622 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



them which will take them from our planters who 

 are stiil planting worn out plantations in our state. 

 It is said that in Virginia at this time there are but 

 few to be had, and even with the prosent prices 

 traders are taking them oli' to New Orleans, 



The time is not distant when many of our 

 planters of poor and exhausted soils will not be 

 able to keep negroes at a price thai western lands 

 will fix upon them. 



It becomes us all therefore to look to our main 

 chance — the improvement of our agriculture — to 

 give more of our attention and thoughts to our 

 soils, to be able to keep what we have, and make 

 our own means profitable. If men will consider 

 the condition of the agriculture of the old coun- 

 tries, and look at the immense products of their 

 staples compared with ours, and seethe constant 

 and persevering efforts of their agriculturists, it 

 must certainly impress them with a belief that we 

 can do something if we try. 



The efforts making by the East India Company 

 to improve the culture of cotton in the East Indies 

 is worthy of our notice, although the probability 

 is that our country can produce it always at as 

 low a price as any other — still trammels may exist 

 in the form of imposts that may prevent our com- 

 petition with them at a future time. However 

 under all circumstances it is cur duty to exert our- 

 selves in our own cause. We need an improved 

 agriculture, and, with a proper effort we will 

 have it. 



TCHE TUEATJIEIVT OF SICK AKIfllALS. 



From the Farmer's Cabinet. 



There are so many erroneous notions prevalent 

 in the community reepecting injured or diseased 

 domestic animals, and such unnatural and injuri- 

 ous practices as a consequence of these incorrect 

 views, that no apology is necessary (bran attempt 

 10 subserve the cause and interests or these useful 

 creatures, who, if i hey had tongues to speak, would 

 tell sad tales of the wrongs to which ihey have 

 been, and still are, too often subjected. 



We do not propose to give an essay on the par- 

 ticular cases that require attention— our object is 

 rather very briefly to ask the owners of domestic 

 animals to be guided by a kw correct principles, 

 which are applicable to nearly all cases, and which 

 will at least prevent our doing harm where we are 

 not able to effect much good. 



In the first place, then, we would insist, that 

 when an animal is well he never requires any me- 

 dicine — and when he is sick, we would protest 

 against his being dosed with articles that are said 

 to be good for a particular disease, without any 

 reference to i's violence or the symptoms, as com- 

 mon sense would dictate ; that remedies tlie most 

 opposite in their character and effects may be 

 equally advantageous in different periods of a 

 case, 



Alwaj's distrust the man and tlierem^dy, when 

 your friend declares that an article is always 

 'gootf or a 'certain cure'' for a disease, without 

 relerence to its symptoms — prescribing (or the 

 name of the disease, rather than the disease itself; 

 this is the very essence of quackery, in man or 

 beast. 



A large proportion of the diseases of animals 



closely resemble those of the human family, re- 

 quire a treatment conducted upon tlie same gene- 

 ral principles — with some variations and some pe- 

 culariiies, it is true, but none of those outrageous 

 departures from common sense which are too fre- 

 quently witnessed. 



A horse with pleurisy, or inflammation of the 

 lungs, or apoplexy, requires a widely different 

 treatment from one with colic or with worms. 

 There is no more mystery about the diseases of a 

 horse or an ox than about those of a man, and a 

 violation of natural laws is as productive of pain 

 and injury in one as the olher. 



There is, too, a great propensity every where to 

 resort to active treatment in all cases — a feeling 

 that is encouraged by the ignorant or designing 

 for selfish purposes. An adviser in sickness is of- 

 ten most useful and shows most skill where he only 

 tells what is to be avoided and waits for indica- 

 tions for more active measures — doinglitile more 

 than preventing ignorant but well-mftanuig per- 

 sons from interleriiig with salu'.ary changes that 

 may be going on. 



Remember that there is a restorative power in 

 nature, to which it is always better to trust, than 

 to direct active remedies without knowing (or what 

 particular purpose they are given. 



There is never occasion tor the administration 

 of the disgusting combinations which the poor ani- 

 mal is made to swallow, from the whim of an igno- 

 rant horse or cow doctor. Many a fine beast lias 

 been lost by his owner trusting to such prescrip- 

 tions. 



AVhen your animal has fever, nature would 

 dictate that all slimulaiing articles of diet or medi- 

 cine should be avoided. RIeeding may be neces- 

 sary to reduce the force of the circulation — purging 

 to remove irritating sulisfances (iom the bowels — 

 moist, light and easily digested (bod, that his weak- 

 ened digestion niaj' not be oppressed — cool drinks, 

 to allay thirst, and to some extent, compensate for 

 diminished secretions — rest and quiet, to prevent 

 undue excitement in his system, and so on through 

 the whole catalogue of diseases — but nothing to 

 be done without reason. Carry out this principle 

 and you will probably do much trood — hardly great 

 harm ; — go on any oMier, and your measures are 

 more likely to be productive of injury than benefit. 

 But, as we have before said, our object now is not 

 to speak of diseases in detail — it is rather to en- 

 courage our agricultural friends to think before 

 they act — to have a reason that will bear examina- 

 tion for every step in the management of a sick or 

 injured animal — to remember they have a powerful 

 assistant in nature, if she is fairly used — and that 

 specifics, as they are called, are much fewer and 

 less to be trusted than their proprietors would 

 have us believe. We might, indeed, almost sum 

 up what we would desire in one general direction 

 of five words — treat your brutes like 



MEN- 



RECEIPT FOR MAKING CIDER, AND PRESERV- 

 ING IT SOUND FOR YEARS. 



/rom the Ealeigh Star of 1819, 



Three months ago, I was at the house of Ni- 

 cholas Nail, Esq., who lives near deep river, at the 

 upper extremity of Moore county, where I drank 



