152 BOMID OF AGRICULTURE. 



recollect distinctly, it became the prevalent opinion in Wor- 

 cester that all the horses should be led out and exercised, 

 whether they were able to come or not. The result was that 

 gentlemen lost a great many of their horses from exercise. 

 Why? Because the inflammatory condition of the lungs for- 

 bade exercise. The poor animals could not lie down ; they 

 could not lie down when subjected to that form of the disease. 

 Indeed, pneumonia, in many cases forbids the lying down of 

 the animal affected. I believe that in many cases, if the 

 owner had been left to his own intelligent judgment, rather 

 than been guided by the judgment of his groom, many horses 

 would be living that are now dead. In many instances, 

 within the past two weeks, horses that would probably have 

 recovered, have been put into carriages and driven five or six 

 miles under the mistaken idea that it was necessary they 

 should be exercised, and have died before they got home. I 

 have three horses now sick ; one of them is suffering from 

 paralysis of the extremities, particularly of the forelegs. I 

 have heard the remark made by several gentlemen, that they 

 considered that they prevented their horses from taking the 

 disease, one by feeding with apples, another by feeding with 

 apple pumice, another by feeding potatoes, and another Jias 

 kept his horse within bounds in his stable, and has not ex- 

 posed him. I have heard of two horses owned by one gentle- 

 man, — and I hope we shall hear from him, — who has exposed 

 those horses in a very particular manner, but they have not 

 as yet been attacked by the disease. That is no reason why 

 they should not have it, and they probably will have it if they 

 are exposed. Many are in the habit of covering their' horses 

 from the period when they are attacked through the whole 

 course of the disease. Some did not blanket at all, and their 

 horses are in a better condition than horses which were covered. 

 Many a poor horse which has been blanketed during the dis- 

 ease, will be deprived of that blanket when the disease has 

 passed away, and will die before spring. 



So far as regards the use of apples, or any other of the acid 

 fruits, I consider them to be very appropriate food for the 

 horse, or the ox, or any of the animal kind which are subject 

 to epizootic disease, or any epidemic diseases of the character 

 which we are now contemplating, inasmuch as they relieve 



