1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



457 



been killed by eating them to reply. We confess, 

 however, to their attractiveness both in taste and 

 smell, and sometimes almost wish for an os- 

 trich's gizzard v/ith which to digest them. 



GREEN CORN AS FODDER. 



The great drawback in raising corn fodder for 

 winter feed, is the great difficulty there is to get 

 it sufficiently dry for storing, and if your readers 

 would give their experience in the matter, it might 

 prove advantageous to many. My own course 

 has been to cut it just before frost, and bind in 

 small bundles, (after allowing it to wilt through 

 the day) and put it in large stacks, say from 12 

 to 20 bundles in each, and well set up with two 

 bands, and the top turned over, and allow it to 

 stand thus, keeping watch that none of it gets 

 out of place until about the middle of November, 

 or just before winter sets in. It never hurts in 

 the stack out of doors as long as it is kept in 

 good shape. 



But the great trouble is, that after being housed 

 and put in masses, it is so liable to heat as to 

 render it almost impossible to keep it in good 

 condition, unless you have a surplus of room to 

 spread it, on scaffolds or places where the atmo- 

 sphere has free access to it. 



Please, Messrs. Editors, give us your views. 

 Wm. J. Pettee. 



Salisiuri/, Conn., Aug. 10, 1858. 



Remarks. — The cultivation of southern corn, 

 either to be used green or dried for fodder, has 

 become quite common. Not only in the more 

 thickly-settled towns is it cultivated, but we have 

 observed it in the country where there is exten- 

 sive and rich pasturage. It is found to be prof- 

 itable, or the practice would be abandoned. Some 

 persons cut it, spread it thinly upon the ground 

 for a day or two, and then tie it in small bundles 

 and put astride walls, fences, or poles put up 

 for the purpose. We have never been satisfied 

 that it is a profitable crop for dried fodder — bet- 

 ter sow oats or millet. Will those having ex- 

 perience come to Mr. Pettee's help ? 



CAPONIZING AND SPAYING. 



Will you please inform me of the best book on 

 gardening and horticulture, or at least the one 

 which would be the most suitable for a person 

 having three or four acres of land near a good 

 market ? 



Can you or any of your readers inform me of 

 the process of forming a capon'} 1 have read of 

 those who treated fowls in this manner with ap- 

 parent advantage. 



What is your opinion of spaying cows ? Is 

 there any one in New England tliat performs the 

 operation ? p. f. m. 



Lowell, Aug. 9, 1858. 



Remarks. — Purchase the American Farmer^s 

 Encyclopczdia, and you can learn all about ca- 

 ponizing. Dr. Joseph Reynolds, of Concord, 

 Mass., has performed the operation of spaying 

 with complete success. 



ACCIDENTS TO COLTS. 



I recently noticed in the Farmer an account of 

 a colt being injured by running in the pasture. 

 Having a desire to do good if I can, I make a 

 statement of a similar case. I had last winter 

 two colts standing in an old barn together, one 

 by the side of the barn, and the other next to 

 him, the one hurt coming two years of age. I 

 went in between the two one night with a lan- 

 tern ; and as my eye caught sight of the gambrel 

 joint of the one standing next to the side of the 

 barn, I put my hand over it and found it was 

 much swollen ; in front, and on the outside of 

 the leg, where the skin meets between the joint 

 and gambrel cord, there was a soft, puffy bunch, 

 as big as a small hen's egg, and one on the in- 

 side not so large. I could not determine for some 

 days how it was done ; but as I was rubbing the 

 leg I noticed some marks on the boarding, and 

 examining it, I found that the boarding and 

 shingling were started from the sill and post — 

 the bottom or outside of the sill being some rot- 

 ten. I found nair on the post, between the post 

 and boarding, which convinced me that the leg 

 was hurt by lying down and getting it between 

 the posts and boarding. 



I rubbed the joint with beef brine for some 

 days, but thinking that it needed something more 

 powerful, began to rub it two or three times a 

 day with the oil of Origanum, mixed with alco- 

 hol, equal parts. Continuing this for some time, 

 I thought it would cure it, as the bunch grew 

 smaller, but I found after some time, that the 

 bunch grew larger. I then took some of the oil 

 and a little of the alcohol, and rubbed it hard 

 with it for some time — the hair and skin came 

 off, but the leg was cured by it, and there is no 

 bunch on it now. I think our friend need not 

 have a spavined colt if he attends to it closely. 



Weston, Mass., Aug., 10. G. w. D. 



BLOODY' MILK. 



I have a cow, that has her second calf, a fort- 

 night old, that gives bloody milk. There is no 

 appearance of garget and no swelling. Will you 

 tell me through the columns of the Farmer the 

 probable cause, and the remedy, if such there be. 



Sherborn, Aug., 1858. M. 



Remarks. — We will pay you one hundred dol- 

 lars, cash in hand, if you will tell us ivJiat the 

 cause is of this class of diseases in cows, and the 

 way to prevent it, and we can make more money 

 out of the recipe, than all the milk producers in 

 Massachusetts make out of their business, at the 

 present prices of milk. 



Give her three or four doses of Aconite, in as 

 many days — four drops at a dose. 



REMEDY FOR POISON. 



In a recent Farmer, N. M., of Atkinson, N. 

 H., inquired the remedy for dog-wood and ivy 

 poison ; here we find blood-root a sure cure. 

 Take the green root, and pound or cut so as to 

 get the juice, and rub on the poisoned parts ; 

 taking the dry root powdered, or steeped, as a 

 tea, in very small doses, three times a day, rub- 

 ing the green root on at the same time. 



Shelburne, Vt., Aug. 16, 1858. M. A. P. 



