NEW ENG1.AND FARMER. 



rUBl-lSHED BY GEO. C. UARKETT, NO. oi, NORTH MARKET STREET, (at the Agru ulturai. Waukhousf,.)— T. G. FESSENUEN, EDITOR. 



BOSTOiN, ^VEDNESDAV EVENING, APRIL 3, 1833. 



NO. 38. 



COMMUNICATIONS. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 REMARKS ON HORSES. 



Mtleborough, (Mass.) March 29, 1833. 



T. G. Fessenden, Esq. Sir — There cannot, 

 pei-haps, be too much said in relation to that very 

 valuable animal to man, Vvhose services are so de- 

 sirable and convenient, and whose beauty and 

 symmetry are so much esteemed and admired as 

 the horse. The horse, whose services are so de- 

 sirable and convenient, seems to be more afflicted 

 with diseases than most other animals. There is 

 a disease in horses called the ring-bone, which some 

 affirm there is no cure known for, others that there 

 a sure and certain one, while others say that the 

 disease is so trifling, that it may be cured by some 

 sort of magic power, the art which they possess. 

 Yet I consider the subject not a trifling one, nor 

 too much information upon the subject to be ob- 

 tained. A little gleaned from different parts of 

 the country, when collected in one general miss, 

 is very great. I am but little acquainted with the 

 horse, yet within a few years I have raised a few 

 colts, for my own use, but the most of them (ire 

 like to be of but little value from certain disorders 

 with which they have been, and now are, afflicted. 



The first colt, which I speak of, is grandsoi to 

 the celebrated horse Roman, of Northbridge, Miss. 

 This colt was foaled in Juno, 1831, conscqucrtly 

 will be in June next, two years old. I took him 

 away from the mare when he was five mouths old, 

 and put him into a grazing lot along with another 

 colt, a year older. They were within sight of my 

 dwelling-house the whole time ; and they api)ear- 

 ed to be very trieudly and kind to each other. 

 About six or eight days after I took him from the 

 mare I discovered that he was very lame with one 

 of his hind legs, so much so that he was unable to 

 put it to the ground, but went upon three legs, and 

 appeai-ed to be in great pain and distress. I ex 

 amined the leg but could discover no marks of 

 violence, or that there was any thing the matter 

 with it. I had never before seen any thing like 

 lameness in the colt. Jly first impression was that 

 the larger colt had kicked him, but by the next 

 day, as I thought he rather grew worse, and as I 

 valued him very high on the account of pedigree, 

 I thought proper to call the assistance of a farrier. 

 He pronouuced him to be what is called stifled. 

 I, however, wag too incredulous to believe him, 

 and even expressed my doubts to him, at the time. 

 The fact was, there was nothing that could be dis- 

 covered that was wrong, except that he was very 

 lame and exhibited signs of great distress. lie 

 continued in this situation for the space of three 

 days, when nothing could be discovered to lead 

 any person to suppose the cause, or judge of the 

 complaint. On the fourth day I discovered an 

 unusual warmth in one of his hind legs between 

 the fet-lock joint and hoof; and so great was the 

 inflammation that by the next day I could by hard 

 pressure with my fingers rub ofl" the hair and skir. 

 The colt lay down the greater part of the time, 

 and appeared to suffer great pain in the leg. I 

 then went to see the farrier, and told him that I 

 had found where the disorder was, and the situa- 



tion in wliich my favorite colt was. He then told 

 tue that he could not tell what tlic matter was 

 w ith the colt, — and that he had not seen or heard 

 of such a complaint before. But he advised a de- 

 coction of wild Indigo weed as a wash for the leg, 

 and a poultice made of wild Indigo and Indian 

 meal, or English turnips, sweet-oil and Indian 

 meal. I consequently used the two former for a 

 pace of thirty days. In about three days after I 

 pplied the wash and poultice, there appeared a 

 hard swelling close round the hoof to the height of 

 three quarters of an inch. The hair all came off' 

 to about one inch above the hoof. This I caused 

 to be opened in several ])laces, and even run a 

 knife through the foot, that is, run a knife in at 

 the back of the foot so as to come out the fore side. 

 It appeared to be all the way through about the 

 same as the out side. It discharged profusely for 

 several weeks. After the end of thirty days, I 

 applied the turnip poultice, the swelling hod not 

 diminished in the least, but found that it was grow- 

 ing hard like the hoof itself ; and at the end of 

 four or five months had all become hard about 

 two and a half inches above the old hoof, and so 

 large was the swelling, that he walked on this new 

 Ibrmed hoof without letting the old hoof touch the 

 ground. The frog of the old foot dropped out, 1 

 then caused the old hoof to be pared away, so 

 that he could walk nearlj' as well as on the other 

 foot, yet it was very large and clumsy. 



It had now got to be about the 20th of May, 

 1832. At this time I turned my colt out to 

 pasture to graze. Soon after I discovered that the 

 other hind foot was lame. There arose a hard 

 swelling about half way between the fet-lock joint 

 and hoof To tliis day both hind feet are in the 

 same situation they were last June ; that is, not 

 much lame, yet his feet are very ill shaped. I do 

 not know what the matter was of the first foot 

 spoken ofl', nor have I seen any person that could 

 lell me ; many came to see him. 



I have endeavored to describe this foot as nearly 

 as possible, so that should any of your numerous 

 correspondents have witnessed any thing of th 

 kind, they may communicate their sentiments 

 through the medium of your useful paper, either 

 in relation to the disorder, or prescribe some 

 method of cure. Should any further information 

 be desired I will freely communicate the same 

 with pleasure and satisfaction. 



The last mentioned foot, I have been told, was 

 what is called the ring-bone, but I do not know 

 what is called the ring-bone. 



I have now two colts that will be one year old 

 next June. One of these colts is grandson of Post 

 Boy a very celebrated horse, the other is from a 

 celebrated horse in the northern part of the State 

 of Vermont, or on the borders of Canada, whose 

 pedigree is not known to me. 



These two colts, since the last of February, have 

 discovered signs of lameness in both their fore feet. 

 There is now plainly to be seen hard callous swell- 

 ings about midway between the fet-lock and hoof. 

 Like the one on my colt's foot last described last 

 year. 



One of these colts is very lame, the other hardly 

 exhibits any signs of lameness. Both appear to be 

 in the same situation. Both began to be lame 



about the same time ; and both appear to be af- 

 flicted with the same disorder. 



This is what I suppose ia called the ring-bone. 

 I do not know that there is any cure for the ring- 

 bone. Some say that there is, but others there is 

 not. But I believe so far as my information ex- 

 tends, that it is the generally received opinion in 

 this community that there is not. Can the ring- 

 bone be contagious.' From the extensive cir- 

 culation which your paper has I am apprehensive 

 that information upon the suliject of ring-bone in 

 horses would be %'ery well received. 



Yours respectfully, J. W. Capron. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 SWIKE. 



Mr. Fessenden. Sir, — In answer to " A Con- 

 stant Reader" on the best method of managing 

 sows with Pigs. — I would recommend the follow- 

 ing method which I have practised with good 

 succeffi. 



Separate tlie sow from the rest of the swine, six 

 or eight weeks before her bringing forth, so that 

 she may become accustomed to her pen. Care 

 should be taken, however, to have her pen kept 

 dry, at:d well littered ; always give them litter 

 enough so as not to be obliged to give any for six 

 days before the time, for nothing disturbs tlie sow 

 more ttan an abundance of litter, and which in 

 my opiaion has a great tendency to induce her to 

 destroy her young. If the sow is with the other 

 swine ti.l vithin a few days of her bringing fortli, 

 and then separated, she will not get accustomed 

 to her pen, and by thus being disturbed, she vritl 

 be pretty sure to destroy her pigs. 



I do not think there is any thing in the breed 

 or nature of sows, unless disturbed or mismanaged, 

 and if so I think it very natural for them to destroy 

 their young. 



I have known, and it is not at all uncommon 

 for young sows to destroy their first, and protect 

 their succeeding litters ; and I have known them 

 to protect their first and destroy their succeeding 

 litters; but in most cases I find that it is owing to 

 disturbance or mismanagement. 



Raw salt Pork cut in small pieces, and given, 

 will prevent them from eating their pigs. I have 

 seen it given after they had ate two or three of 

 their litter with good success. But to prevent any 

 mischief it should be kept by them at this time. 



As to the form of the stye, and bigness of the 

 yard to be occupied by swine for manure, these 

 depend greatly upon the number kept. For three 

 or four I would recommend a building of the fol- 

 lowing dimensions, say eighteen by eight, entrance 

 to feed, at the centre on the side, alley three feet 

 wide, window in the centre opposite the door, two 

 troughs, one on each side next to the alley, yard 

 twenty feet square, will have a partition through 

 the centre from the centre of the building, entrance 

 for the swine on each side, one foot from the alley 

 with sliding doors, communication from one yard 

 to the other by sliding door next to the building. 

 A building and yard thus constructed will be found 

 plenty large, and very convenient ; you have plenty 

 of room at each end, to feed and for them to lie 

 dry and warm, which is very beneficial in the 

 growtli of your swine. I consider a yard of the 



