ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS

Mataura Ensign, Volume V, Issue 225, 30 January 1883, Page 2

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS

■"■Farmer," ; Gore, has favored us with a lensrthy letter on the care of harness, and for the benefit of •'his'feilow settlers requests us to give publicity to the following extract from the 'New Zealand Settler., -We willingly do so.: — " A harness that has been on a horse's- back several hours in hot or rainy weather becomes, wet: if not properly oleaned the damage to the leather, is irreparable. . If, after being taken from the> horse in this conditioii, it is huugup careYteßslji' traces..and..reins .twisted into knots and l the j....a«^»ii-y9^i^|fcffi when 1 UHe'd 1 retains^ ''the 5 - Bam^flra^)mve^u^^|iay^ into ita original form, damage'ls done to the stitching and; the leather. . The first point to be observed is tb keep the feather soft and pliable. This can be '.''.' done only by keeping it weE oharged with oil [and , grease'; water is a destroyer^but mud and saline ; moisture from the animal are even more destructive Mud, in drying, absorbs the grease and opens ;th< 'pores of the leather, making ita prey to wdter „ while the sultry, character of the prespiration fron the animal injures the leather, stitchingsand mount ings. It therefore follows that to preserve the har ness, the straps should be washed and oiled whenevei they have been moistened by sweat or soiled by mud If the harness is thoroughly cleaned twice a year and when unduly exposed treated as we have recom mended, the leather will retain its Boftness anc strength for many years."