224 



Jlniinal and Vegetable Manures. 



Vol. IV. 



if they were, their mouths are too deeply 

 buried in the mucous coat of the stomach, for 

 any medicine that can safely be administered 

 to affect them, and last of all, in due time, 

 they will detach themselves and come away." 

 'i'hat the most useless or pernicious me- 

 thods are ret^orted to at times, tor the removal 

 of the bot, is evident to all who are acquaint- 

 ed with the treatment to which the horse is 

 subjected in the hands of the ignorant. A 

 correspondent, in the last volume of the Cul- 

 tivator, mentions an instance in which a 

 horse was cruelly killed by turninof boiling 

 water i'rom a tea-kettle down his throat, to 

 cure an attack of the hots. That no substance 

 can be given as medicine, sufficiently power- 

 ful to destroy the bot, or make him let go his 

 hold, that would not be fatal to the animal, is 

 evident from the following table of experi- 1 

 ments, which is copied from the Medical 

 Register, and which were performed under 

 the direction of Mr. Green. The bots were 

 about two-thirds grown, were vigorous and 

 active, and were exposed to the action of the 

 several substances for the time stated. 



Immersed in, 

 Rum, ... 

 Decoction of tobacco, - 

 Strong elixer vitriol, - 

 Essential oil of mint, - 

 Volatile spirit, - 

 Spirits of turpentine, - 

 Decoction of pink root, 

 Fish oil, - - - 

 Linseed oil, 

 Tincture of aloes, 

 Brine, - - . 

 Solution of indigo, 



Bots placed in a strong solution of cam- 

 phor, and in one of corrosive sublimate, lived, 

 in the first, till taken out ten hours after- 

 wards, and in the last, six hours without in- 

 jury. Strong vitriolic acid alone compelled 

 them to let go their hold on the stomach, 

 but this, as is well known, would be death to 

 the horse, if administered. 



From our experience, we are inclined to 

 the opinion that in this case, as in many 

 others, prevention is easier than to cure. If, 

 during the few weeks the horse is exposed to 

 the attacks of the gad-fly, the spots where 

 the eggs are deposited were to be slowly 

 rubbed with a cloth moistened in warm wa- 

 ter, or even by the naked moist hand, so 

 large a proportion of the young larva) would 

 be disengaged at every operation, that little 

 danger or injury could ensue to the animal. 

 Moisture and warmth are required to cause 

 the insect to open its covering, and if this is 

 applied in any other way than by the longuc 

 of tiie animal, the larva; is infallibly de- 

 stroyed. 



The cut, (fig. 26,) with the accompanying 

 description, copied from Mr. Youatt's great 

 work on the Horse, will show the appearance 

 of the insects in their several stages of ex- 

 istence, and the magnified Q^gs show the 

 opening through which the worm is attached 

 to the tongue of the horse in the process of 

 lickinar. 



Fig. 26. 



a and b, The eggs of the gad-fly, adhering 

 to the hair of the horse. 



c. The appearance of the bots on the 

 stomach, firmly adhering by their hooked 

 mouths. The marks, or depressions, are 

 seen, which are left on the coat of the stom- 

 ach, when the bots are detached from their 

 hold. 



(/, The bot detached. 



e. The female of the gad-fly, of the horse, 

 prepared to deposite her eggs. 



/, The gad-fly, by which the red bots are 

 produced. 



S, The smaller, or red bot. — Cultivator. 



Inipvovcnicut of tlie Soil liy Auimal aud 

 Vegetable Manures* 



The great sources of fertility to the farm, 

 are the refuse of the crops which they bear, 

 modified by the farm stock, and preserved 

 and judiciously applied by the husbandman. 

 Inhere is not a vegetable matter grown upon 

 the farm, be it considered ever so useless or 

 noxious, but will, after it has served ordinary 

 useful purposes, impart fertility to the soil, 

 and contribute to tiie growth of a new gene- 

 ration uf plants, if it is judiciously husbanded 

 and applied. There is not an animal sub- 

 stance, be it solid, licpiid or gaseous, — be it 

 bone, horn, urine, hair, wool or flesh, or the 

 gasca which are generated by the decomposi- 



