262 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE LUNGS IN 

 HORSES. 



The transportation of live stock by railroad has 

 been latterly much, adopted on the principal lines in 

 this coTiutry. It is, in many cases, cheaper to con- 

 vey animals in this way, besides avoiding the great 

 loss of weight which takes place, especially in fat 

 animals, when they are obliged to travel to market. 

 The present season, many horses destined for sale in 

 New York and Boston have been brought to Albany 

 by railroad from Western New York. On reaching 

 Albany, it has been common for them to tarry sev- 

 eral days, in order to appear in the market in the best 

 possible condition. Many of these horses, while 

 stopping here, have been attacked with inflammation 

 of the lungs, which, in several cases, has terminated 

 fatally. The disease has sometimes been so violent 

 and rapid in its progress, that death has ensued with- 

 in twenty-four hours. We are informed that the 

 frequent occurrence of this disease in horses brought 

 by railroad has been a discouragement to that mode 

 of conveyance. Without pretending to a particular 

 knowledge of the circumstances, we will venture to 

 suggest that the primary cause of the disease is the 

 contincment of the animals in a heated and vitiated 

 ntmosp,hcre in the cars. Their sudden transfer to the 

 open air, or to an atmosphere of much lower temper- 

 ature, produces the effect so well described by Youatt : 

 " The discharge from the skin is at once arrested, and 

 the revulsion, or pernicious effect of the sudden 

 stoppage of a natural evacuation, falls on the lungs, 

 too much weakened and disposed to inflammation by 

 heated air and poisonous fumes." The first difficulty 

 is probably accelerated, in many instances, by over- 

 feeding and want of exercise. 



As a prevention of the disease, the better accom- 

 modation of the horses in their railroad transit should 

 be the first object. The next should be to feed mod- 

 erately, using constant care in regard to the protec- 

 tion of the animal from the effects of the changes of 

 temperature, giving daily exercise, with good groom- 

 ing. Should the evacuations from the bowels indi- 

 cate constipation, the administration of simple ca- 

 thartics will bo safe. A dose of Epsom or Glauber's 

 salts — half a pound to a pound, according to the 

 symptoms — may be given. But, in a disease of so 

 important a character, it will be safest, when it 

 makes its appearance, to intrust the animal to a 

 skilful veterinarian — Albany Cultivator. 



IMPROVED STOCK-SHEEP. 



Me. Freas : On this important subject most intcl- 

 jgent farmers at this day manifest a laudable and 

 iecp interest. The position assumed by the agricul- 

 tural press is rapidly arousing attention to it, and 

 jur farmers begin to reason and act, and to denude 

 themselves of their old and long-cherished preju- 

 dices, in proportion as the light reflected from the 

 page of science upon their path becomes more lumi- 

 nous and well-defined. As the natural consequence 

 of this, we find that the annual fairs now held in 

 most of the states for the promotion of agricultural 

 improvement, are rapidly increasing in interest ; a 

 more decided and generous public spirit is obvious ; 

 the animals exhibited are more numerous and of bet- 

 ter quality ; and far greater pains is taken by farmers 

 generally to render these important institutions wor- 

 thy of the " great interest," and an honor to the states 

 and counties of whose enterprise and prosperity they 

 speak. 



lu reference to most valuable animals, the Sheep, 

 the truth of the foregoing observations is strikingly 

 apparent. The old coarse, long-wooled varieties, 



though possessing value for particular purposes, 

 liave already become nearly obsolete. Twenty years 

 ago, no farmer anticipated seeing a Dishley, South 

 Down, or Teeswater animal at these fairs, any more 

 than the farmer of the present day dreams of seeing 

 there the Cashmere goat or the Alpaca. I wish to be 

 distinctly understood in this matter, for I am speak- 

 ing not of particular localities, where the spirit of 

 generous improvement and emulation dates from a 

 period long antecedent, in point of time, to the com- 

 mencement of the chronological segment above al- 

 luded to, but to the country in general. 



At that time we had no agricultural press, and no 

 George III. to encourage honorable efforts. But the 

 fact is now happily far otherwise. Though, in most 

 of the states and territories, legislators remain al- 

 most wholly inactive upon the subject, public spirit 

 and enterprise, together with an ever-restless wid 

 enlightened press, are accomplishing much in our 

 behalf, and will no doubt supply, in time, the want 

 of legislative patronage and protection, at least to a 

 considerable extent. 



And now, Mr. Editor, as many of your agricultu- 

 ral readers are, no doubt, desirous of availing them- 

 selves of all the advantages which science and expe- 

 rience so liberally aflbrd to the enlightened in effect- 

 ing the improvement of their flocks, I beg leave to 

 submit the following observations by that distin- 

 guished friend of agriculture, Arthur Young, in ref- 

 erence to selecting sheep. In the first place, Mr. Y. 

 remarks " that the general principles which guided 

 Mr. Eakewell in breeding a beast or a sheep for the 

 butcher, explain his own stock, which is in the high- 

 est perfection when examined with an eye to these 

 perfections.' ' 



1. " In all his exertions, his aim was to obtain that 

 breed which, with a given amount of food, will give 

 the most profitable meat ; that in which the propor- 

 tion of useful meat to the quantity of offal, is the 

 greatest." 



2. Points of the beast. On this plan, the points 

 are those where the valuable joints lie ; the rump, 

 the hip, the back, the ribs, and, after these, the 

 flank ; but the belly, shoulder, neck, legs, and head 

 should be light, for if a beast has a disposition to 

 fatten, and to be heavy in these, it will be found a 

 deduction from the more valuable points. A beast's 

 neck should be square, flat, and straight, or, if there 

 is any rising, it should be from a disposition to fatten 

 and swell about the rump and hip bones, and the 

 belly should be quite straight, for if it swells it 

 shows a weight in a bad point. He prefers to have 

 the carcass well made, and showing a disposition to 

 fatten in the valuable points. So far on seeing. 



3. Feeling. Mr. Bakcwell, in order to decide 

 whether a beast has the right disposition to fatten, 

 examines by feeling. His friend, Mr. CuUey, who 

 has had an infinite number of beasts go through his 

 hands, agrees entirely with Mr. Bakcwell in this cir- 

 cumstance, and when with him in Norfolk and Suf- 

 folk, was surprised to find lean bullocks and sheep were 

 absolutely bought there by the eye only. So absolute- 

 ly is the hand necessary in choosing either, that they 

 both agreed that if they must trust to the eye in the 

 light, or to the hand in the dark, they would not 

 hesitate a moment in preferring the latter. Tlie form 

 of the bone, in sheep, is quite hidden ; it is the hand 

 alone that can enable us to decide whether the back 

 is flat and broad, and free from ridge on the back 

 bone, or can examine, correctly, if the other points 

 are as they should be. The disposition to fatten is 

 discoverable only b)' feeling. 



Speaking of the sheep generally, the points to ex- 

 amine are the same as in the ox --flatness, breadth 

 of back, a spreading barrel carcass, -with flat belly, 

 and by no means curved or hanging. The essential 

 is the carcass, and a disposition to fatten in the 



