344 EXPERIMENTS WITH DIFFERENT 



The treatment consists of laxative medicines, cold lotions to 

 the part. Arnica lotion is invaluable, with rest for sprains of 

 tendon or ligament. 



If muscles are affected, hot fomentations are of decided ser- 

 vice in conjunction with other treatment described. And after 

 the inflammation has subsided, apply a smart blister over the 

 part, or the firing iron. 



Fractures seldom occur ; however, some of the bones are 

 at times broken, and the great difficulty in effecting a cure is 

 in being unable to keep the animal still. If he be a quiet, 

 docile animal, starch bandages, or gutta percha, moulded to the 

 limb, may be used with splints, and the patient placed in slings. 

 The most curable fractures are those which occur transversely 

 or longitudinally in the long metacarpal or shank bones, ribs, 

 &c. The pastern bone often is comminuted, and recovery is 

 attended with stiff joint. Fractures of the spine are incurable. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF WHEAT, 



IN 1864 AND 1865. 



By Robert J. Thomson, Grange, Kilmarnock. 



[Premium — Fifteen Sovereigns.'] 



The amelioration of climate which the cutting down of growing 

 timber, the drainage, and the cultivation of the past century 

 have effected in Ayrshire, has enlarged the wheat zone from 

 small patches in early or sheltered localities to all drained lands 

 under an altitude of 300 feet ; and on most farms, now-a-days, 

 under 200 feet, w T here the soil is suitable, wheat has become a 

 regular crop of the rotation. 



In the heavy land districts of Cunningham and Kyle — 

 which are pre-eminently the wheat growing districts of Ayrshire, 

 and in one of which the experiments hereafter detailed were 

 made — the variety of wheat which obtains all but universal 

 favour is the Woolly ear, known elsewhere as Velvet ear, Rough- 

 chaff, Essex fluff, &c. This variety is earlier than many others ; 

 it is short and stiff- strawed, and therefore does not lodge readily ; 

 it is very prolific, and its grain is a favourite with the miller. 

 But it has one fault, which is a great disadvantage — especially 

 here, where our harvests frequently are wet — the wool on the ear 

 retains the rain drops, and causes it to sprout more readily than 

 any other variety. It is therefore a desideratum in the above- 

 named districts to obtain a variety having all the advantages of 

 the Woolly ear. and free from its defect ; and it was with the view 

 of ascertaining whether any of those mentioned in the Highland 



