CARROTS—
are, after the fair experiments of late years, become an article of very considerable consumption, as a collateral kind of food for the support of horses employed in agriculture. The most candid attention, and minute observation, at length admits, that horses having a proportion of carrots, washed, cleaned, dried, and cut either alone, or mixed with the barn chaff, do their work as well, look as firm in their flesh, and fine in their coat, as those who are kept upon corn, chaff, and hay. Although their utility in this way cannot be denied, yet it must be remembered, they are not sufficiently nutritious for horses in hard or expeditious work upon the public and posting roads; they require a more firm, substantial support: for horses in easy, slow, and moderate work, they answer well, incorporated with other articles; or even alone, in small quantities; but if given too largely, they attenuate the blood, and impoverish the frame.
CART HORSES
.—The horses so called are principally the horses employed in drawing farmers' waggons, carts, and the plough; as well as the infinity employed with waggons upon the turnpike road, in the conveyance of articles in trade from one part of the kingdom to another. The incredible number supported in the metropolis, and its environs, by the merchants, breweries, coal merchants, carmen, and the proprietors of wharfs, exceed the utmost conception of those not accustomed to such prospects, or to such calculations. Of cart horses this kingdom has to boast different kinds, and those kinds are most judiciously appropriated to the different work, and different countries, for which they seem to be more particularly or individually adapted. Great pains have been taken, and no expence spared, to improve this peculiar and most useful breed of horses to the utmost possible pitch of perfection. The sorts mostly in use, are the large heavy blacks, for which Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and the midland counties, are the most remarkable; the little stout, uniform punches from Suffolk; and some of the strong, hardy sturdies from Clydesdale, in North Britain. The former of the three sorts, when well shaped, and uniform, constitute as perfect beauties to the contemplative eye of the patriotic agriculturist, as the best bred blood horses can possibly do to the most enthusiastic admirer of the turf. From these midland blacks of the largest size, strength, and uniformity, are selected all the capital stock of the most opulent firms and manufactories in and round the metropolis. Those one degree inferior in height, strength, uniformity, and price, constitute the bell teams of the farmers in Berkshire, Hants, and Wilts; at the principal market towns of which, as Reading, Wallingford, Abingdon, Basingstoke, Alton, Alresford, Winchester, &c. may be seen some of the strongest, handsomest and finest teams of draft horses in the kingdom without exception.
The Suffolk punches are a considerably coarser kind of horse, less uniform in shape, and less constant in colour; they run greatly into a mealy chesnut, or roan sorrel, having mostly a blaze in the face, with a white mane and tail; they are very staunch to their work, and the hardiest, perhaps, of any horse brought into use. These qualifications destine them to the possession of small farmers, having the least money, and, in general, to countries having the least keep. By the account of a previous writer, they are entitled to a more pre-eminent situation. He says, "they are nimble walkers and trotters: they have ever proved themselves the truest and best drawers in the world, as well as the hardiest and most useful cart and plough horses. Their nimbleness, it should seem, is owing to their moderate size; and their immense powers in lifting weight, to the same cause, combined with the low position of the shoulder, which occasions weight to be acted upon in a just and horizontal direction. Their superiority over all other horses, at drawing dead pulls, is, no doubt, in some measure owing to early training, as in no county is such pride taken in teaching horses to draw; and it is well known, that a team of Suffolk horses, the signal being given, will all down upon their knees, and leave nothing behind them, that is within the power of flesh and blood to draw away."
Of the Clydesdale or Scotch horses it is said, "they are probably as good and useful a draft horse as any we are possessed of; larger than the Suffolk punches, being from fifteen to sixteen hands and a half high; strong, hardy, and remarkable true pullers; a restive horse being rarely found amongst them. In shape, plain made about the head, sides, and hind legs; mostly grey or brown; said to have been produced from the common Scotch mare and Flanders horses, a hundred years ago." The same writer also recommends "the mixing a little racing blood with the cart flock; enlarging also upon the wonderful exertions in carting business upon the road by the Cleveland bays, a sort of coach horses. Although bred horses are, of all others, the most sluggish; yet it is well known, that a cross of their blood gives spirit and activity to the heavier kind of horses."
CASTING NET
.—In a half extended form, (when in part suspended from the ground, and resting on the leads fixed to its bottom,) it resembles a bell in its shape; but when cast in the water, or spread on the ground, it constitutes a complete circle. They are made of different dimensions; and so constructed, as to be completely grasped by the right and left hand, having the centre of the net spread over the left shoulder; when, by a sudden exertion, (in which there must be great expertness,) the net is so cast as to fall upon the water in its utmost circular extent; where sinking with all possible expedition, by the weight of the lead affixed to its edges, which now becoming the bottom, incloses within it all the fish in the space so covered, and from whence no one can escape. To the centre of the net is fixed a line of ten or twelve feet long, which line, in throwing (or casting) the net, is of course extended, the extremity being previously fastened to the wrist: when the leads have reached the bottom of the water, and rest on the ground, the fish rise into the bell part of the net; then the person having the line in hand begins to draw the net gently to land; in doing which, the edges approach each other at bottom, where there are tucks to receive the fish; and those, particularly roach, perch, and gudgeons, are sometimes caught in great abundance. The person casting the net should use a round frock, or a jacket without buttons; for want of using which precaution, many a sportsman of this description has received a complete and dangerous ducking, to which he did not seem to think himself fully entitled.
CASTING the Hair
;—an almost obsolete (or provincial) term for a horse's shedding his coat.