mation to any person of ordinary intelligence. We recommend them to observe nature and follow her teachings. Putting on what is called "spring heels" is a perfect violation of nature's laws, for the shoe is made to bear upon the very point where it is found worn away on the natural foot; therefore fit the shoe so that it may rest upon the toe and heel, using the rasp to lower the quarters so that they may not receive the pressure which is the invariable cause of what is termed the "quarter crack." As there are two distinct classes of feet that require opposite treatment, in order to illustrate what should be done in each case they will be called the "concave" and the "flatfoot" they are as unlike in their shape almost as the cup and saucer. The concave,

or cup-shaped foot grows faster at the heels than at the toe, and therefore should be always pared as low as they will bear at every shoeing. The flat or saucer-shaped foot grows much faster at the toe than the heels, therefore at each shoeing pare off the toe and shorten it as much as possible, never cutting the heels at all unless to level the surface for the shoe, which can be much better done with the rasp than the knife. The habit of searing the hoof with hot shoes is a most pernicious one, as it completely destroys the life of that portion which is burned, and has a tendency to deaden and contract the hoof beyond the burned surface. A smith who cannot fit a shoe without burning it on, should not be allowed to do the work.

For driving purposes, light shoes are preferable with narrow webs; five nails will hold such shoes as long as any shoe should be worn, three on the outside and two inside, with the holes farther apart than when more nails are used. The more nails that are used, of course the more the hoof is weakened, just as the more wedges driven into a log the more easily it is opened. If more nails are used the foot has less chance to expand, and in many instances contraction is caused by using eight or more nails. The practice of filing the hoof about the clinches is inexcusable, as it in no way improves the looks of the foot and removes the strongest portion of the hoof.

Young horses are more liable to interfere with heavy than light shoes. What reason can be given for using heavy, wide-webbed shoes? The heavier the sledge the severer the blow. The heavier the shoe the greater the concussion at each step. If the anatomy of the horse's foot is fully understood, the process of shoeing is as simple as any branch of mechanism.

FOOD..

In a state of nature the horse takes his food from the ground, a provision all wise-if for no other reason, because it secures a thorough mastication of whatever is taken into the stomach. The following diseases are supposed to be induced by receiving into the stomach imperfectly masticated food: stomach staggers, colic, crib biting, fits, heaves. All of these diseases occur much oftener when corn, cracked corn or meal is used. This grain possesses so much carbon that, taken into the stomach without thorough mastication, it is liable to generate some of the abovenamed diseases. To avoid the ill effects of imperfect mastication, the horse should take his food from the ground or within four or six inches; and when corn is used as a regular grain, the horse should be fed on hay first, so that digestion may commence on coarse material rather than on the most substantial grain taken from the earth; feed fifteen minutes on hay always before giving grain of any kind.

As a rule, the horse is an overfed animal. Less food properly given would give better health to the horse and less trouble to the driver. Six quarts of grain per day taken from the ground will afford more nourishment than nine quarts taken up as high as the horse's breast. Farmers' horses are usually kept eating from morn till noon, from noon till "dewy eve," and so much of the night as they do not require for sleep. This is all wrong. Every horse should be fed and watered regularly three times a day, except in winter, when farmers' horses that are not worked will not require watering more than twice in twenty-four hours.

Gentlemen's driving horses should be fed and watered with great care, and as livery horses should come under the same regimen, I will state it in detail: Commence feeding in the morning, and at every meal if practicable, on hay for fifteen minutes before grain is given, always from the ground or within six inches. The horse should be watered within fifteen minutes after he has finished eating. If he takes a proper allowance at that time, he should not be watered again till he has eaten again. No horse should be started out to do active work immediately after finishing a meal, as digestion is sometimes wholly suspended by violent muscular action. Never water before feeding. Another reason for feeding low is, that the muscles of the neck, shoulders and legs naturally require this kind of action, while if fed high up, another class of muscles are brought into action, which is thought

to be one great cause for the stretching attitude assumed by horses of heavy neck and shoulders, as well as for the sprung knee and hollow back, which is so often seen in old stable,horses or gentlemen's horses which have been fed from high racks many years.

For some reason which has never been fully explained, the horse has a desire at times, and more especially after a hard journey, to throw himself upon the ground and indulge in a good roll, tumbling from one side to the other. Upon regaining his feet he bears the appearance of being refreshed. Therefore it is recommended to let horses have a chance once in a few days to perform this operation. The practice of washing the legs after labor or exercise is not advisable unless they can be rubbed thoroughly dry before the horse is put up. If water is to be used at all on the legs or body let it be done in the morning or just before a drive.

The practice of clipping is gradually wearing away; it has been found that in this climate it is hardly possible to keep the horse from suffering after depriving him of a heavy coat of hair. It is only justifiable in cases where the horse is required to perform much rapid work and has the advantage of a warm stable and plenty of clothing. As a rule horses are harnessed too tightly, it is quite as uncomfortable for the horse to work in a tight harness as for man to work in tight clothes.

As a remedy for the scratches, grease and yellow water, common pitch tar, has been found almost a specific. The process of administering is very simple and easy: Take a square piece of tissue or other thin paper and form it into the shape of a tunnel, then drop in a large spoonful of tar, turn over the edges of the paper, raise up the horses's head, and with one hand open his mouth, with the other put the paper as far into the mouth as you can, holding the head up for two minutes. Frequently, but one dose will be required, but in old, chronic cases, three doses given in nine or ten days may be required. The horse should not be worked during the time.

The practice of stuffing the feet with cow manure is not advisable, as the ammonia contained in the material has the effect of heating rather than cooling the foot. Use scalded shorts, clay or moistened hard pan when any stuffing is deemed necessary.

THE SIZE AND STYLE TO BREED.

The present prices which good, substantial, well-broken and well-disposed horses command is a matter which should not be lost sight of by the breeders of New England, and as New Hampshire horses are held in high repute, it behooves our farmers to consider how they should proceed in order to obtain success. As a rule our horses are rather under size. The most salable size is from fifteen to sixteen hands in height and weighing from nine to eleven hundred pounds. Experience has shown that the dam should possess a strong and rugged constitution, with flat bones rather than round, and should also be at least one size larger than the sire. No special regard need be observed as to the action of the dam, for it is almost certain that the colt will inherit the sire's gait.

STRUCTURE AND DISEASES OF THE

HORSE'S FOOT.

[The following, prepared by the late Prof. Thomas R. Crosby, M. D., of the New Hampshire College of Agriculture, was given originally as a lecture to the farmers of New Hampshire, at a mass meeting at Manchester. It was placed in the hands of the present Secretary of the Board of Agriculture for publication. The primary delay in publishing was caused by a want of the requisite facilities to obtain drawings and engravings to properly illustrate the subject. The author then put it into the hands of the late Commissioner of Agriculture, Gen. Capron, with the understanding that the illustrations could be duplicated and used both at Washington and in our own state. But the sudden death of Dr. Crosby interrupted the arrangement, so that we have been obliged to vary from our practice and copy from the Department of Agriculture, a paper that we expected to issue originally. Its completeness and importance justify us in giving it in full. --SEC'Y.

Probably more than $500,000,000 are invested in the horse stock of the United States. This value is exceeded only by that of cattle by a small percentage. The average value per animal is not far from $75. This low value results, in part, from including in the calculation animals of all ages, and all degrees of health and soundness. Without doubt one great cause of this low average value is the wide-spread carelessness that obtains among farmers in regard to breeding. The idea that "a colt is a colt," leads to entire indifference to the source from which it is obtained. Consequently our pastures, highways, and markets exhibit a large proportion of inferior animals that hardly pay for the raising. But a very general and powerful influence in the depreciation of of horse values is found in constitutional and local defects and disabilites, which are probably exhibited in some form of lameness eight or nine in every ten cases.