1859. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



569 



CURE "WANTED. 



I have a three year old colt that settles back 

 on his halter, brings his under lip up on the hitch 

 strap and grunts or makes a noise like a horse 

 cribbing. I don't know but it is the first stages 

 of cribbing, but I have never seen him get hold 

 of anything and grunt — nothing more than to 

 bear down on the halter and grunt. What is the 

 matter with him ? J. Warren. 



Charleston, N. JET., 1859. 



Remarks. — It is difficult, from such, or any de- 

 scription, to tell what the matter is with the colt. 

 There is some morbid affection, or the animal 

 would stand quietly in the stall when properly 

 fed. There is actual disease, of some kind, or 

 there remains some want unsupplied. It appears 

 that the colt is stabled — is he there constantly? 

 If so, let him run an hour or two, each day in 

 the field where he can have access to plowed 

 ground ; add to this regular, and sufficient feed- 

 ing, and try the plan. If this fails, some wiser 

 head than ours must prescribe for him, from an 

 investigation of the case. 



PHOSPHATE OF LIMB VS. ASHES. 



Messrs. Editors : — I have heretofore been 

 slow to adopt the new notions in agricultural im- 

 provements, especially in the use of the so-called 

 fertilizers. But within the last two years I have 

 learnt of some good results from the application 

 of superphosphate of lime, and this season I have 

 for the first time used that fertilizer. I obtained 

 some of Coe's superphosphate of lime, and on the 

 23d of May planted my potatoes, and about the 

 same time planted my garden vegetables. I had 

 spread and plowed in a small quantity of stable- 

 manure. According to my usual custom, I planted 

 in drills — tubers about 20 inches apart in the 

 row, and cut so as to be not more than three or 

 four sprouts in a hill. I planted two rows side by 

 side. In one I put unleached ashes, as many as 

 I could well hold in my hand at once, in each hill. 

 In the other I put two-thirds of a gill of super- 

 phosphate of lime in each hill. Very early in the 

 season there Avas a marked difference. Where 

 the phosphate was put, the vines grew more rap- 

 idly, and when they had attained their growth, 

 hey were one-third to one-half larger than those 

 where the ashes were put. I have now dug the 

 potatoes, and will here state the result : 



I dug ten hills where ashes were put, which 

 contained 36 of good size — weight, 8^ lbs. ; small 

 size, weight, | lb.=9i lbs. Ten hills where the 

 phosphate was put, 55 of good size — weight, 15^ 

 lbs. ; small size, weight, 15 lbs.=17^ lbs. 



I thought the difference was so great that this 

 statement might not be believed, and my neigh- 

 bor, Mr. William Reed, accepted my invitation 

 to be present at another trial. Mi-. II. made the 

 figures : 



I dug ten hills where ashes were put, 34 of 

 good size — weight, 6 lbs. 5 ounces ; small size, 

 weight, 11 ounces=7 lbs. Ten hills where phos- 

 phate was put, 48 of good size — weight, 15 lbs. 

 3 ounces ; small size, weight, 1 lb. 9 ounces=16 

 lbs. 12 ounces. 



Mr. Reed thought there must be a difference 

 in the condition of the land that made a part of 

 the difference in quantity. I then dug five hills 

 of each kind in another place. 



Five hills where ashes were put, 16 of good size 

 — weight, 3 lbs. ; small size, weight, 2 ounces= 

 3 lbs. 2 ounces. Five hills where phosphate was 

 put, 28 of good size — weight 6 lbs. 11 ounces; 

 small size, weight, 7 ounces=7 lbs. 2 ounces. 



In the growth of my other \egetables, I think 

 I have seen much benefit by the use of the phos- 

 phate of lime. A knowledge of these facts may 

 be of some advantage to farmers and gardeners. 

 — John R. Howard, in Boston Cultivator. 



THE SMALL STINQIWQ NETTLE. 







This nettle is the plant so common all over 

 New England, and one which is well remembered 

 through life by those who were brought up on a 

 farm. The quaint old herbalist, Culpepper, re- 

 marks, "that they may be found by feeling on 

 the darkest night." The small figures are the 

 flowers of the plant enlarged. 



Nettle, Urtica, (from uro, to burn ; in refer- 

 ence to the stinging properties of most of the 

 species.) An extensive genus of herbaceous or 

 shrubby plants of little beauty, and which are 

 justly looked upon in the eyes of the agricultur- 

 ist as mere weeds. The herbage in all the spe- 

 cies is copiously armed with venomous perforat- 

 ed bristles, each of which has a bag of liquid 

 poison at its base. This liquor, by the slight 

 pressure required to pierce the skin, is transmit- 

 ted into it, causing great irritation. Many of 

 the numerous exotic species have not this sting- 

 ing property ; but the sting of common nettles 

 is not to be compared with that of some of the 



