California Agriculturist and Live Stock Journal. 



Spavin. — The exciting causes of spaTin 

 are strains, concussion, and sometimes, 

 though rarely, blows. A kick from an- 

 other horse has been known to produce 

 line of a very serious character, Any 

 cause which will excite inflammation of 

 the tissues of the j<jiut, is liable to cause 

 a deposition of bony matter, or ulcera- 

 tion of the tissues covering the boues. 



The first and most important step to 

 take in the first stages of spavin is to 

 place the animal in absolute rest. The 

 hock joint of the horse and the ankle of 

 a man are anatomically nearly alike. If 

 a person sprains his ankle the surgeon 

 orders rest, not for a day or week, but 

 for a long time, then apply a cooling lo- 

 tion — cold water freely applied is per- 

 hajis as good as anything to arrest the 

 inflammatory action. Afterwards some 

 stimulating application, perhaps counter 

 irritation (a blister) may be necessary to 

 bring the deep-seated inflammation to 

 the surface. 



Balky Hokses. — The following devices 

 have been successfully tried to accom- 

 plish the desired end: 



Tying a string around the horse's ear 

 close to the horse's head. 



Hitching the horse to the single-tree 

 by means of a cord instead of the tugs; 

 the cord fastened to the horse's tail. 



Filling the mouth full of some disa- 

 greeable substance. 



Tying a stout twine around the leg 

 just below the knee and then removing 

 it when he has traveled some distance. 



Never whip a balky horse, for the more 

 he is whipped the crazier he -nill become. 

 Let everything be done gently, for bois- 

 terous words only confuse him and make 

 him worse. Treat him in the mild man- 

 ner that you would a crazy man, and you 

 will succeed. 



A. Good Colt of I'JOO Years Ago. — AVe 

 may prognosticate great things of a colt 

 if, when running in the pastures, he is 

 ambitious to get before his companions; 

 and if, in coming to a river, he strives to 

 be the first to plunge into it. His head 

 should be small, his limbs clean and 

 compact, his eyes bright and sparkling, 

 his nostrils open and large, his ears 

 placed near each other, his mane strong 

 and full, his chest broad, his shoulders 

 flat and sloping backward, his barrel 

 round and compact, his loins broad and 

 strong, his tail full and bushy, his legs 

 straight and even, his knees broad and 

 well knit, his hoofs hard and tough, and 

 his veins large and swelhng all over his 

 body. — I'arro. 



A Phacticill Use of Dogs. — It is a 

 fact perhaps not generally known that 

 there is a firm doing business in San 

 Francisco who purchase the thousands 

 of dogs slaughtered by the pound master 

 of that city or that may have been other- 

 wise killed, for which they pay -10 cents 

 each. The carcasses are conveyed to 

 their manufactory at South San Fran- 

 cisco, where the skins are removed and 

 sold to the tanneries, the hair taken oft' 

 and resold to plasterers, the hide tanned, 

 made into gloves and sold in the market. 

 The denuded carcass is then thrown into 

 a huge caldron and boiled until the bones 

 are easily separated from the flesh, when 

 they are removed and sold to the sugar 

 refineries, where they are ground to a 

 powder and used to clarify sugar. The 

 oil that rises to the surface of the boiling 

 mass is skimmed oft' and manufactured 

 into cod liver oil, and the remainder is 

 used for the purpose of fattening hogs. 

 E.r. 



TuET who are most weary of life, and 

 yet most unwilling to die, are such who 

 have lived to no purpose — who have 

 rather breathed to no purpose. 



The So-called Hog Cholera. 



t'~^HE past season has been very 

 fatal to many of the Western hogs. 

 A large portion of many herds has 

 been canied ofi' by what is known 

 ,Kij as hog cholera. The disease is so 

 virulent, that before any course of treat- 

 ment can be determined on, it has run 

 its course, and in the majority of cases 

 most of the herd is lost. Treatment is 

 either of no avail whatever, or if the ani- 

 mal recovers, it is left in such a wretched 

 condition, paralyzed, rheumatic and 

 emaciated, that it is of less value than 

 the cost of restoration. It is therefore 

 necessary to consider how to pi-event the 

 "hog cholera," rather than to treat it. 



The disease is closely related to the so- 

 called Texan fever, or splenic apoplexy 

 of cattle, and on examining a dead hog, 

 the spleen is found gorged with black 

 blood, soft and greatly enlarged. Some- 

 times it takes the form of carbuncular 

 erysipelas, or the black leg of cattle, the 

 legs breaking out in sores. It is a true 

 case of blood-poisoning, that results in a 

 fever which may bo c.dlcd typhoid, en- 

 teric or intestinal, or anthrax, as persons 

 may choose. The disease can be pre- 

 vented, but can hardly be cirred. It is 

 most common in low, undrained, marshj" 

 places, or where the hogs are kept in 

 filthy pens, and have to drink water 

 fouled with their own evacuations. From 

 these it spreads to other quarters where 

 it would not originate. Sanitary meas- 

 ures, good food, pure water, clean quar- 

 ters, and the regular removal of the 

 droppings, and the abolition of the dis- 

 gusting practice of permitting hogs to 

 "follow cattle" and consume their excre- 

 ment, would doubtless entirely prevent 

 it. The most economical thing in stock 

 keeping is humanity, and such measures 

 as would preserve the health of the own- 

 ers themselves, would immediately re- 

 move their stood from the danger of the 

 virulent diseases which now decimate 

 them. — yational Live Stock Journal. 



A Peofitablb Hog. — The following 

 description of a profitable hog, was re- 

 ported by the committee, at the Swine 

 Breeders' Convention at Indianapolis, 

 Ind.: 



He must have a small, short head, 

 heavy jowl, and thick, short neck; ears 

 small, thin, and tolerably erect, not ob- 

 jectionable if they droop slightly for- 

 ward; must be straight from the neck 

 back to the flank; must be let well down 

 to the loiees in brisket; of good length 

 from head to tail; broad on the back; 

 ribbed rather barrel-shaped; must be 

 slightly curved or arched in the back 

 from shoulder to the setting on of tail; 

 tail small; long in the ham from hock to 

 letting o3 the loins; shoulder not too 

 large to give symmetry to the animal; 

 ham broad and full; hair smooth, and 

 evenly set on ; skin soft and elastic to the 

 touch; legs short, small, and well under; 

 broad between the legs; good depth be- 

 tween bottom and top of the hog; with a 

 pleasant, cjuict disposition; should not 

 weigh more than three or four hundred 

 pounds gross, at twelve to eighteen 

 months old, according to keep; color may 

 be black or white, or a mixture of the 

 two. The above described hog will 

 measure as many feet from the top of the 

 head to setting on of the tail as he does 

 around the body, and will measure as 

 many inches around the leg, below the 

 knee, as he does feet in length around 

 the body; depth of body will be four- 

 fifths of his hight. 



Old Foot Fabmebs. — Is not a farmer 

 an old fogy who will continue to breed 

 the common scrub hogs of the country, 

 when there is undoubted testimony from 

 everyone who has tried the improved 

 breeds, such as the Berkshire, Poland 

 China, etc., that there is a saving of at 

 least 25 to 50 per cent, in feed, in pro- 

 ducing a certain number of pounds of 

 pork, by keeping the improved breeds'/ 

 Is it not everywhere admitted that some 

 animals will fatten more readily than 

 others — that some breeds will fatten 

 more easily than others, on less food'/ 

 That some breeds of cattle are eminent 

 for their butter-producing properties'? 

 That some breeds of sheep are noted for 

 wool, and others for the quantity and 

 high quality of mutton they produ('e? 

 That some horses are noted for their 

 speed as trotters, and others for their 

 speed as runners? Is it strange, then, 

 tnat hogs should be subject to the same 

 law of improvement'/ That skill and 

 care and pains-taking selection of par- 

 ticular animals, should finally give us 

 breeds that keep easily, fatten easily,ma- 

 ture early, and have all the desirable 

 points required in swine? And yet there 

 are farmers who think the hazel-splitting, 

 razor-backed, alligator hog just as good 

 as any. They must believe the world 

 stands still; that there is no change, no 

 improvement in anything. Such f.armers 

 we class old fogies. — Coleii\aa's Rural 

 World. 



The hog is properly a European ani- 

 mal, though the wild hog was found in 

 the mountains of Syria and Asia Minor, 

 and still exists in the wilds of the Atlas 

 mountains in .\frica. The prohibition 

 of swine's flesh among the Egyptians and 

 Hebrews, shows that it was known as a 

 domestic animal even in those early 

 times. Among the Greeks and Romans 

 the hog was rather popular as a flesh 

 furnishing animal. It is the most pro- 

 lific of our domestic animals, and a given 

 weight of flesh can be produced at a less 

 expense than any other form of animal 

 food; but it is the hardest of digestion, 

 and least healthful of all our meats. In 

 cold climates, however, the large amount 

 of fat it contains is important as a heat 

 producing element, and, therefore. 

 Northern nations use largely of pork. 

 The filthy habits of the hog are owing 

 chiefly to his domestication. In the 

 wild state the hog is a cleanly animal, 

 living almost exclusively on vegetable 

 food, while the domestic hog is omnivo- 

 ons, and quite fond of animal food. — 

 Pairal Sun. 



How TO Keep Boars. — We read about 

 the care bestowed upon stallions, rams 

 and other breeding animals, but rarely 

 do we ever see a word on the care of 

 boars. They are usually raised with 

 breeding sows, and run and worry and 

 become nothing but runts. They go 

 days without food. They disappoint 

 their owners and everybody else. Now, 

 it is just as important to take care of a 

 breeding hog as it is of a horse, and a 

 good snug pen or yard should be used to 

 enclose them. They can be well fed here, 

 and made to grow; and if their services 

 are needed, it is easy to have a door or 

 gate to let breeding stock in. If this 

 plan is followed, one will have a far bet- 

 ter animal, and far better stock. The 

 slops of the kitchen, sour milk, vegeta- 

 bles, bran and soaked corn can be fed to 

 him, and he will be a credit to all con- 

 cerned. — Rural World. 



A MAX that will swear at the pig that 

 neglected to eat the acorn that grew the 

 tree from which came the refractory piece 

 of oak he is vainly trying to split, may 

 be said to have gotten down to the root 

 of the thing. 



Dentition in the Pig. — At birth the 

 pig has the temporary tusks and the cor- 

 ner incisors well up. These teeth are 

 very fine and sharp, almost like needles, 

 and" occupy a position on each side of the 

 mouth, leaving a clear space in front. 

 In a month to six weeks the central tem- 

 poraries are cut, and soon after the com- 

 pletion of the second month the lateral 

 incisors are cut, and the animal has its 

 full set of temporary teeth, including 

 three molars on each side, top and bot- 

 tom, six incisors, top and bottom, and a 

 tusk each side, top and bottom. At the 

 age of six months the premolars, which 

 occupy a position between the first tem 

 porary molar and the tusk, are cut, also 

 a permanent molar, which is fourth in 

 situation. The premolars are not always 

 present, and in their absence the fourth 

 molar will be accepted as an indication 

 of the age of six months. — Agricultural 

 Gazette. 



A SUCCESSFUL swine-breeder says sows 

 should be put in their farrowing-pens 

 about two weeks before the expected 

 time. This pen, for the large breeds, 

 should be eight feet square, end for the 

 small breeds seven feet square. K shelf 

 of one and a half inch plank, eight 

 inches wide, should surround the inside 

 of the pen, fastened securely, with the 

 underside of the shelf seven inches from 

 the floor. This shelf will prevent the 

 sow from lying on her pigs or crushing 

 them against the wall. 



This letting males run promiscuously 

 with a lot of breeding stock, and particu- 

 larly so far as hogs are concerned, can 

 not be too strongly condemned. Every 

 good breeder knows it, and no good 

 breeder will permit it to be done. — Rural 

 World. 



Quantity of Seed for an Acre. 



The following tuble, from Mr. Gre- 

 gory's Aun'ial Seed Circular, is inserted as 

 giving useful information which is often 

 wanted by our friends in guiding the 

 amount of their seed purchases. 



Seed men vary much in their direc- 

 tions for the quantity to be planted to 

 the acre. In the following list we give 

 the quantities of the more common sorts 

 used by practical farmers : 



Dwarf Beans, in drills 1 ii bu8h. 



Peas, thai make small vines H do 



Peas, that make large vines 1!* do 



BtetB, in drills 4 Ih 



Cabbage, in hills. M lb 



Cabbage, in bed to transplant 2 oz 



Carrot, in drills. 1 to IX lb 



Musk M. km. in hills. 1 to 1 H lb 



Mangold Wurtzel, iu drills 4 lis 



Onion, for bulbs, to sell green or 



to trace in drills 6 to 8 Hi 



Onions, for dry bulbs, in drills.. .3 to 4 lb 



Onions for sets, in <trillB 30 lb 



Onion sets, in drills 10 bush. 



Potatoes, in drills, cut, depends on 



number of eves. 8 to 14 do 



Radish, in drills 5 tt. 



Spinach, in drilla lOtolS lb 



Sage, in drills 2 to 6 ■ lb 



Squash (run varieties) in hills itoiH lb 



Squash (bash varieties) in hill 3 to 4 lb 



Tomato, in bed to transplant 2 02 



Turnip, in drills .....1 to 1)4 lb 



The Illinois Farmer's Association, at 

 their convention at Bloomington, adopt- 

 ed, among other resolutions, one de- 

 manding the withdrawal of the national 

 bank circulation and the issue of a green- 

 back currency direct from the treasury, 

 to be made a legal tender for all debts, 

 both public and private, except the 

 principal and interest on'the public debt, 

 contracted to be paid in gold, and inter- 

 changeable for registered bonds bearing 

 interest, to be paid in gold or legal ten- 

 der, at t'ae option of the holder, at a rate 

 not exceeding three per cent., said bonds 

 being redeemable at the pleasure of the 

 Government in from ten to fifteen years. 



