NEW ENGIiAND FARMER. 



PUBLISHED BY GEO. C. BARRETT, NO. ai, NORTH HI.4RKET STREET, (.it the Agricultural Warehouse.)— T. G. FESSENDEN, EDITOR. 



VOL. XI. 



BOSTON, AVEDNESDAY EVEIVING, MARCH 27, 1S33. 



NO. 37. 



COMMUNICATIONS. 



For the IVrw Efigland Farmer. 

 DISEASE IN CATTLE. 

 AVe have published several con]miinication.s 

 relative to a disease in cattle sometimes called a 

 hold-fast, a tumor on the jaw vifliicU is believed to 

 be incurable. It did not then occur to us that we 

 had before been favored with an account of a sim- 

 ilar, or, probably, same disorder which we pub- 

 lished in the New England Farmer, vol. iii. p. 241. 

 As this gives a statement of the common caiise of 

 this evil, and other circumstances connected wth 

 it, a republication of the substance of the notices 

 referred to may be serviceable to some cultivators, 

 not in possession of the volume which contains 

 ihem. 



E. Hersey Derby, Esq., in a communication dated 

 February 15th, 1825, observes as follows: — ■ 



Some time in last May I observed a swelling on 

 the side of the face of a valuable ox, and requested 

 several persons to examine it. They called it a 

 hold-fast. I afterwards requested a surgeon to 

 look at it, and advise me what mode to adopt for 

 the relief of the anijual. He thought a cure coulil 

 not be effected except by laying open the part and 

 extracting the tumor, which I considered too b-iz- 

 ardous an experiment. A farrier, in this vlcinfiy, 

 supposed it might proceed from some defective 

 teeth : — I allowed him to extract three, directly 

 imder the swelling, and to insert a rowel in it : in 

 a few days it discharged copiously, and the ani- 

 mal seemed much relieved ; — I flattered myself he 

 would effect a perfect cure. 



Some time after the rowel was taken out, the 

 swelling increased very rapidly, and in December 

 I found it necessary to slaughter the animal. I 

 sent the head to Dr. Peabody, desiring him to give 

 me. some account of the case. I enclose you his 

 answer. 



The following is extracted from Dr. Peabody's 

 observations on the case, in answer to Mr. Derby's 

 request. 



There is in each cheek bone of the ox a large 

 irregular cavity, above the range of the teeth, suf- 

 ficiently capacious to contain half a pint. The 

 external portion of bone, covering this cavity, is 

 about two lines, or two tenths of an inch in thick- 

 ness. The internal bones are also thin. This 

 cavity in a healthy state is empty. 



The fleshy tumor was over this cavity, which I 

 in the first place, dissected o8', and which was as 

 large as a man's two hands jdaced together. This 

 tumor appeared to have commenced upon the ex- 

 terior bone of the cavity, and was very firmly and 

 intimately connected with it. It consisted of what 

 we call schirrous or indurated flesh, and near the 

 same bone was, perhaps, a gill of pus. The bone 

 itself was considerably absorbed, that is it had lost 

 its consistence as bone, so that 1 could push my 

 dissecting knife through it. The cavity (which 

 in health was empty) was filled with a diseased 

 substance, most of which was as hard as schirrous, 

 the remaining part was coagulated lymph. If the 



ox had not been killed, the matter, or pus above 

 mentioned, must have found its way out, and ii 

 this instance through the gum, outside of the teeth. 

 And the disease, being so extensive, must have 

 been incurable. 



The cause of this disea.se, I have no doubt, 

 originated in external violence. I believe I sug- 

 gested this idea to you when I saw the ox alive at 

 your farm. I have conversed with a very intelli- 

 gent medical gentleman since, who has lived in 

 the country and who has been acquainted with a 

 number of cases, some of which have been traced 

 to external violence. This violence is inflicted by 

 cruel teamsters. The bone, as stated is thin, and 

 a heavy blow with the butt end of a heavy whip- 

 staft'is sufKcient to fracture it. An accident of this 

 kind will be followed by swelling and infusion into 

 the cavity, which will destroy the texture of the 

 bone, and eventually become an open sore, and be 

 incurable. There are different degrees of the 

 disoase according to the degree of violence. In 

 some cases the violence may not fracture the bone ; 

 in such cases there may be a temporary swelling, 

 which will subside. Or if the fracture be slight, 

 there may be a spontaneous cure from the eftbrts 

 of nature. In such cases the appearance of disease 

 will subside in a few weeks, but when the swell- 

 ing continues or increases, after four or five weeks, 

 I should think the disease may be considered as 

 inciuable, and the sooner the animal is killed the 

 better. 



Now one word on the cruelty inflicted on these 

 dumb animals. I have seen oxen pounded not 

 only with the butt-end of a heavy whip-staft', ap- 

 plied with all the strength of a frantic athletic 

 man, or more properly, brute — but I have seen 

 them struck over the face with the handle of a 

 hay-fork, nearly two inches in diameter, or with a 

 handspike. Such blows produce this disease, and, 

 as a proof of it, it never occurs in any other part 

 of the animal. Now would it not be well that a 

 law sliould be enacted and enforced, regulating 

 the size of whip-staves, and that a teamster using 

 or carrying a whip-staff over a certain size, which 

 should always be made so small as not to injure 

 the bones of an animal, should be subject to a 

 heavy penalty .-' It is shocking to hunjanily to 

 witness the brutal cruelty inflicted upon the noble 

 horse and useful ox, and it calls loudly for some 

 eftectual remedy. 



From the Albany Argus. 

 HINTS TO FARMERS. NO. VI. 



Planter's Guide. — I feel anxious to atone to the 

 American Publishers, for the slight notice I took, in 

 a late communication, of this work of Sir Henry 

 Sleuarl, by stating more in detail its object and its 

 matter, which a cursory examination of the work 

 will enable me to do. 



The object of the work is to lay down definite 

 rules, predicated upon sixteen years experience, 

 and the study of vegetable physiology, for the re- 

 moval of large forest trees and underwood, entire, 

 without diminishing their tops and branches, or 

 roots, or materially retarding their growth, so as 

 to produce an immediate ornamental eft'ect. To 

 gentlemen of fortune, who are desirous of beauti- 

 fying their grounds, without regard to expense, 



the volume will prove a valuable companion ; nor 

 will it fail to afford useful hints to those who, on a 

 smaller scale, are anxious to obtain inmiodiate 

 shade and ornament about their dwellings. To the 

 general mass of readers, however, its directions 

 will he of little service. 



The volume contains a history of the art of plant- 

 ing, from the earliest times, and in diflierent coun- 

 tries; details the author's improvements, and his 

 success on an extensive scale, in planting his park 

 at Allanton, his lordship's residence ; and abounds 

 in physiological investigations, tending to develope 

 important laws in vegetable economy, essential to 

 the successful prosecution of the art. His lordship 

 removed nearly a thousand trees, of the diameter 

 of 18 to 30 inches, and from 20 to 40 feet high. 

 They were taken up with their roots entire, trans- 

 ported upon high wheels, constructed for the pur- 

 pose, to the pits prepared for them, and planted 

 without any diminution of their limbs. I select 

 the items of the expense of removing one tree, 

 which will serve as sufficient data upon this head. 

 The tree was 25 to 30 feet high — 



■' Preparation of llic pil, £f) Os. 8d. 



Three cart-loads compost, at 9d, 2 3 



Three workmen for a day al Is. 6d. 4 6 



Transporting and planting, say 5 1 



£0 12 6, or $3 nearly." 

 The price of labor would probably swell the 

 airocr.i here to about $6 for each tree, exclusive 

 of tuc cost of the machine. 



Sir Henry has laid down some axioms, con- 

 firmed by his experience ; and among others the 

 following-. — 



1. That trees for transplanting should be select- 

 ed from open exposures, where the " stems are 

 stout and short ; bark thick and coarse ; tops ex- 

 tensive and spreading; branches often reaching to 

 the ground ; with roots extensive like the tops, 

 and throwitg out on every side." These he terms 

 protecting properties, in contradistinction to those 

 which belong to trees found in the interior of 

 woods, and whose " stems are upright and state- 

 ly ; bark glossy and beautiful ; tops small and 

 thinly provided with branches ; with roots in the 

 same way, spare and scanty, but in due proportion 

 to the tops." The reasons which control this rule 

 will readily suggest themselves to such as are at 

 all conversant with the habits of plants. 



!. " That we must prospectively maintain the 

 same harmony between the existing provisions of 

 the tree and exigencies of its new situation, as 

 previously subsisted between its relative properties 

 and the circumstances of its former site." Not a 

 little obscure ; but probably intended to convey the 

 idea, that branches and roots must be preserved in 

 relative proportion. 



3. That the success of transplanting trees, their 

 new situation and soU being equal, was in the 

 ratio of their previous exposure. 



4. That the protecting qualites may be ranked 

 in the following order of pre-eminence: 1, thick- 

 ness and induration of bark ; 2, stoutness and girtli 

 of stem ; 3, numerousnessof roots and fibres ; and 

 4, extent, balance and closeness of branches. 



5. That the i)reservation of all the parts, hi as 

 entire and perfect a state as possible, is a matter of 

 first rate moment to the art. 



