THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



359 



have got over the attack. There was also a yearling 

 bull which apparently had become convalescent ; but he 

 has had a relapse, and remains, with five more, in a de- 

 plorable state. 



Bleeding is the "sheet anchor" of the treatment. 

 Six or seven quarts were taken at the first bleeding, and 

 repeated in such quantities, and at such intervals, as 

 the symptoms seemed to require. A dose of lib. of 

 Glauber salts and §lb. of treacle was next given ; and 

 afterwards, three times a day. 



Emetic tartar 4 drachms. 



Digitalis 1 drachm. 



Nitre 2 drachms, 



divided into three doses. 



Strong blisters were also applied behind the fore legs, 

 and a rowel inserted into the dewlap. Hellebore was 

 also given in some cases. 



The homoeopathic treatment was tried in one or two 

 cases, but without any results whatever. 



And now as to the "post mortem" appearances. 

 And upon this point, not being a veterinary surgeon, I 

 trust great indulgence will be shown me. Upon open- 

 ing the body, no doubt can for a moment exist as to the 

 cause of death : it is intense inflammation of the lungs 

 and parts immediately connected with them. The sub- 

 stance of the lungs exhibit a highly inflamed and un- 

 natural appearance ; in fact, they look very much like 

 a large lump of Castile or mottled soap. The little air- 

 cells being entirely filled with a bloody matter, a con- 

 siderable quantity of water is also found in the chest, 

 and the liver shows slight appearances of inflammation. 



The heart is generally healthy, though in some cases 

 slightly affected. 



In conclusion I shall say a few words relative to the 

 source and to the infectious nature of the disease. That 

 the disease was imported /ro»i Ireland I have no doubt, 

 and for these reasons : in the opening of the present year, 

 the occupiers of the farms I have already referred to 

 brought over some cattle into Wales from Ireland. 

 Upon their arrival, one at least of them was observed 

 to have a cough. No suspicion was attached to it at 

 the time ; but ere long the disease which I have at- 

 tempted to describe, broke out in all its virulence ; at 

 first appearing among the Irish, and afterwards among 

 the native cattle. As a proof of its infectious nature, I 

 will adduce one very strong case. Subsequently to the 

 breaking out of the disease, one of the occupiers bought 

 a bull in the neighbourhood, and, unfortunately, turned 

 him into a field in which some of the affected cattle had 

 been grazing. In a few days he was seized with the 

 malady, and still remains in a very precarious state. 



I muiit apologize for having trespassed so long upon 

 your readers' patience ; but, however imperfect these 

 remarks may be, they are the result of what has occurred 

 within my own knowledge. One thing, however, is very 

 clear, that farmers cannot be too cautious in admitting 

 recent purchases to graze with their stock. 



On the causes and remedies of the disease I offer no 

 comment ; such remarks belong rather to those whose 

 education and experience point out as the fittest judges 

 of that part of this sad subject. 



Cardiganshire, South Wales, T. S. H. 



Sept. nth, 1857. 



THE BLACK PALMER CATERPILLAR 



The history of this destructive enemy to the farmer 

 was made the subject of a Prize Essay, by George New- 

 port, Esq., M. R. C. S. & M. E. S., which was pub- 

 lished in the year 1838, when the ravages of the palmer 

 had attracted the notice and excited the apprehensions 

 of those who had suffered from its visitation. But its 

 appearances, like " angel visits," are so " few and far 

 between," that it is still a mystery to the generality of 

 farmers, in respect to the quarter from whence it 

 comes, or to what particular fly it owes its origin. With 

 regard to the first question, it is believed that it has 

 a foreign origin, from the fact that, at times, myriads of 

 the flies are washed ashore by the tide ; whilst they are 

 also found in vast numbers in an exhausted state on the 

 beach, where having rested a- while, they disperse them- 

 selves into the interior. It is very probable that they 

 have thus migrated j but it is equally certain that it has 

 become 'naturalized with us ; and however distant may 

 be the times of its appearance in the same locality, there 

 is no season in which it does not appear in one place or 

 other, although not always producing the same destructive 

 effects. We have, therefore, in compliance with the re- 

 quest of a correspondent, taken some pains to investigate 

 the subject, and now present to our readers the results. 



The Black Palmer, or canker-worm, is the produc- 

 tion of a species of saw-fly or tenthredo, bearing in 

 entomology the name of Athalia cetitifollce. It is in 

 shape similar to the honey-bee or the drone, but smaller 

 Its colour is yellow, except the head and a few spots ^ 

 which are black. The male is smaller and more slender 

 than the female, but is similarly formed in other 

 respects. It makes its first appearance about the middle 

 of May, or towards the first week in June, when the 

 early-sown turnips are coming forward ; it is always 

 seen in immense swarms, settling upon the turnips, where 

 they deposit their eggs on the under side of the leaf. In 

 a few days these are hatched by the heat of the sun, and 

 the larva makes its appearance, at first, not more than 

 half-a-line in length.* If, however, the weather proves 

 cold, the eggs are either destroyed or it is longer before 

 the larvss appear. They are no sooner emancipated 

 than they attack the under side of the leaves, which are 

 quickly devoured, and then the upper part becomes 

 their prey ; so that in an incredibly short period a whole 

 field, from a flourishing crop covering the ground, exhi- 

 bits the appearance of stalks only, everything being 



** A line is the tenth part of an inch. 



