FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 365 



der, and the leaves, when green, as excelent food for Rab- 

 bits, and serving for litter when dried. 



There are eight kinds of this plant as enumerated by Mr, 

 Green, in his Catalogue of American Plants ; but the larg- 

 est kind is recommended for culture. It should be raised 

 in rows, and cultivated in the manner of hoed crops. Ic is 

 easily raised, and gathered ; the crop is a very sure one, 

 and subject to little or no injury from rains, or otherwise, 

 if left standing for some days after it is fully ripe. It, how- 

 ever, does not ripen all at the same time. 



The oil is extracted from the seed in the same manner 

 as that of fl. xseed ; it answers well for printing, and for 

 painting; and the cake is good for fating cattle, beside the 

 uses before mentioned. 



It is believed that the culture of this plant, on an exten 

 sive scale, would be found very profitable. 



SURFEIT. A disease to which cattle, and particularly 

 H >rses, are liable. In Horses, it is generally the effect of 

 intense labor, or overheating. The skin becomes dry and 

 full of dander, or of scabs, if the disease be more inveterate. 

 The hair of the animal stands out, and he has a dull slug- 

 gish look. 



Some have merely this look, and appearance of the hair, 

 while they grow lean and hidebound, without any irruptions 

 of the skin. Some have what is called a wet surfeit, in 

 which case sharp thin humors run from the scabs. This is 

 often attended with great heat, inflammations, and sudden 

 swellings of the neck, which causes great quantities of bri- 

 ny liquor to issue from that part ; and, if not allayed, will 

 collect on the withers, and produce the fistula, or about 

 the head, and produce the pollevil. 



To cure the dry surfeit, the Author of . The Complete 

 Farmer 9 directs, first, to lake away three or four pounds of 

 bluod, and then give the following purge, which will work 

 as an alterative, and should be repeated once a week, for 

 some time: 



* Take succotrine aloes, six drachms, or one ounce ; gum 

 guaicum, half an ounce ; diaphoretic antimony, and powder 

 of myrrh, of each two drachms; and make the whole into a 

 ball with syrup of buckthorn.' 



In the intermediate days, an ounce of the following pow- 

 der should be given, morning and evening, with his feed. 



* Take native cannabar, or cinnabar of antimony, finely 

 powdered, half a pound ; crude antimony, in fine powder, 

 four ounces ; gum guaicum, in powder, four ounces ; make 

 the whole into sixteen doses, for eight days.' 



The medicine must be repeated till the Horse coats well, 

 and the symptoms of the disease disappear. If the scabs do 



