THE FARM.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 350, 22 January 1903, Page 5

THE FARM.

THE CLYDESDALE. The following description of the points of a Clydesdale is given by a writer in the "Agricultural World":— "The best sire is a well-made, evenJybftlanced horse of medium size, not overgrown. It will be found that this type will more. frequently sire big geldings than will a horse of overweight. We want a Clyde to have a neat head, clean out, not too big, and no Roman nose. His jaw should be broad and tapering gradually to the mussle. Capacity of chest is frequently associated with a broad lower jaw. Large, open nostrils, eyes large, clear and vigorous, forehead broad and full between the eyes, and tapering gradually towards the ears. Ears long and mobile, well set, and not heavy. Neck muscular, nicely arched, well set into body, and olear at the throat. Shoulder strong and well thrown outwards, to give goad space for collar, not too upright, but with a nice oblique slope, giving a springy movement when trotting. Chest wide and deep, with plenty of room for the lungs. Well-filled behind shoulder, with good heart girth. Back short, fairly level, and strongly coupled. Bibs well sprung and deep, giving a thick, rounded body. Loins short and wide. Rump moderately straight, broad and muscular. Quarters long and powerful. Tall well set on and strong, indicating a short strong back. Thighs well filled and powerful. Legs short and strong. Good legs and feet are most important. Forearm muscular and well filled. Knee broad and flat. Bone below the knee strong, short, flat and clean, with well-marked sinews and fringe of silver hair. Pasterns moderately long and nicely sloping. Feet large and sound, of fine quality, well shaped, and wide round the top of the heels. . Avoid thin feet and flat soles, Hocks clean and flat on the inside- Hind feet narrower and deeper than the front ones. Walking with a clean long step, hind legs well carried under the body, and not far apart. Trotting with a long stride, and a good knee and hock action."

ANTHRAX.

How malignant anthrax is ia well illustrated by the following case described in Mr Gilrath's report:—At Tamahere, Waikato, a farmer being short of feed for his stock, bought a crop of turnip* growing In a neighbor's paddock, and placed a mob of 51 bullocks thereon. After acme five weeks there, when the turnips were well eaten down, the mortality commenced, One beast died and was skinned, three-quarters being given to natives and the remaining quarter to the owner of the paddock, who fed parts of it to his pig, dog, and two oats. Next day one cat died; on the following day the dog died ; while the second cat was seriously ill, and was destroyed. The pig was unwell for a day or two bnt recovered, The portion taken by the natives was reported to have been cooked and eaten by them with no ill-effects, a result for which they had doubtless to thank the thorough cooking it evidently received. In all, five head of cattle died as a consequence of this outbreak. It was ascertained the paddock had been fertilised with bone manure prepared from imported bones. Every .case of anthrax in the colony has been traced to the use of imported bones in fertilising. Anthrax is a contagious and malignant febrile disease of man and some animals, characterised by the presence of the bacillus anthracis and often by carbunoular swellings.

BREEDING FOR BONE,

On this subject a prominent horsebreeder writes to the " Australasian " thus:—" When considering a horse's points no practical man will begin to judge from the top. It is true that a horse with a taking head and general appearance is certain to attract any-, one; but if upon the examination of his feet and legs it is seen that he has not enough bone to carry him, however good his other points are, he is useless, not only for carrying weight, but for standing much hard work of any sort. This principle applies to all classes of horses alike. The draught horse requires sound, strong " underpiping " to carry bis massive body, and successfully more heavy loads. The massive leg, however is not always indicative of tho strength of bone. We must leain to judge of bone by appearance and feel. " Commonly we hear of ' flat bone' in a horse's leg; but there is no such thing in any breed; but " flat" as applied to the appearance of the leg is correct, and the desirable shape in all horses. The appearance of a round, meaty leg doeß not so much bespeak inherent lack of I strength as it does undesirable attri- j butes that generally accompany this type, such as grease, lympangitis, and other diseases of the phlegmatic horse. Breed for the flat-appearing leg, for the reason that the bones of such horses are " flinty " in quality, hard as gun-metal, and accompanied by welldeveloped, plainly-seen tendons, and in draught horses by a fringe of long silky hair springing from the back portion of the leg; whereas, in coarsebred, sluggish horses the ' feather,' socalled is likely to stick out all round the leg, and in quality is about as silky as the stuffing of an old-fashioned sofa. Choose the breeding horse that has big, sound joints and well-de-veloped flat legs, that properly bear his weight. See that he shows the soles of his shoes plainly as he trots away, and it may be taken for granted that his tensperameat is desirable."