1839] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



25S 



to publish his preliminary statement, in advance 

 of the more full future information he had pro- 

 mised. Tliis he kindly accorded, and therefore 

 we are authorized to give, what is always so desi. 

 rable, the writer's signature to his statement. 

 Time did not permit a like application to the other 

 and more remote correspondent ; or leave would 

 also have been asked of him to publish what he de- 

 signed to be private ; and, therefore, in taking the 

 liberty, the name of the correspondent is withheld. 

 The high authority which we attach to the opi- 

 nions of both these gentlemen, offers to us a much 

 better assurance of the superior value of this new 

 kind of coilton, than the enormous price of its 

 seed. Still, it would seem, there is no mode so 

 effectual to introduce a new thing, whether it be 

 of the most valuable kind, or the most palpable 

 humbug and cheat, as to ask for it a price of the 

 most unheard of enormity. It] according to the 

 heretofore liberal and universal procedure of south- 

 ern agriculturists, the first holders of this variety 

 of cotton, had offered to give' away seeds, or to 

 sell them at merely a fully remunerating price, 

 few persons would have cared to plant them. 

 But by pursuing the contrary course, and asking 

 50 cents a seed, the anxiety to obtain them has 

 probably been increased in the ratio of the ad- 

 vance of price. All this is well, if confined to 

 real improvements ; and if such cannot be intro- 

 duced by operating by means of reason and sound 

 precept, it is certainly desirable that it should be 

 done by operating on the credulity and folly of the 

 recipients. But, unfortunately, it has come to be 

 considered that the high price asked for new seeds, 

 &c., is alo7ie sufficient evidence of their intrinsic 

 value; and hence dupes are continually made by 

 the vilest and grossest impositions that can be im- 

 agined. Tlius Grant Thorburn's -'Chinese corn," 

 at 25 cents, and latterly ^1 the ear, has been sold 

 as readily as if its alleged superior qualities were 

 supported by the most indisputable evidence, in- 

 stead of by none whatever, except the price. 



But let us not quarrel with the workings of fol- 

 ly, if they lead to wise and profitable results ; and 

 we may bear even that dupes should be made, 

 (as they jore/er this mode of instruction,) by the 

 sellers of Chinese corn and muhicaulis seed, in 

 consideration that the same kind of folly will in- 

 troduce and establish the culture of the Rohan po- 

 tato, (recently selling at 25 cents the pound,) the 

 okra cotton, (if it should be what it is supposed,) 

 the morus multicaulis, and, what will be of incalcu- 

 lable value and importance to the country, the great 

 industry of silk-culture. For our countrymen 

 closed their ears to ail arguments in favor of their 

 entering upon this culture, until the plants to feed 

 oa rose to three cents the bud ; and now, thou- 



sands are about to feed worms, induced at first 

 solely by the high price of the morus multicaulis ; 

 and we entertain no doubt but that this most valu- 

 able culture will now be speedily and surely estab- 

 lished.— Ed. F. R. 



LOIPf DISTEMPER IN HOGS. 



To tlie Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



3farch SOth, 1839. 



In the November number of the Farmers' Re- 

 gister for 1838, 1 find a piece from the Tennessee 

 Farmer, signed Parvus Agricola, entitled "loin dis- 

 temper in hogs;" by which I suppose is meant the 

 dragging of the loins and hind legs — not an un- 

 common disease with hogs. Why Agricola hap- 

 pened to stumble upon arsenic as a remedy for the 

 above disease, 1 am at loss to conceive ; unless in- 

 deed it was to rid the poor animal of his misery, 

 and himself of further trouble, by his speedy death, 

 which I suppose would have been the case, had it 

 have acted on the hog as on most other animals; 

 but with them it is said to be innoxious, and al- 

 though harmless, as it proved to be, it certainly did 

 no good. Now his other remedy "of pouring hot 

 tar over the loins of the hog," has some reason with 

 it, and to which probably he is indebted for the 

 cure. 



It is to guard the inexperienced against the in- 

 discriminate use ol' so deadly a medicine as arse- 

 nic, and to suirgest a very simple, as well as effi- 

 cient mode of treatment for the said disease, which 

 I have been long in the habit of pursinng, that I 

 have been induced to notice the remarks of Parvus 

 Agricola. My method of cure though, for ought I 

 know, may be in common use, as it is very easily 

 practised, and one that 1 should think would sug- 

 gest iiself to almost every observing man. But as 

 we in Virginia, are in the habitof committing most 

 of the minor detads of our agricultural labors to 

 oihers, the disease as well as the remedy, may 

 have escaped the attention of the more reflecting, 

 and of those most interested. 



The dragging of the loins in hogs is occasioned, 

 as I suppose, for I never dissected one, by a disease 

 of the kidneys, which may or may not be occa- 

 sioned by worms, as they are frequently found in 

 that part of the animal ; and the mode of treatment 

 that ! should think would most naturally suggest 

 itself, would be to produce counter irritation on the 

 surface, nearest the part affected. With this view, 

 ( make a small incision on each side of the spine, 

 through the skin, just over the kidneys, and intro- 

 duce into each incision one or two peas, beans, or 

 ijrains of corn, as may be most convenient at the 

 time, previously rolled in tar, and close tlie skin 

 over them, thereby producing an issue over each 

 kidney. The result has been, that in a iew daya 

 the hog was restored to its legs again, and in a short 

 time to its perfect health. This practice I have 

 followed for some years, and in no instance have I 

 seen it fail to produce a radical cure. An issue 

 made in any other way would doubtless be equal- 

 ly efficacious. The above mode was adopted as 

 the most simple that presented itself to my mind. 

 It was in this way, I presume, by pouring the 

 hot tar over the loins of his hog, that Parvus Ag- 

 ricola effected a cure, and not by the use of arse- 



