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Raspberries in Your Garden

This fruit was originally discovered by the Greeks growing on Mount Ida, whence the specific name Ideus. At present we have not only many varieties of the above, but several other species, which are cultivated for their fruit in our gardens : among which the Common Red, which is sent to our markets in immense quantities, and is largely used in the making of raspberry brandy; is of fine flavor and much esteemed, and is the most productive; also the White and the Red Antwerp, which are of very large size and high flavor—of these ‘the White is generally preferred—they are both productive and excellent fruits.

The American White and American Black are inferior in flavor, but are nevertheless esteemed by many persons, particularly the white variety. The Twice Bearing, il properly managed, is quite an acquisition. In general, they produce one crop at the usual period, and a less one late in the season, but as a full crop is most desirable, it is said to be best to cut off the whole of the stalks quite to the ground early in the spring, in order to force a strong growth of young wood, which will yield a large quantity of fruit, as it is the wood of the same summer that produces the fall crop. The Red Cretan is a raspberry of delicate flavor ; the Cane is also considerably cultivated, and a number of others; the Purple Flowering is only useful as an ornamental plant, its fruit being of no value.

Grooming and Dressing a Horse

In grooming a horse, the operator is provided with a currycomb, a brush, and a wisp. To this may be added a small knife, adapted for dressing. The first named is calculated to scratch off any dirt or perspiration which may have accumulated by exercise or work, and in horses recently taken up it is also useful in separating clotted hair, and even reducing or cutting its dimensions. It is an instrument to be used with care and caution, and may easily be very injurious to the horse, and scratch the skin. It is an operation which must be considered as only to be occasionally adopted, and then with nicety and gentleness, slowly and delicately passing over the hair.

The brush is the sheet-anchor of the groom, and the currycomb is often best used in cleaning the brush. The stabled horse has a growing accumulation of scurf at the roots of the hair. This brush is intended to remove; by passing between every hair it separates the smallest particles, and brings them to the surface.

The teisp is then in its proper vocation. It removes the scurfy and dusty particles from the surface. The comb sharpens and cleans the mane and tail, which sometimes require wetting to be made to lay properly, and the sponge washes out the feet and hoofs, and with these a good groom will not only have a glossy coat, but will have what is far preferable,—a clean skin for his horse.

There are two ways by which a fine, glossy coat may be produced —by heat and by dressing. The former produces it at the expense of the animal health; the latter in a manner highly conducive to health.

Salvator Rosa

Born at Naples in 1614, and died in 1673, aged fifty-nine years. He derived his first knowledge of design from his kinsman, Francazano; but at the death of his father, being reduced to extreme poverty, he was constrained to provide maintenance by sketching designs on paper, and selling them at any price he could obtain. In this dependent situation, he labored for some time, till one of his designs, a historical subject, accidentally happened to fall into the hands of Lanfranco, who was so much pleased at the ability it displayed, that he eagerly enquired for the artist, took him under his protection, and placed him in the Academy of Ribera, with whom he continued until his twentieth year; he then accompanied his master to Rome, where he remained four years, and found a patron in Cardinal Brancacci, who took him to Viterbo, and gave him employment. After this he returned to Naples, but the attractions of Rome drew him thither again, and he there became known to Prince Giovanni Carlo de Medici, who took him to Florence, where he staid nine years, dividing his time between poetry, music and painting.

Salvator Rosa’s great excellence lay in landscape. He delighted in representing scenes of desolation, solitude and danger, lonely defiles and deep forests, trees scathed by lightning and clouds lowering with thunder. Sometimes he attempted to create an interest by filling the scene he drew by some sacred or historic subject; but in this he rarely succeeded, his figures having a certain air of constraint and insipidity.

The Muscles of Our Body

The muscles, or that portion of the body which is ordinarily termed flesh, are the organs which change, regulate, and fix the positions and attitudes of the body, and which are directly or indirectly concerned in all the more conspicuous motions of the solids and fluids. In these numerous and important operations, they exhibit phenomena peculiar to themselves, and which cannot be traced to gravity or impulse, to elasticity or to chemical attraction. They produce their effect, whether it be a state of motion or rest, by contracting their fibers in consequence of stimulants; while the stimulants, whether chemical, mechanical, or vital, seem to act through the medium of a nervous energy. They are not restricted to any length, breadth, or thickness; to any form, magnitude, or color; though everyone belonging to a pair resembles its fellow. They are not formed of any one homogeneous substance, but composed of fleshy and tedious fibers, interspersed everywhere with cellular membrane, and the ramifications of arteries, veins, absorbents, and nerves, all of them alive, and all of them irritable. The fleshy fibers seldom or never appear single, but are collected into small fascicule, or bundles, that unite to form larger ones; which larger fascicule being again united, form the collections which, with their tedious fibers, &c. we call muscles, and which we distinguish by proper names. The fleshy fibers are all sensible to stimulants of one kind or another; and being the only parts that contract in obedience to the will, or in consequence of stimulants operating regularly, they constitute the distinguishing character of muscles. As they derive their principal power from a vital source, the change produced upon them by death is sudden and obvious.

The German Medlar Tree

This tree, the peculiar flavor of whose fruit, when fully matured, has many admirers, will flourish in any soil but one that is wet or marshy, and in any exposition whatever; it exacts no particular care in its culture. The principal varieties are the Common Dutch or German, the Royal Dutch, the Nottingham, and the Seedless. The fruit is of a brownish color and harsh flavor before it is ripe, but if collected the beginning of October, and placed on shelves, it changes to reddish, and the pulp becomes softened and acquires a sweetish taste, which is pleasing to many persons, but not admired by everyone.

The European Date Plum, or Diospyros Lotus, called also the European Persimmon, will thrive in almost any soil or situation. It is of indifferent quality, and inferior to the American, and, like the latter, needs the aid of frost before it becomes mellow for eating. The American Persimmon is so universally known it needs no description. The Diospyros Kaki, or Japan Date Plum, is said to produce fruit of a cherry color, and fine flavor—it supports, without protection, the winters of Long-Island.

This shrub, or, in some cases, tree, accommodates itself to every exposition, and to every variety of soil, but prefers a moist loam on a sandy bottom, with a northern exposition. It is easily multiplied by seeds, layers, or inoculation. In fact, these nuts, which are vended in large quantities in our markets, grow as well in our climate as the common hazelnut, and produce very abundantly.

Management and Ventilation of the Stable

One of the most important matters in the management of horses is having a properly constructed and well arranged stable. It has more to do with health, with capability of work, and with the progressive value of the animals, than we can well imagine at first sight. Originally the stable was unknown. The horse, as with the Arab patriarch, would either roam in the fields or enclosures, or be sheltered in the hut or tent of its owner. As civilization advanced, he would have his own place of abode, and be kept separate, and hence a stable would be a place to answer the double end of confinement and shelter.

Beyond this few parties even now give the matter a thought If they can place their horse where they are sure to find him, and if he is only dry, or screened from the blast, it is sufficient. No provision is made for light, except the door of the stable, which is to be opened when the requirements of his attendants need the aid of light—no ventilation, except the crannies or fissures of the door, boards, and hay-loft—all of which are sometimes most carefully screened from the air, when the horses most require it.

No arrangements are supposed to be necessary for drainage, the litter is the sole mode of removing the absorbed urine and moisture; nor are any pains taken to provide for a dry and comfortable habitation for this the best friend of man to be found among the brute creation.

Art and Andrea Sacchi

Born at Rome in 1594, and died in 1661, aged sixty-three years. He was the son of Benedetto, a painter of little reputation, by whom he was instructed in the rudiments of design; but had afterwards the advantage of studying under Francesco Albani, of whom he was the most distinguished disciple. On leaving the school of that painter, he improved his style by an attentive study of the works of Raphael, Caravaggio, and the antique marbles; by which means he acquired the correctness and severity of design, for which his works are remarkable.

Sacchi distinguished himself in a very eminent degree by his painting in fresco; he was favored with the patronage of the Cardinal Barberini, who employed him in ornamenting his palace with several allegorical pictures; and many of the public edifices at Rome are embellished with his works, which have been ranked among the admired productions of art in that capital. Such are his pictures of the ‘Death of St . Anne’ in the church of St. Carlo a Catinari, the ‘Angel appearing to Joseph’ in the church of St. Joseph, and his St. Andrew’ in the Quirinal.

But his most distinguished performance is his famous picture of ‘ St. Bomualdo, among the Friars of the Order,’ now in the Vatican, which was considered one of the finest pictures at Home. The composition is extremely simple; it represents the saint seated in a solitary valley of the Apennines, surrounded by some of his order, explaining to them his reason for retiring from the world. Everything in the picture breathes tranquility and repose.

Facts About the Foot

The foot is made up of bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, covered with cellular membrane and skin. It is divided into the tarsus, metatarsus, and toes. The tarsus is composed of seven very irregular spongy bones; one of these projects downwards and backwards, to form the heel; above this is another, to which the lower end of the tibia, or largest bone of the leg, is articulated, forming the ankle joint. The five other bones are placed in front of these, at the instep; from these latter, project forwards the five long slender bones of the metatarsus, which form the body of the foot, anterior to the instep. To the ends of the metatarsal bones, are articulated the bones at the basis of the toes.

The big toe is composed of two, and each of the other toes of three bones, jointed like those of the finger. The lower surface, or sole of the foot, is not flat, but arched, so that when it is planted on the ground, the weight of the body is supported on the heel and anterior extremities of the metatarsal bones. The whole length, nearly, of the outer metatarsal bone is also in contact with the ground. By the peculiar manner in which the foot is constructed, the concussion which would otherwise be communicated to the body, in falls upon the feet, in walking, and in jumping, is, in a great measure, prevented. The arched form likewise facilitates the ordinary movements of the foot, and permits us to walk with greater security and ease over an uneven surface.

Mulberries

Of this tree, about 18 varieties are cultivated in this country, a few only of which are proper for the table, the others are either useful in the arts, or for purposes of ornament only.

Table Fruit.—Those most valued for their fruit are the one commonly called Black European or Black English, but which came originally from Asia, and the Red American, a common native of our forests.

Ornamental.—Those cultivated particularly for ornament, are the three varieties of the Chinese Paper or Japan Mulberry, which form trees of large size, dense foliage, and finely formed for shade. The fruit of these is perfectly round, and about as large as a hickory nut of the usual size. There is one peculiarity about these trees, which is, that generally on the same tree leaves are found of a great variety of shapes and forms; and taking every point into consideration, they are as well calculated to beautify, adorn, and afford a fine shade, where trees are wanted more spreading than lofty, as any with which I am acquainted.

While Chinese, or Italian Mulberry.—This is the species which has always been cultivated for rearing silk worms. It is originally from China, but, from being so extensively cultivated in Italy, it is more generally called the Italian Mulberry. The tree is very easy of cultivation, and of very rapid growth, and may be reared to any extent without difficulty, as it agrees so well with our climate, that they are found growing spontaneously in the hedges on Long Island, from seeds which have been scattered by the winds or birds.

Cart Horse Breeding

The breeders of cart horses, or those who wish to do so, must be governed in their operations by the description of work for which they design the animal. If the breeder live upon a light, sandy soil, a foal out of a Clydesdale mare, I by a well-bred horse, will produce a valuable animal, and one that can be worked up to six years old, by which time there will be another colt ready; the former may then be sold at a remunerative price. If he reside on a stronger soil he must breed a heavier animal; in this case if he puts a Clydesdale stallion to a mare produced by a cross, such as has been described, he will have attained this end.

But the breeder should bear in mind that nothing is more unsatisfactory, or so likely to turn out an unprofitable speculation, as breeding a nondescript—a brute fit neither for the carriage nor the plough—for the saddle nor the cart; and it is, with some few exceptions, within the power of the breeder, by a judicious selection of parents, to insure a certain offspring. Few things are more certainthan horse-breeding; for the rule, “like produces like,” in most cases holds good from generation to generation. In rearing foals, good feeding and warm housing are absolutely necessary during the first autumn and winter. It is during the first year that they are either made or marred; if starved or stinted by neglect during that period, abandon all expectation of seeing him a good horse, whatever has been his pedigree.

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