498 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



but through the outer coat, so that the half di- 

 gested contents of the stomach escaped into the 

 hollow of the chest — vvhicii was the work of the 

 Jarvse — for there was not that appearance of de- 

 cay which would denote such inflammaiiun as 

 would cause rottenness of the stomach; and lliernw; 

 edges of the orifices p/aw/j/ indicated that llie sto- 

 mach had been gnawed through by the grub. 



I am convinced that as soon as the horse be- 

 comes feverish, and when that food which is most 

 congenial to the appetite of the larva; is dimin- 

 ished by the heat of inflammation, they attack the 

 Btomach, and Irom their carnivorous r)atuie are 

 soon enabled to pierce it entirely through, vvliich 

 causes instantaneous death. It has been argued 

 that their "heads being covered by the mucus 

 and cuticular coats of the stomach to which they 

 are attached, they cannot be affected by any me- 

 dicines which maybe administrated with satiety 

 to the horse." 1 acknowledge that such medi- 

 cines as brine, oils, and spirits of turpentine, will 

 never cause them to detach — and it is reasonable 

 (o suppose that these will have no effect, as the 

 larvfe will live in the first 48 hours ; in oils, 15 

 hours ; in spirits of turpentine, 3| hours, and even 

 in nitric acid, 37 minutes. 



The larvae is carnivorous, and created to be the 

 scourge of the horse during that period which na- 

 ture has ordained they should abide in the sto- 

 mach. Such horses as are kept stabled are very 

 seldom liable to inconvenience li-om them : and in 

 every instance we find that horses which have 

 been, at some time previous, grazing or running 

 at large, are the victims. This is owing, i pre- 

 sume, to the fact that the urine of the stable prevents 

 the CEslrus equi from breeding when the larvae is 

 voided under its influence, and that greater num- 

 bers are bred in pastures, where the sun and the 

 nature of the situation tend to facilitate their ge- 

 neration. 



I have never found relief in any case of bols, 

 unless the following remedy was administered, 

 which was communicated to me by a gentleman 

 of the west. 



Two buttons of nux vomica, pulverized or rasped 

 up, and a decoction made by boiling it in 1 pint of 

 wafer, boiling it until the quantity is decreased to 

 half a pint. Give the horse this, and repeat the 

 dose until relieved, administering the doses' at in- 

 tervals of two hours. I have known, in one in- 

 stance, seven doses to be given, and have never 

 known the remedy tolail ina case of bois if taken 

 in time. 



This remedy will prove itself when it is consi- 

 dered that the bot is carnivorous and nux vomica 

 is a sure poison to all carnivorous animals ; whilst 

 the horse being gramnivorous, it cannot be of in- 

 jury to him or animals of thal'species. After this 

 being administered to a horse he will invariably 

 thrive finely; which would sugceRtthat it perhaps 

 would be prudent for us touse Uiis as a preventive, 

 and therefore obviate the necessity of usino- ii as 

 a cure. '^ 



Newberry, S. C, July 16, 1840. 



[The article referred to above, from tfie History of 

 the Horse, and which maintains the opposite doctrine of 

 the harmlessness of bots, was inserted at pa^-e 251 

 Vol. II. of Farmers' Register.— Ed. F. R.] 



AGRICULTURE IN MASSACHUSETTS. 



Morals of Labor. 



From the New England fanner. 



Whoever had the pleasureof hearing Gov. Hil! 

 at the Slate House the last winter, at one of the 

 agricultural meetings, will not have forgotten some 

 admirable remarks made on that occasion by thia 

 gentleman. If we had access to them, we ccr- 

 lainly should transcribe them, as embracing pre- 

 cisely our own opinions in relation to the subject. 

 Our young men in general, when they go to .ser- 

 vice, or as it is customarily termed, " hire out," 

 seem to think that there is something detrradiiig 

 in the idea of being servants ; and bring with them 

 so much of what they deem a proper spirit of inde- 

 pendence, that they forget the employer has any 

 rights, and take pride in insolence and ill-manners. 

 Now we protest against meanness and servility, 

 but still more against incivility and insolence. The 

 truth is, that no honest employment is derogatory 

 to any man ; and we cannot name a man in the 

 cornmunity who i>; not a servant in some respects 

 toothers. JVlany eiluations in life, which to the 

 multitude arc objects of envy, are situations of ex- 

 treme drudgery, much more severe both to mind 

 and body than labor on a farm. 



The laborer has his rights and duties. Having 

 entered into service for a fixed compensation, un- 

 less expre.=s exceptions are made at the time of the 

 engagement, he is bound to render his best ser- 

 vices on the farm, in the mostassiduous and (aithl'ul 

 manner, under the direction of his employer, whe- 

 ther he approves that direction or not; and we 

 know of but one rule for an honest man, which is 

 to consider his employer's interest as his own, and 

 do in every respect in the case as he would judge 

 it right to do if the situations were reversed, and 

 he were the employer instead of the employed. 

 The employer is bound on the other hand, to fur- 

 nish the laborer with a sufficiency of good and 

 wholesome food, suitably prepared ; comfortable 

 lodgings ; exact no unreasonable service ; and 

 treat his laborers with kindness, civil language, 

 and all proper confidence. This comprehends all 

 the mutual duties as we understand them. It ol- 

 ten happens that hired men are disposed to make 

 difficulties if two tables are set. In this matter 

 let the householder never yield a hair's breadth of 

 his authority. In many cases it is most convenient 

 to have but one table ; but in this respect the la- 

 borer has no claims except, to a sufticiency ofgood 

 and wholesome food, prepared properly and sea- 

 sonably ; but he has no right nor shadow of right 

 to interfere with the fiirmer's domestic arrange- 

 ments, as oftentimes it must break up entirely that 

 domestic quiet and privacy which constitute the 

 chief pleasures of domestic life. We have no 

 arbitrary distinctions of rank in this country, and 

 every man's standing depends upon his moral 

 character. One man is as honorable as another, 

 vvho behaves himself as well as another. JBut 

 then our pursuits in life are very different fi-om each 

 other. Our tastes are not always congenial ; and 

 it is not necessary, that under the ridiculous pre- 

 tence of maintaining a nominal equality, we should 

 sacrifice the comforts of life by associations which 

 are not in truth agreeable to either party. Where 

 it can be done without being oflensive or inconve- 

 nient, we admit that it would be much more 



