1869. 



NEW ENGLAIH) FARlNtER. 



133 



the horses upon them, serious damages might 

 result. 



For a heavy sled, the raves should be made 

 of hard wood planks, one and one-half inch 

 thick, and ten inches wide, allowing the outer 

 edge of the plank or raves to come even with 

 the erfds of the beams, and bore the stake 

 holes down through all. There are several 

 advantages in putting on raves in this way ; 

 the beam ends are preserved from splitting 

 out, as they are almost always found on sleds 

 constructed in the ordinary way. By the 

 raves running on a line with the ends of the 

 beams, all liability is overcome of getting 

 "stalled" in the woods by the sled sliding 

 around when heavilv loaded, and the beam- 

 end catching upon a tree. 



Another important thing in the construction 

 of these useful farm vehicles, is, putting the 

 roller into the runners at the proper point. 

 If the roller is set too high, the dratt is down- 

 ward, if too low, the sled is lifted. In either 

 case the draft is not direct from the seat of the 

 load, and much more power is required to 

 move a load than is absolutely necessary. 

 Set the roller on a line with the upper side of 

 the beams. 



Oak, beach and white ash make the best 

 runners. Hickory splits too easily, unless 

 very tough. Red elm is best for beams, and 

 tough white oak for pins. Sugar, or hard ma- 

 ple, makes excellent shoes, but the timber 

 should be seasoned before used. Hickory 

 makes the best roller. 



When a farmer has purchased of a mechanic 

 a nice iron shod sled, he gives it the same 

 care that he does his wagons and carriages ; 

 they are housed and painted. But the plain, 

 home-made sled, that we have been talking 

 about, is apt to be neglected. There is just 

 as much economy in painting a common wood- 

 shod sled, as an other, and the durability is 

 just as much increased. 



Common yellow ochre, wet up with raw oil, 

 makes a good coating- for sleds ; but if any 

 one is opposed to the color, the shade may be 

 varied by the use of venitian red. Add to 

 each pint of the paint one gill of japan to 

 make it set and dry good. If the sled is not 

 painted entire, a good coat should be applied 

 to the pins before driving them into the run- 

 ner. It is at this point that they first give 

 out, water is taken in at the joint and decay 

 follows. — Ohio Farmer. 



just turn them into the yard, and, if the sun 

 shines, see how soon they will find the sunny 

 side of the yard, and will begin to stretch 

 themselves and show increased comfort. 



A neighboring farmer who always has sleek 

 cattle, pursues this course. He feeds his 

 stock their meal or roots early in the morning, 

 without any hay, and turns them out about 

 sunrise, and feeds hay either in the yard or at 

 the adjoining stack — putting them back in their 

 stalls as early as 4 P. M., stormy or extreme 

 cold weather excepted, when they are kept 

 housed most of the time. How is it with 

 mankind ? When do we enjoy the best health 

 or appetite, when confined in-doors in an at- 

 mosphere artificially warmed with little or no 

 exercise, or when out of doors, with a moder- 

 ate amount of exercise, snufiing the keen, 

 bracing north wind ? I think, if I wished to 

 fatten a bullock in the shortest possible time, 

 I would pursue this course. 



We well know that cattle will often eat in 

 the yard what they will refuse in the stall — 

 refuse hay or straw. What say you, brother 

 farmers ? — W. J. Pettee, in Co. Gent. 



CAKE OP STOCK IN WINTER. 

 Though not quite orthodox I am aware, I 

 would like to inquire if it is not possible that 

 we keep our stock too much confined in the 

 stable m winter. Go into your stable some 

 morning v^'hen the thermometer is about zero, 

 say about sunrise or immediately after, and, 

 unless your barn is warmer than most are in 

 our vicinity, you will notice the cattle showing 

 evident symptoms of being well chilled. Now 



HISTOEY OP THE LUNQ PLAaUE. 



OR PLEURO-PNETJMONIA. 



The "Monthly Report of the Department 

 of Agriciklture for November and December" 

 contains a somewhat lengthy report on the 

 symptoms, character, &c., of this disease by 

 Prof. Gamgee, addressed to Commissioner 

 Capron. We copy his remarks on the his- 

 tory of the disease, omitting the particulars of 

 its treatment in Massachusetts, as most of our 

 readers are probably familiar with what was 

 done here. 



The contagious pleuro-pneumonia of cattle 

 is a disease doubtless of the greatest antiquity. 

 All reliable records point to the simple truth 

 that has to be told of many contagious disor- 

 ders, that it has travelled from the east west- 

 ward. Older writers confound it with rind- 

 erpest, and a host of other maladies. It was 

 only toTvards the end of the last century that 

 the universal prevalence of the lung plague, 

 wherever cattle were being driven to provide 

 the many armies then stirring, led to its dis- 

 tinct and satisfactory description. Early in 

 the present century it ravaged France, Bel- 

 gium, Hanover, and Holland. England, iso- 

 lated by the ocean, and the extreme north of 

 Europe, alone remained free. 



With peace came the development of new 

 industries, and the most important in relation 

 to the history of pleuro-pneumonia was the 

 establishment in Germany, Belgium, and Hol- 

 land of distilleries, starch and sugar manu- 

 factories, &c., the refuse of which it was 

 found profitable to feed to stock. This led 

 to great activity and important modifications 



