158 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Mr. Jenkins, of Barre. I have very little to say upon this 

 matter. I have three horses that have received the same 

 treatment since the prevalence of this disease that they have 

 always received, except, perhaps, that they have been fed 

 rather lighter and exercised less violently, probably, although 

 no special pains has been taken in that direction. Neither of 

 them has been sick. My nearest neighl)or, the doctor, finally 

 caved in, his horse being sick. Mine have not been sick at 

 all. I have not changed their diet. I have not changed any- 

 thing except, perhaps, I have fed them a little less grain. 

 But I have not vaccinated for the disease, nor done anything 

 to prevent its attacking my horses. They are, as I have said, 

 in perfect health. They have been worked daily, not par- 

 ticularly hard, nor in very long drives. We ahvays take care 

 of our horses ; blanket them when we let them stand outside, 

 and make them comfortable in the stable. The stable is well 

 ventilated, their food has not been changed, and, as I say, 

 they have not been sick. I do not know how soon they will 

 be, but I hope not at all. 



Dr. Brown. Nursing is all that my horses have wanted. 

 I had seventeen of them, and they have all been sick, moder- 

 ately. I think the matter has been sufficiently ventilated 

 here, that nursing is what our horses want. I am very much 

 interested in some of the questions that came up this morning 

 about stock-breedino;, which were left in an unfinished state. 

 I want to learn something in regard to those subjects. 



Professor Agasriz. During the discussion this morning 

 concerning hereditary influence, there were some assertions 

 made which lead me to sug-gest a practical measure which will 

 help in fixing our opinions or knowledge concerning this ques- 

 tion. Generally, scientific men are supposed not to be prac- 

 cal ; but I think that in my intercourse with farmers, which 

 has covered a great many years, I have learned somewhat 

 how science may be applied to practical purposes ; and in this 

 instance I feel that the suo-o-estion I am goino; to make came 

 to my mind by the discussion, and by the evidence that we 

 are not sufficiently informed upon many points. 



I heard, for instance, the statement made to-day that the 

 essential diflference niade between some animals consisted in 

 their having a fine or a coarse fibre, or that it consisted in the 



