354 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



interest, to the interest of the profession to which 

 he helongs, but the argument is childish, if nothing 

 worse, that protests ag linst the advantage of the 

 many being consulted at the expense of the few. 

 If the ultimate object of medicine be to support 

 those who practice it, it becomes the duty of every 

 one of its professors to help the people in igno- 

 rance ; the man who expounds the functions of di- 

 gestion to the masses becomes a dangerous mem- 

 ber ; the individual who insists on ventilation, a 

 traitor to his cause. The total eradication of dis- 

 ease is synonymous with the annihilation of medi- 

 cine ; nevertheless he is no true disciple who does 

 not aim £t such an end. We are glad to quote 

 from an opening lecture delivered by Professor 

 Spooner in 184U. Speaking of the contract system, 

 he remarks, "The further this system is carried, 

 the more it will lead to a very broad development 

 in both the veterinary and medical professions — 

 public health, as maintained by the adoption of 

 prophylactiek measures, is that to which I allude; 

 and the preservation of health ought, I think, be 

 considered by us as a nobler art than the cure of 

 disease. The rapid strides which agriculture is 

 making, in the draining of lands, the knowledge of 

 crops, &c, all lead to this consideration. The 

 flocks%nd herds that adorn our landscapes, are as 

 much crops as far as their growth is concerned, as 

 are the ears of wheat or blades of grass that flutter 

 in the breeze. An extension of the same science 

 that fattens the corn will fatten the cattle. The 

 vegetable kingdom, also, has its diseases and its 

 cures, equally with the animal ; but it is art and 

 science on a large scale alone that can, by combat- 

 ting with the one, furnish the other. I look upon 

 the veterinarian as the inseparable companion of 

 the farmer, in the grand matter of the preserva- 

 tion of the health of his live stock ; and the con- 

 tract system must ultimately, I think, lead to his 

 being paid rather according to the health, than 

 according to the disease of the animals placed un- 

 der his care."' It is to the scientific investigator, 

 not to the cowleach or the farrier, that the agri- 

 culturist must look for the attainment of so grand 

 an object. We trust the prediction of Professor 

 Spooner will, ere long, be fulfilled. 



Up to the present we have dealt with generali- 

 ties, which, though useful, are not sufficient. If 

 they are not easily opposed, they may be to some 

 not convincing ; our subject requires us to enter 

 into details — to expose, by reference to constantly 

 recurring instances, the mal-practices of those 

 who professing to alleviate animal sufferings, do 

 frequently but contribute to its increase. 



swelling yielded to soft washings and laxative med- 

 icines. Farmers should make it a point to de- 

 stroy the dogwood which grows so luxuriantly and 

 abundantly in wet meadows. Would it not be 

 well in schools to make the children acquainted 

 with it? There are but very few that know it, 

 and I could give proofs from my own experience, 

 how dangerous it is, not to know such an enemy. 

 Lancaster. Charles Siedhof. 



For the New England Farmer. 



A COW POISONED BY DOGWOOD. 



Mr. Bfiow T n : — In June, 1851, one of my cows 

 went from the pasture among the bushes that line 

 the road from my place to Still River. The follow- 

 ing day, her eyes began to swell ; the third day 

 her whole forehead was covered with ulcers and 

 scurf. She did not seem to suffer much ; still, not 

 knowing what to make of it, I consulted a man 

 who had the reputation of being a skilful veter- 

 narian. Although he confessed that he had nev- 

 er seen anything similar, yet he concurrred with 

 me in the opinion, that the cow was poisoned. 

 The day after, I found an abundance of dogwood 

 in the place whore the cow was found. The 



GROWING TREES FROM CUTTINGS. 



There are a great many things left yet, we are 

 confident, that our philosophy has never dreampt 

 of. Last spring we tried the Bohemian method of 

 inserting cuttings in potatoes — but the vital fluid 

 never ascended into the cuttings, and instead of a 

 crop of trees, we shall get a crop of potatoes. We 

 intend to try the suggestions given below ; the ex- 

 periment will be a cheap and simple one, and in 

 relation to every similar experiment we would say 

 to the reader "go, thou, and do likewise." 



A French gentleman, named Delacroix, has dis- 

 covered a new mode of propagating trees from cut- 

 tings, which has proved successful for apples, 

 pears, plums, apricots, &c, as well as for roses 

 and other plants that are tenacious of life. This 

 method is to bend the cutting in the form of a 

 bow and to put it in the ground at the two ex- 

 tremities, leaving only the middle part exposed and 

 on a level with the surface of the ground. There 

 must at that point be a good bud or shoot. All 

 other parts being protected by the earth from dry- 

 ing, give vigor to the bud, which is soon trans- 

 formed into leaves, by which in its turn it draws 

 from the atmosphere the carbon necessary to the 

 formation of the roots. The method of planting 

 is to form two ridges, and placing the cuttings 

 across the furrow between, cover the ends with 

 earth, press it upon them, and water freely. The 

 cuttings should be of last year's growth. 



TOMATOES. 



Those who wish to hurry their tomatoes for mar- 

 ket, may do so by proper shortening-in at this 

 time. All must have observed that 90 per cent, 

 of the tomatoes grow within 18 inches of the 

 ground, and that ninety per cent, of the vine, con- 

 taining only ten per cent, of the fruit, grows above 

 this point ; therefore cut it off and remove it with 

 the small tomatoes. The vines will not bleed, and 

 the large tomatoes left will increase in size more 

 than equal the value of those removed, besides get- 

 ting them in market while the price is sufficiently 

 high to compensate for their culture. — Working 

 Farmer. 



Remarks. — Try this and ascertain whether Pro- 

 fessor Mapes is right. 



Warts on Plum Trees. — In the warts on the 

 plum twigs left with us by a gentleman a few days 

 since, we see nothing differing from their usual 

 appearance. Lying by us for a week, they are 

 now hard and black. The softness and green co- 

 lor which they presented we have often noticed 

 on young trees standing on rich ground and hav- 

 ing a luxuriant growth. 



