great
care, so that the shells would not crack, and
were now fastened together by their necks
in such a manner that they could not be
broken by coming into contaet with each
other.
When the gourds had been collected on
the bank of the river, a loose bag of strong
cloth was fastened firmly to the necks of the
gourds in such a manner that, when in the
water, the weight of a man would drag the
necks down and enable him to' stand erect
in the bag, while the bodies of the gourds
floated on the surface of the water above him.
The adjustment of the gourds to the weight
was so arranged, by adding or diminishing
the number of gourds, that the paseonger
would sink to the armpits in the water.
This effectually prevented all chance of a
sudden somersault into the river and made
the whole arrangement quite steady.
One of the men from the village at once'
prepared to eros] the river by stripping him-
self of all superfluous clothing, as he would
do for a bath ; and, the gourds having been
brought to the water and launched, he took
his place in the bag, fastening sone pieces of
bamboo in its sides so that they would remain
open. Then he fastened a light but ex-
tremely strong rope about his waist, giving
the other end into the hands of those on
shore. A second rope of the same sort, that
he had fastened about his waist, was care-
fully coiled to carry along with him. These
simple arrangements being completed, he
was pushed from the bank by those on the
shore. The current at once seized him, he
was ccnveyed rapidly down and somewhat
across the stream, aiding his course acmes
meanwhile by his own efforts.
Those on shore carefully watched him as
he rushed along on the current and paid out
rope so long es they saw that the swimmer
was out of the way of any rocks. It was
not long before they perceived, however,
that he would certaney strike a large rock
near the center of the stream if allowed to
go on as he was then going. This was a
critical moment, for if the man had struck
the rock it would have ended beyond a
doubt in the gourds being 'broken and his
life endangered, owing to the great force of
the current. Be was rapidly approaching
it, and I held my breath, thinking they had
miscalculated and he must be dashed on the
rock in one moment more.
But those on the shore had been through
the same experience many times before, end
knew just what to do and when to do it to
avoid the danger. At the very moment
when some interference was needed they
ceased paying out rope, and, bracing them
selves, held firmly to it. The rope grow
taut at once, and the swimmer was thereby
made to swing round the arc of a circle,
which changed his course sufficiently to
carry him below the rock in safety. The
rope was then loosened and allowed to run
out, while the man renewed his efforts to
make a passage across the stream, and after
several such experiences he was safely
landed on the opposite shore, though at a
considerable distance down the stream.
When I eau, the exceedingly dangerous
oharaoter of this first crossing and the means
that were taken to avoid reeks I naturally
wondered how they were avoided in the
night, when emuggling operations were car-
tied on. Inquiry on this point brought out
this information : that on these occasions
the swimmer took but two gourde of small
size as life -preservers, and depended on his
ekill to swimming to make the passage
across. However, it happened at times that
men were drowned hi this work.
On emerging from the water the man`who
had crossed took the coiled rope which he had
carried With him, and, tying it to the rope
which had been fastened about his Waist
then ti d both seourely to the bundle of
gourds. When thief was done he mad('e a
signal to those on the opposite ahoro to pull
on the re a whioh they had retained, Hie
Yoke ootr not be heard because of the roar
of the wa r, but the village men understood
the tttgna ( and eomLn:mood to draw th e
gourds back morose the rioter, the man who
bad already groaned meantime payizig out
his rope. When the gourd's had been safely
returned the man on the opposite side made
hie way up to a point nearly opposite the
starting place.
It was decided to send across another
man to aid the one already over, and this
individual started as the other had done,
and was immediately hurried clown the
etreatn by the ourrent. But as he started
on his rapid course down those ou the side
he had inert left kept tb rope in their bands
fairly taut, allowing it to run out slowly,
while the man on the 'eosite side pulled
away manfully at his, he result was that
in a very short time be vas pulled across,
and that with very little loss in descending
the stream, There were now two men on
the opposite side to pull, and the added
strength would enable tbe passage to he
made much more rapidly.
The ferry was now in full working order
and the passengera made their preparation
to cross. There were two women and three
men in their party, and the women were
sent over first. Their few goods were made
up into small bundles which they placed
upon ther heads. This they could easily do,
for they wore not required to make any ef-
fort themselves in crossing, and they were
soon pulled over. The gourds were then
returned, and one by one the men were safe.
ly brought over.
llncier ordinary oiroumetaneea the mere
who had orossod from the village would now
return, but my own curiosity rogarding this
novel ferry had risen to such a height that
nothing short of an actual trial of it would
satisfy its demands. I therefore asked if
there were any objections to my making a
trip across, and being assured that it would
give them great pleasure to ferry me over
and back 1 at once made my preparations
for the attempt.
Stowing myself in the bag I raised my
hand as a signal to the two men on the
opposite side to pull on their rope. They
did so very vigorously, and the result was
that I took a sudden plunge which nearly
deprived me of my breath. Then I realized
for the first time the peculiar feeling of help-
leasnees one has in the grip of a powerful
current ; it seemed as though great power-
ful hands had seized me and were trying to
pull me down, down, into the depths of the
water.
There was, however, another and more
trying reason for my loss of breath. I had
not supposed that the water would be very
cold at that season ; but this was a snow
atream, and the water just at that time was
for the most part melted ice and snow, so
that, coming as it had but a comparatively
short distance, it was almost as cold as ice -
water and into this I had plunged. What
wonder was it that I had nearly lost my
breath and shrieked with the sudden pluuge?
I had wondered why the men on the opposite
shore had kindled a fire soon after they had
landed, but a few moments' experience in
this ice bath made me long for a share of the
warmth of the fire.
The men pulled vigorously, the stream
dashed up into my face, the roar of the
water was almost deafening, I was growing
colder and colder every moment, and the
trip, which was made in a short time, seemed
to occupy an hour. At last I landed ; the
fire was blazing upt and it was not long be-
fore my circulation was restored and the
warm glow thatsucceeds a cold bath fol-
lowed. In a short time 1 was ready to try
the return journey, which was made safely.
One of the men on the opposite side fol.
lowed me, and then the remaining one was
pulled over in the same fashion that had
been used in getting him over in the first
place. It was an experience never to be
forgotten, and many times since my mind
has gone back to that Himalayan ferry, and
the verdict has always been that for novelty
it has never, probably, been equaled,
Dishorned Cattle.
William Fiorne, Y. 8., in Country Gentle.
man :—We are getting . the fruits I said
would surely come. One stockman had 60
cows dishorned, and in seven weeks the milk
fell from thirteen to nine pounds, and he
says that many of them are ruined altogeth-
er. I know of quite a number of animals
whose heads are nearly rotted off. Five
absolutely breathe through the enlarged
apertures whence the horns came off. I
know df 27 animals which were dishorned ;
five of them came near dying, two did die,
and all the rout degenerated. There is no
dottbt of the prepotent powers of both cows
and bulls being injuriously affected by die:
horning. I challenge any educated veterin-
arian in the country as to whether or not the
vital forces are destroyed to a great extent.
The whole animal economy suffers by the
cruel practice.
The Two Words.
One day a harsh word, rashly said,
Upon an e, it journey sped,
And like a sharp and cruel dart,
It pierced a fond and loving heart ;
It turned a friend into a foe
And everywhere brought pain and woe,
A kind word followed it one day,
FieW ewittly on its blessed way ;
It healed the wound, It soothed the pain,
And friends of old were friends again;
It made the hate and anger cease
And everywhere brought Joy and peace.
But yet the harsh Word left a trace
The kind word could not quite efface ;
And though the heart its love repine
It bore a scar that long remained
Friends could forgive but net forget,
Or lose the sense of keen regret.
Oh, if we would but learn to know
How swift and sure our words can go,
iiow would we welsh with utmost caro
Each thought before it sought the air,
And onlir speak the words that move
Like white -winged messengers of love t
Life.
ar ma aenurtiNO, AGED 16.
There's a time fn life at the rising sun,
When our life is all before ;
When Ito rays look nut on the World to be
Know naught of the World of yore.
There's a time of life when the sun le high,
For our preempt Soya and cares,
When ire rays look down on the world as it is,
And its present sbrroW bears.
There's a time of lite at eventide,
When our life is all of yore,
When the sue looks back oo a day that is past
And returneth never more.
There's a time of life a sad, glad time,
When we've done with the bares that have vexed,
When our eon has est on the world that is pest,
To rise again in the next.
There gloweth the golden Sunset,
Levee endlessp, cleanly rest,.
Whine
C ossa 10 the Ssv1 the
breesk folds it,
L' QRIiCIIIATURAL.
FLOWER CULTURE.
One of the largest industries of Southern
France is that ot the cultivation of fiowera
tor the manufacture of perfumes. Tee
flower harveat covers tbree-fourthe of the
year, bub the season of greatest activity
comes in May and June, when the roses and
orange blossoms are gathered. The violet,
jonquil and mignonette appear in February,
March and April, although in mild, ,motet
winters, the violeb comes as early as De-
cember; jasmine and tuberoses belong io
July and August ; lavender and apikenard
to September, and the acacia to October and
November.
Thyme, rosemary and lavender are grown
chiefly by small farmers of the grape and
olive, who manufacture from them an in-
ferior sort of oil, peed to dilute and adulter.
ate the superior essences made by large es-
tablishments,
The Journal of the Society of .Arts, from
which these facts are taken, also describes
the method of harvesting blossoms. Dur-
ing the busy season, traders go about from
farm to farm, collecting flowers, whioh are
then hurried to the nearest manufacturer,
and delivered while they aro still fresh and
criep.
The making of perfumes includes also the
processes of manufacturing pomades and
essences. Pomade is used as a vehicle for
absorbing ani transporting to a distance rhe
perfumes ot certain flowers. A square frame
of wood is set with a pane of strong plate
glass, and on each aide of this is spread a
thin layer of grease, which has previously
been refined and purified by boiling.
Thus prepared, the frames are piled up to
await the season of each special flower.
When the blossoms arrive, their petals are
stripped from the edema, and laid upon the
grease of the frames, and thus, as the frames
are again packed together, supported upon
their wooden edges, a series of close oham.
bers is formed within whioh the grease is
constantly absorbing the perfume.
The supply of flower petals is daily renew-
ed, and the process goes on for four or five
months, at the end of which time the pomade
is removed from the glass, with wide, thin
spatulae, and packed in cans for tranaparta-
tion. The perfumed grease is treated with
alcohol, whioh extracts its aweetnoee, and
forms the floral waters and extracts of coin
meroe.
The process of preparing perfumed oils is
somewhat similar, except that superfine
olive oil is used, instead of grease. Pieces
of coarse ootton fabric are saturated with oil,
and stretched upon wire netting held in
wooden frames.
Essences and distillations are produced
by boiling the flowers in water, and the
vapor whioh carries away the perfume is
condensed in copper tanks. Some of the
retorts used for this purpose are of sufficient
size to receive, at one time, a half -ton of
fresh flowers, with the amount of water
necessary for their distillation.
The work in perfume manufactories is
largely done by women, who earn from ten -
pence to a shilling for a day's labor of ten
hours, and who make half as much more
during the busy season of orange flowers
and roses, by working until midnight, or
even later. ei
HARDY BORDER ;PLANTS.
Those not having the time or inclination
to fuss with a class of planta that will not
take care of themselves, can select such as
will stand out of doors all winter. These,
with a sprinkling of the common annuals, if
properly selected, will furnish flowers con-
tinuously from the first Spring day until
frosts in the Fall. Commencing in the
Spring, all that perenaiale usually require
is a cleaning up of old decayed foliage and a
spading and raking of the ground around
them. Such planta are benefitted by a divi-
sion of the roots every three years or so, and
this is the general method of propagation ;
although first to obtain them, most can be
raised from seed. If sown at the close of
Summer, any of them will flower the next;
while with rare exceptions, and among those
called biennials, a few will flower the first
year, planted early enough in the Spring.
TREATMENT FOR POT FLOwERS.
Take a clean pot and make very rich soil
with a little silver sand, or drift -sand found
after a heavy shower. Then take bone or
some red brick and fill the bottom of the
pot. Lay some burnt bene beaten tine over
this. Fill the pot with soil and make firm.
Plant the bulb so that the top of it will be
one inch below the surface. Stand the pot
in a pan of water ; welsh the pan often :and
be sure to use soft water or water that has
been boiled. Occasionally use a little wash-
ing soda and a little cold tea ; keep the pan
full of water. Never water on toll of the pot,
and every year your plant will improve.
NOTES.
Dipping tho roots of plants in clear water
is jest as effective as the often recommend-
ed method galled " puddling ;" also general-
ly less inconvenient, and in most cases pre-
ferable. This applies with equal forge to
vegetable and to small fruit plants. Most
persons dislike to handle puddled plants.
Several of our native Lilies make capital
border plants, easy to grow and conspicuous
when in flower. Those curious in the Lily
family have an immense variety to choose
from, including several grand California spe-
cies. The old longffolium, such a favorite
with fiorieti for out flowers, is one of them.
The common Lily and the longifolium can
be obtained almost for a song, from the
florists, after they have flowered them.
The culture of flowers is not, strictly
speaking, a part of domestic economy. The
writer has cared for flowers a considerable
part of her time for the past 16 years, and
there is no other occupation that has given
her more downright pleasure. Our home
without flowers would scarcely seem like
home. We fancy that the children would
be less contented, and that summer would
be deprived of an essential charm. The
culture of flowers may not be a part of
demoetie economy in a technical sense, but
it promotes domestic joy and contentment --
and is not this economy ?
Spring bulbs are among the earliest to
flower, and generally go by the name of
Dutch bulbs. The Snowdrop is first to open ;
then conies the Crocus, Naroisaue, and end-
ing with the late Tulip, The Crown 'taper -
lab are alto quim early in flowering and
have a strong, quick growth, almost before
frost is out of the ground. All of this elates
of plants are better planted in the Fall,
their growth being so early in the Spring,
that to transplant them breake the young
tender roots, and choke the flowering.
They oommerioe to grow early, have finiehed
by July, tbe foliage dried up and no more
Is seen ot them till their time of growing the
ensuing Skiing. The Lily family, provided
they are moved early enough, may be trans
plarted in the Spring. The old white gar-
den lily, L, candidum, is a splendid hardy
border plant. The L. auratum is an im-
mense flower and makes a grand show. The
several kiude of laucifolfum are charming
plants. The old Tark's oap, the tiger, and
the tennifoliuee, are well worbh growing.
11'here is Stamey?
The preoiae whereabouts of Stanley, the
explorer, is now a subject of anxious discus-
sion among European newapapere and geo-
graphers, Ten menthe ago he left the last
point from which news of nim was received,
that is, the camp of Yambunga, On the 19th
of August, 1887, he wrote to this post, cak-
ing that fresh supplies of provisions might
be sent him, Since then nothing has been
heard of him. Between ;hie point and Wade.
lei, the first atation at which he would strike
the territory of Emirs Pasha, he had about
600 mitei to traavel through a swampy, but
not impaseable country. In Stanley's last
letter he fixed August 15 as the date at whioh
he would get tote the Leke Nyanza country,
where Enin Pasha would have been sure
to hear of him, but Emile Pasha wrote No-
vember 2 that he had heard nothing of
him. Sir Francis Winton, an ex Governor
of the Congo Free S ;ate, suggests that he has
met with obstacles on the road which may
have compelled hint to go a great way
round. The London Globe says that in
making his way northward on the west side
of the great lakes he may have missed
Emiu Pasha, who was going to meet him
along the eastern shore ; but the Paris
Temps suggests that it would hardly be
possible for an expedition of the size of
Stanley's to be on one side of the lakes
without news of its getting across to the
other. Nor is it likely that Stanley has
fallen into an ambuscade and been massacred.
He has 484 men, what with carriera and
soldiers, who are well armed, and he is him-
self in this sort of warfare au experienced
commander. Still another hypothesis has
been propounded, namely. that having fully
satisfied himself of Emin Pasha's safety and
unwillingness to be "rescued," he has turn-
ed southward to do some more exploring on
his own acconnt, and will come out in the
direction of Zanzibar. Everything that is
said about him ,ia thus far mere guess-
work.
Catch Questions.
It is always a delight to a school -boy to
propound to his teacher "patch questions"
in mathematics that the teacher cannot an-
swer. Usually these catch questions or pro-
poaitione are of little importance, and the
object of them is simply to elicit absurd re-
phes from those to whom they are put.
Temple Bar gives several such questions, a
few of which are new and the others as
" old as the hills," but new, probably, to
some sohool-boys and girls.
If a goose weighs ten pounds and half
its own weight, what is the weight of the
goose ? \Vho has not been tempted to
reply on the instant, fifteen pounds ?—the
correct answer being of course, twenty
pounds. Indeed, it is astonishing what a
very simple query will sometimes catch a
wise man napping ; even the following have
been known to succeed :
How many days would it take to out up
a peice of cloth fifty yards long, one yard
being out off every day ?
A snail climbing up a post twenty feet
high, ascinde five feet every day, and slips
down four feet every night. How long
will the snail take to reach the top of the
post ?
A wise man having a window one yard
high and one yard wide, and requiring more
light, enlerged his window to twice its
former eeze ; yet the window was still only
one yard high and one yard wide. How
was this done ?
This is a catch question in geometry,
as the preceding were catch questions in
arithmetic. The window was diamond-
shaped at first, and was afterward made
square.
As to the two former, perhaps it is scarce-
ly necessary seriously to point out that the
answer to ti e first is not fifty days, ;but
forty-nine; and to the second, not twenty
days, but sixteen—since the snail who gains
one foot each day for fifteen days, climbs on
the sixteenth day to the top of the pole, and
there remains.
A man walks round a pole, on the top, of
which is a monkey. As the man moves the
monkey turns 011 the top of the pole so as
still to keep face to face with the man.
Query : When the man has gone round the
pole, has he, or has he not, gone round the
monkey ?
The answer which will occur at first sight
to most hersone is that the man has not gone
round tha monkey since he has been behind
it. The correct answer, however, as decid-
ed by Knowledge, in the pages of which this
momentous question has been argued, is that
the man has gone round the monkey in
going round the pole.
Justice Triumphant.
From time to time the press of the United
States unite in lamenting that crime is on
the increase in the large cities of the Union.
The reason should not be difficult to find ; if
the following case is a sample of the justice of
the courts. Before Justice Haight, of Buf-
falo, the Everests. father and son, were in -
dieted for conspiring to commit an act in-
jurious to trade and commerce. The precise
offence, committed in 1881, for it has taken
Seven years to bring these wealthy men to
justice, was enticing a workman away from
the Buffalo Lubricating Oil Company and
attempting to blow up the machinery of this
important rival of the network of Standard
works. The trial was long, and the Everests
were able to use alt the leg$ detenee wealth
could procure. The evidence was over-
whelming and the verdict a righteous finding
if there ever was one. The penalty fixed by
law is a light ono at best, $250 fine or im-
prisonment for a year, or both. The judge
fixed the lightest &internee he could, $250
fine, which for a wealthy man was nothing,
Salaries of Judges.
En land has thirty-four judges who are
each in receipt of a salary ranging from $25•
000 to $50,000, and together draw $910,000
a year from the treasury. The eighty judges
in the courts of the United States are paid
fro
m 83,E to $10,M0 a year, as aggregate
NATES ON CIIRRENT '1"0PI08„
No satisfaotory reason has so far been of,
fared to amount for the re•narkable tailing
off in the attendance of ehuroh.goers in the
State of Maine, It le stated that one•third
of the °lunches in the State of Maine are
closed on account of lack of support, and
that one-half the people are non-ohuroh.go.
era. Out of 1,362 churobes in the State 417
are vacant.
It Is satisfactory to note that the species
of gambling known as lotteries will in fut-
ture be discouraged as much as possible in
the Province of Quebec. Hon, Mr, Mercier,
in a circular letter to the editors of the pro-
vinoial journals, has intimated his intention
of proaecutiug, according to the statutes,
any person who may hereafter advertize,
print or publish notices of lotteries,
The necesaity for eibher high or low level
railway crossings' at the Esplanade in Toron-
to is rnade more apparent by what has hap-
pened in Philadelphia, In ten years no few-
er than three hundred and seventy-five pr-
eens were killed on the level railway cross-
ings within the limite of the city of Phila-
delphia, and during the same time about the
same number ot persons were killed on the
railway lines within the otty.
About two years ago Patterson Bros. were
given a heavy bonus to induce them to re-
move their agricultural works to the go-
ahead town of Woodstock. The bonus took
the form of $35,000, free water and exemp-
tion from taxes for a term of years. Now
it is found that the condensers of the firm's
engines use so much water that the fire
preaeure is reduced to a dangeroualy low
point. The city disputes the richt of the
firm to free water tor condensing purposes,
and a very pretty lawauit is the result.
The New York World states that the
Western Union Telegraph Company have
an arrangement with Edison by •which the
company pay him a certain sum yearly for
the right to suppress any of his inventions
if the company chooses. It is said that un-
der this arrangement the company has . al-
ready suppressed two important inventiona
whioh would have revolutionised and inde-
finitely cheapened telegraphy. Apparently
there is nothiug a monopoly will not do,
from dynamiting a possible rival to obstruct.
ing human progress.
The abolition of slavery in Brazil will it
seems 'be peacefully brought about much
sooner than was expeo ted even by sanguine
philanthropists. The Chamber of Deputies
has passed a bill providing for the immediate
emancipation of all persons held in slavery,
and the sanction of the Senate is the only
act required to knock off the, shackles of a
million of bondsmen,
The Libel Law Amendment Bill having
passed to its third reading in the Commons
last night, we may take it as settled that
hereafter jo urnalists will not be dragged out
of their own Province in order to be tried.
The thanks o f all journalists are due to Hon.
Mr. Thompson for his attention to the sub-
ject, and journalists will owe it to them-
selves to seg that no mean advantage is,
taken of the amendment.
Hos se -Breeding.
• The stinting season for horses is now is
full swing and our farmers need to pay the
greatest attention to their breeding stook.
The raising of first class horses is going to be
the key note to successful farming in Ontario.
Our good horses are eagerly sought after all
over, and command the highest price. There
is a steady market both in England and the
Uuited States for all the saleable horses we
have ; and if the horse production were ex-
panded 100 per cent. there is plenty bf
room for them in the world. But horse
breeding here requires to be more sys-
tematic to proauce the Beet results.
There is altogether too much haphazard
breeding, or breeding to no definite purpose.
it is too often the case that cheap sires are
used for the sake of saving a little, and the
cons( quence is the production of an inferior,
nondescript horse, which finds no plaee in
the market except as a " plug." These
cheap stallions have been the ruin of a good-
ly number of our Canadian horses. Only to
a limited extent are undersized and pony
horses required, and this for mere local pur-
poses, such as running a grocery wagon or a
light buggy around a city ; but for the ex-
port trade they have no place at all. We
have a number of first-class stallions in
nearly every class, but this is not the
only requisite to successful horse -breed-
ing. There must be good mares and adapt-
ability in crossing and breeding to a
purpose. We may import all the best
horses from England and France, but until
proper mares are selected horse -raising can-
not be a succese. And it is too well known
that the greater part of the brood mares in
this country are animals that are unfit for
work, old, blemished and just on their last
legs. To produce the best results in horse
raising the mares should be strong, vigor-
ous, sound, and roomy.
Another great cause of the poor stock
raised in this country is the fact that many
farmers pay no attention to the adaptability
of the animals in crossing. Smell -sized,
fine -boned females are put to heavy -boned,
large -bodied Clydes and Shire horses with
the idea that the production will be a model
horse. There never was a greater mistake.
There is too sudden a descent, too abrupt a
change, and in seven cases out of ten such an
amalgamation—small mares, large horses
—produces a lack of symmetry and frequent-
ly malformation. Nature is uniform in her
operations, and horses of about the same
build and type should be mated together to
produce good animals. Strong, bulky mares
are required to create heavy, bony off-
spring. If the horse -market be studied at
the present time, it will be noticed that
horseflesh goes by the pound the same as
beef ; for horses are most in demand that
will come up to a certain weight. It is well
known that a draft colt --Clyde or Shire --
from most of the imported horses now in
Ontario can be raised to 1,500 lbs, or more,
at 3 years old more cheaply than a three-
year-old steer of the same weight, and will
sell as readily for dash at three times the
pride. Then the last year's use of such on
the farm will amply pay for any other
difference. First-olass carriage harem and
saddle horses will pay equally as well as the
heavy classes if bred for a purpose and
mated and bred to produce the desired re»
sults of coach and saddle horses. The pro-
duction of good horses is a business in which
any farmer may engage in Ontario With the
aonsctousness that he is doing a work that
will add ter the wealth and general pross�. r-
tty of the oountry, and produoing an odd*
e
Which requires no sharp praetioe to turn,
into honest money, and one whioh comae
nearer having a fixed value than guy other
product upon the fared.