To keep Moths, Beetles, &c. from Clothes.

Put a piece of camphor in a linen bag, or some aromatic herbs, in the drawers, among linen or woollen clothes, and neither moth or worm will come near them.

To purify Wool infested with Insects.

The process of purification consists in putting into three pints of boil ing water a pound and a half of alum, and as much cream of tartar. which are diluted in twenty-three pints more of cold water. The woo is then left immersed in this liquor during some days, after which it is washed and dried, After this operation it will no longer be subject to be attacked by insects.

Chinese Method of rendering Cloth Water-proof.

To one ounce of white wax, melted, add one quart of spirits of tur pentine, which, when thoroughly mixed and cold, dip the cloth in and hang it up to dry. By this cheap and easy method, muslin, as well as the strongest cloths, will be rendered impenetrable to the hardest rains, without the pores being filled up, or any injury done, when the cloth is

coloured.

New Method of cleaning Silks, Woollers, and Cottons. The following receipt is recommended as a good method of cleaning silk, woollen, and cotton goods, without damage to the texture or colour of the same:

pass

upon

Grate raw potatoes to a fine pulp in clean water, and the liquid matter through a coarse sieve into another vessel of water; let the mixture stand still till the fine white particles of the potatoes are precipitat ed; then pour the mucilaginous liquor from the fecula, and preserve the liquor for use. The article to be cleaned should then be laid a linen cloth on a table, and having provided a clean sponge, dip the sponge into the potatoe liquor, and apply it to the article to be cleaned, till the dirt is perfectly separated; then wash it in clean water several times. Two middle-sized potatoes will be sufficient for a pint of water. The white fecula will answer the purpose of tapioca, and make an use ful nourishing food, with soup or milk, or serve to make starch and hair-powder. The coarse pulp, which does not pass the sieve, is of great use in cleaning worsted curtains, tapestry, carpets, or other coarse goods. The mucilaginous liquor will clean all sorts of silk, cotton, woollen goods, without hurting or spoiling the colour; it may be also used in cleaning oil paintings, or furniture that is soiled. Dirtied paint ed wainscots may be cleansed by wetting a sponge in the liquor; then dipping it in a little fine clean sand, and afterwards rubbing the wainscot with it.

Permanent Ink for marking Linen.

water,

Take of lunar caustic (now called argentum nitratum) one dram; weak solution, or tincture of galls, two drams. The cloth must be first wetted with the following liquid, viz. salt of tartar, one ounce; one ounce and an half; and must be perfectly dry before any attempt is made to write upon it.

CHAP. XXV.

THE ART OF FARRIERY.

Hints to the Purchasers of Horses.-To purchase a horse free from blemish and imperfection, is, by experience, found to be a task more difficult and arduous than the whole art of horsemanship; and there is no kind of traffic wherein there are so many deceptions practised, as in the sale of horses. It may not be unserviceable, therefore, to put down a few short directions on this subject, by way of precaution to the unwary, and such as have been the dupes of dealers and jockies, whose business it is to impose on the credulity of the novice, by disguising every imperfection in the beast, and discovering imaginary beauties.

"I remember," says Mr. Wilson, "once to have seen a horse, which, I judged from his appearance, had been in several very indifferent hands: excessive labour had evidently been his portion, and many an ungrateful blow its reward; but, notwithstanding this, the remains of a most beautiful symmetry were yet discoverable in him. The dealer, in my presence, whipped the animal so cruelly, that I could not forbear remonstrating with him on the severity of his treatment. To which he replied, "that he had certainly the same right as other tradesmen, to set off his commodity in the most advantageous light possible; and who would be to blame," he asked, "but myself, was I not to exercise that right but if you know not the utility of what you saw, know then," continued he, (at the same instant giving a crack with his whip, which made the poor scared creature ready to fly through the manger)" that it was to collect his scattered spirits together, in case a purchaser should drop in."-" A fig for the humanity of the world!" said I ;" and is it thus every poor devil of a horse that unfortunately falls into thy hands, is to be whipped out of his skin, merely for the sake of thy advantage?" Upon which he left the stable. The horse looked behind him the moment he heard his master quit the stable. On walking up, in order to cherish him, I observed the tears rolling down his face; which operated so strongly on my affections, that I declared I would never more see an animal beaten unjustly, without punishing the offender."

There are many inconveniences arising from an immoderate use of the whip, whicd might be easily obviated, was it used rather sparingly, and with a little more lenity than it commonly is: for, instead of doing any real good, it not only makes the horse fearful of every motion you make about him, but it becomes very dangerous to go near him; as by his uneasiness, and shifting from side to side (expecting every moment a beating), he may probably throw you down, and trample you under his feet. We recollect witnessing a distressing scene, which happened to a man who made it a constant rule to whip the horses he had on sale three or four times a day, to make them show more life and spirits, as he termed it; when a horse struck him down, and alıncest trampled him to death.

Before you make choice of a horse, you should consider for what occupation you design him; and acquaint yourself with all the excellencies

and imperfections of these useful creatures: for, as the moderately thinshouldered, long-backed, tall, and flat-ribbed horse, is best adapted for racing; the short-backed, small-jointed, and round-barrelled horse, for travel; the moderately large, and lean-head, a large windpipe that hangs rather loose from the fleshy pannicle, small close nostrils, high withers, and the generality of the shape strong and well knit together, for hunting; the broad-backed, full-shouldered, thick-withered, wide-breasted horse, provided his legs are short-jointed, straight, strong, and well-proportioned, for a collar; so the small horse, with a short back, small head, short-jointed, and thin legs, of a well-proportioned, and handsome shape, should be chosen for ease, and summer pleasure.

On entering the stable, in order to select a horse, the first thing necessary to be done, is, to see how he stands on his legs; and, particularly, that no person is in the stable with him; for, trust me, if there is any defect in either of those members, you will soon discover it by his shifting the position, and but just touching the ground with the toe of the leg

affected.

Having satisfied yourself as to this particular, order him to be taken into some yard, or open place; but remember to be the last in the stable, or the dealer, or some of his attendants, will make it their business to fig him without your knowledge, unless you keep an attentive eye to their conduct: for these fellows being in the constant practice of it, are so expert, that one would imagine it was done by a kind of slight of hand.

The practice of figging prevails throughout the kingdom, and is so cruel in its nature, that I think, in humanity, it ought to be disused. It is done by thrusting a piece of ginger up the fundament, which makes the horse carry his tail high, and appear to greater advantage, though but for a very short time.

Every person must be aware, that the subtile fiery nature of the ginger must cause a very uncomfortable sensation in that part: for the horse cannot stand still a moment while it remains there, consequently it is unnecessarily teazing a horse, and setting but a very temporary advantage on him, just so long as the dealer can wring the money out of your purses; for the very next day, to your great chagrin, he will look five pounds worse for the experiment.

The horse being now before you in an open place, and not near any white wall, take your station about three or four paces off, in a line with his breast; observe his countenance, that it is cheerful, sprightly, and free from heaviness and gloom: That the ears are thin, small, evenly set, and terminate in a point; for if they are thick, long, too closely set to each other, and drooping, it is not only a great deformity, but such a horse will be dull, heavy, and sleepy. The face should be lean, and free from flesh; the forehead broad, and rather swelling outward; a star or blaze thereon, are considered marks of beauty and courage: but if the forehead is flat, the face in general flat and cloudy, and a baldness appear on the nose, they are deformities. If the eyes are round, black, shining, not too big, but rather protuberant, so that they move about their orbits with a quick and lively motion, and in doing it little or none of the whites appear,-they are good. But if, on the contrary; they look of a yellow cast, dull, moist, and sunk,-they are bad. The nostrils should not be so large as, upon every little effort, to occasion the muzzle to become wide, distended, and the inside redness to appear that being a sure sign of a short wind, and weakness. The muzzle of

the nostrils should be small, and the inside free from moisture; the upper lip should not hang over the lower one, but both meet evenly toge ther; and particularly observe, that the horse is not shallow-mouthed.

From the head, look down to the chest: if it is broad, prominent, and muscular, it denotes beauty and strength; whereas the narrow chest is an evidence of deformity and weakness; the legs, being set too close together, will interfere with the motion of each other, and thereby greatly hinder speed, cause the horse to stumble, and sometimes to fall. The thighs should be fleshy, sinewy, and moderately outward swelling; so that, upon any little strain, or movement of the body, the muscles thereof may be clearly discerned: for they are signs of strength; the contrary, of weakness. Particular care should be taken in examining the knees; that they are lean, sinewy, close-knit, and evenly proportioned: but if they appear swelled, and feel soft as if a quantity of wind had collected between the skin and flesh; or, if one knee appears larger than the other, or looks thin and bristly, the hair broken, &c. these are true marks of a stumbler: and such a horse ought to be rejected.

In examining the pasterns, see that they are flat, lean, and free from every kind of scab, seam, and swellings. They should be strong, straight, and rather short; for a long pastern shews weakness ; and such a horse cannot perform a long journey without tiring.

Nothing is more essentially necessary to be observed in the purchasing a horse, than the formation of the hoofs, which are the grand foundation of the whole mechanism of the animal; for, if they are bad, the superstructure, however finely proportioned, cannot possibly be good.

The hoofs should be smooth, tough, rather long, deep at the heel, and either black or dark brown: the former are the best proof against the effects of hard and bad roads. The white hoofs are tender, and subject to foundering. The light brown ones are brittle, consequently will not carry a shoe well. A round hoof proceeds from contraction, and the flat ones shew foundering.

If the hair on the coronet, or top of the hoof, lies smooth, close, and the flesh even therewith, it is perfect; but if the hair on that part looks thin, bristly, with little scales, or scabs on the skin, and the flesh swelling over the hoof, I would advise you not to buy such a horse, as they are the forerunners of ring-bones, crown-scabs, quittor-bones, &c.

Be particularly careful in examining the bottom of the feet; placing your thumb on the frog, compress it rather sharply, in order to discover any defect that might be there;-that they are large, spreading, open, and sound. I believe, I need not remind you, that the spongy, running, and decayed frogs are to be rejected.

You are now to stand about three paces off, in a line with the horse's shoulder, and take a side view of him: the neck should be small, and rather short than long; and particularly observe, that no swelling appears on the setting on of the head. The shoulders should lie rather backward, and come round with a good sweep, and rise well up to the withers.

A horse low in the shoulders will be continually getting the saddle on his neck, unless a crupper is affixed to it. This, beside being very ungraceful, will cause him to stumble, and very probably to break down. The tail should stand rather high, flat, and bending a little inward; which, if the horse has a good buttock, it will do: but on a

bad buttock, a hog or goose rump, a tail cannot stand well-They are objectionable deformities.

You are now to take a view of the hind parts, standing at a convenient distance from the horse, that you may more advantageously see that the hips are broad, round, and even; also that the hind legs are lean, flat, and sincwy. Be careful that they are not fat or swelled, and that one elbow of the hock is not larger than the other; that no seams or scars appear thereon; and that he is not bow-legged.

Various are the arts used by dealers, to prevent your discovering the true age of a horse by his teeth. It is therefore useless to write a long dissertation on that subject, as it would serve to perplex my reader, rather than to enlighten his judgment.

The shortest and most certain method to judge whether a horse is young or old is this:-Turn back both lips; if the teeth are small, white, glossy, and fit evenly together, he is young; but if they are large, long, yellow, irregularly set, and the top row project over the bottom, the tusks yellow, or of a blackish colour, he is old.

Having finished your examination of the horse, see him walk and trot in hand; and let not the groom haul his head about, nor be too free with his whip; but that he leads him carelessly by the extreme end of the halter or bridle, as, by that means you will discover any defect that might possibly be in the joints, or if he be a stumbler.

Observe the motion of the legs: that the near fore leg, and the far hind leg, or the far fore leg, and the near hind leg, move, or shoot, at one and the same time; and that the hind legs do not obstruct the motion of the fore ones, but that all act in unison.

Order the groom to take his back, and, standing behind him, see how he walks: that he carries his head even, and the bit level in his mouth; that he does not bear down, nor pull on either side; but walks and trots straight, lifting his legs well off the ground with boldness, at the same time managing all smoothly.

If a horse makes a clattering noise in his gallop, he interferes; that is, by treading too long, or making too much play with the hind leg, he strikes the toes thereof against the corners of the shoes before, which occasions a very disagreeable noise.

It is a natural imperfection, occasioned by uneven proportion; for, on critically examining such a horse, you will find him not only low in the shoulders, which causes weakness in the fore legs, but that the hind ones will be longest.

A horse, to gallop well, should lead off with his far fore foot, and lift his feet well off the ground, at the same time not raising them too high; and, in spreading his fore legs, he should follow even and lightly with the hind ones, without cutting under the knee, or injuring the back sinews of the fore ones.

Having seen the different paces of the horse, and formed a good opinion of him, it will not be unreasonable to request, particularly if you are the least known to the dealer of whom you are about to purchase, that you may be permitted to ride him a mile or two; and should he object to such a proposal, you would be warranted in forming a very unfavourable judgment of the horse, as well as of himself. If he permits you to ride the horse, when you are mounted, let him go his own pace, holding a loose rein: you will then have a better opportunity of knowing whether he be a stumbler; or whether he is sure-footed, and