Chaff, to cut.—­Tie a sickle against a tree, with its blade projecting; then, standing in front of the blade, hold a handful of reeds across it with both hands, one hand on either side of the blade; pull it towards you, and the reeds will be cut through; drop the cut end, seize the bundle afresh, and repeat the process.  In this way, after a little practice, chaff is cut with great ease and quickness.  A broken sickle does as well as a whole one, and a knife may be used, but the curve of its edge is ill adapted for the work.

Cattle will eat many sorts of herbage, as reeds and gorse, if cut small; but will not touch them, if uncut.

Occasional Food for Cattle.—­They will also eat seaweed and leaves especially birch and poplar leaves, and even thrive upon them.

[Illustration of man cutting chaff as described on p 64].

Pulling Cattle out of Holes.—­The bight of a cord, or of some substitute for one, may be thrown over a horse’s head, and he can be dragged out by a team of cattle with but very little danger to his neck.  A crupper under his tail, or a thong as a breeching may be used.  In Canada and the United States, a noose of rope is often run round the horse’s neck, and hauled tight—­thus temporarily choking the animal and making him still; he is then pulled as quickly as possible out of the hole, and no time is lost in slackening the rope.

HARNESS.

Saddles for riding.—­Good saddles for riding, and, I may add, especially for packing, are of nearly as great importance as the goodness of the animal who carries them.  English saddlers never, I believe, can be induced to stuff a saddle sufficiently; because they have no opportunity of seeing the miserable, scraggy condition of a travelled horse’s back, to which it is destined to fit.  But an English saddle, restuffed at a bush frontier town, is excellent.

Three rings, and nine of what saddlers call “D’s,” should be fixed to the saddle, not simply into the leather-work, but firmly riveted or secured into the tree itself.  This must be especially insisted on, or frequent disasters will occur.  The three rings are to be fixed to the pommel—­one on the top, and one on each side of it; the nine “D’s” are placed as follows:—­three along the back of the saddle, two more on each side of the seat, and two in front, for the breastplate.

Fittings.—­To these may be tied a light valise in front; a gun-holster on the right of the pommel; and a small bag—­containing odds and ends, gunpowder, spare bullets, a few presents, etc.—­on its left.  On the right of the seat, a sabre-tasch, or thin leather portfolio-shaped pocket, for paper and writing materials; on the left, the water-canteen and hobbles; behind, the crupper and small saddle-bags.  A breastplate is not worth having, except in a very hilly country.  This description of a saddle, of course, applies to that of the travelling-horse.  For the saddle of the shooting-horse the arrangement is different; only the gun-holster, and perhaps the water-canteen can then be taken.  An ox carries a saddle precisely like a horse.  I rode mine nearly 1600 miles, in South Africa, with a common hunting-saddle and its ordinary girths.