670 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 9 



tunilies for infection, die. Such was the result of 

 my own experience this summer, in ihe loss o( two 

 viilijal)le JJurhams, which had never consorted 

 with an infecied flock. As an evidence moreover 

 of one ol'the mca;/iZ)'c«6Zcs connected with this dis- 

 order, ] believe instances can be produced of cer- 

 tain locations, and certain herds, wliich have been 

 exempt, while those adjoininii liave suffered, under 

 similar circumstances, as far as could be observed. 



J)ry, hot weather, with lean pastures, have with 

 some fieen tiiouirht to liave some connection with 

 this mysterious disease; while others have found 

 that rich pastures have been more flivorable to it, 

 and that fat cattle have been more frequently the 

 victims. Tiiis year particularly has been remark- 

 able for its moderate temperature and luxuriant 

 pastiiraire, and as remarkable for mortality of cat- 

 tle, in this vicinity. 



All, I believe, who haveliad any experience on 

 the subject, will agree that \h\v escape the disease, 

 and consequently death, which are broutrht from 

 the west to the east, even lor twenty miles ; and 

 yet I believe it is a fact that a large portion of those 

 brou2;ht at an early age from the north, or from 

 England, wid escape. On this particular, how- 

 ever, I should like to hear what is the experience 

 of others. 



Many of the best flirmers in the middle counties 

 of Virginia rely with very great confidencfi upon 

 the free use of tar, sulphur and salt, during the 

 summer months, as a preventive. It is hoped that 

 amongst the many intelligent farmers who read 

 your journal that some will give what information 

 they possess relative to the prevention, as well as 

 cure of this singular and mischievous disease. 



!n a trip which I lately made to the county of 

 Nottoway, I met with a liirmerof some experience 

 who gave me some curious facts relative to the 

 disease undfT considera'ion, some of which he 

 derived fiom Mr. Win. M. Watkins of Charlotte, 

 (who I hope will favor the public with the amount 

 of his information loiicliingtliat matter.) Amongst 

 other tliinirs it was thought, that the disease called 

 '•hollow-horn" and the '-distemper" were con- 

 nected, and very many cases were cured by cer- 

 tain remedies applied to the horns. This is cer- 

 tainly contrary to all the opinions which I had 

 Ibrnied on the subject; my observation had led me 

 to the lielief that Ihe former of these diseases was 

 only to be seen in the spring of the year, when 

 the caidi^ liad passed through a severe winter, or 

 iiad been badly fed ; whereas the latter is seldom 

 to be met with except in the latter part of sum- 

 mer or aulunni, when they are generally fat. 



Since wriiing the above I have conversi-d with 

 a irentleman of ihis place who has considerable 

 skill, or at least considerable reputation in Ihe cure 

 of tbis disease. He also enteriains the belief that 

 "hollow- hr>rn" and "distemper" are the same dis- 

 ease, or, as liir as his observation goes, are inva- 

 riably connected. He often preserves their lives 

 by boring the horns alone, without any (urther 

 remedy. The horns are invariably fouriU to be 

 hollow, in which he usually Introduces vineo-arand 

 Bah. Perhaps there is a deleterious gas to which 

 the operation givtis vent; and if so, would not the 

 chloride of lime or soda, be prell^rable? 



The remedy on which he relies with perhaps 

 still greater confidence is very free bleeding, but. 

 to be successful, it must be used at a very early 

 stage of the disease. 



If I am net mistaken, my young friend, E. G 

 Booth, of Nottoway, has had some experience 

 which would be ol use to the public on ibis sub- 

 ject. VV.I. Dupuy. 



September 23rd, 1839. 



We add to the above our request to the two 

 gentlemen named, and to any others who may 

 possess light on this subject, to furnish ii for the 

 benefit of the public. There are few things less 

 understood than this strange disease of cattle in 

 this region ; and few evils of such frequent oc- 

 currence, and certain loss to the flirnier, have re- 

 ceived so little notice, or investigation to discover 

 the cause, or the remedy. — Ed, 



REMARKS ON MAKING GOOD PORK AND 

 BACOiV. 



To tlic Editor of the Farmers' Kpgi^itcr. 



1 do not know any thing of more importance 

 than fine bacon, and it is seldom /bund even in Vir- 

 ginia. First, to make good bacon, the hogs ought 

 not to be confined, or kept loo fat, during llieir 

 growih. If hogs are kept at a still house, or in 

 small pens, their meat will not be as firm and 

 sweet as 'hose that have run at large, wilh a va- 

 riety of liiod. The sows ought to be manaiied so 

 as to fi^ed th(; pii.rs but one winter. I preler lur 

 ftmily use hoars to weiyh I'mm 125 to 150 pounds, 

 and, usually, not to iei lioiis ol that size remain in 

 salt but u!iout lour weeks ; a fiiw days longer if the 

 weather is very cold ; and a week lonirer if the 

 hogs are much larger, A great deal of bacon is 

 injured l)y too much salt, and too much smoke. 

 Ii makes it dry and hard. I put a small tea spoon- 

 ful of saltpetre to every joint, and have it well 

 rubbed in with the salt (in piik'ing tulis.) When 

 the meat has remained in salt ihe four or five 

 weeks, it is taken out, and while wet, the joints 

 arc rulibed with dry hickory uslies, and then hung 

 up, and smoked once a day until ii is dry, and 

 tlien in ailjdamp weather. To make good bacon, 

 the hogs nuist be healthy and fiif. 



The same remarks nill apply as to mutton. 

 Do not put too many sheep together, and let them 

 have as great variety of food as possible, and 

 plenty of salt. A Virginia Farmer, 



P. S. I consider it important to know to what 

 aire a mare (well ta.ken care of) will breed. I 

 have an old l)roo(i mare, the half si-ler of Gohan- 

 nu's dam, that has a young colt by iier side, at 

 twenty-seven. 



THE MULTICAULIS MARKET AND PRICES. 



Since our last publication, there have been but 

 few sales of multicaulis trees, and the market has 

 continued as dull, as that of all public stocks. 

 Still, notwithstanding the general depression, and, 

 in some cases, also panic, there have been very 

 few, and ihose but small lots, sold at any lower than 

 previous prices— and the greatest sale, by far, went 

 off at prices enormously and unprecedentedly high, 



