110 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



March 



the next clay i\Ioiiraivieff received an invitation to 

 dinner ; hut the insult luld been too public ; he 

 declined the honor, and retired to his estate near 

 Tver, refusing cither reconciliation or employ- 

 Dient. Ym-aiolofF, in consequence of some caprice 

 of tlie Emperor's, or the intrigues of those about 

 him, was also shelved. — Jesse's Ilussia and the 

 War. 



CHLOaOFORM FOR DOMESTIC 

 AmMALS. 



The last report oi' the Commissioner of Patents 

 contains a very interesting article from the pen 

 of Dr. Jackson, of Boston, Mass., (who first dis- 

 covered, thirteen years since, the paralization of 

 the nerves of sensation by inhaling ether,) ou the 

 use of ether with chloroform for domestic ani- 

 mals, for flxcilitating surgical operations, either 

 for the cure of diseases, or for rendering them 

 more serviceable to man. Among these opera- 

 tions he mentions the removal of tumore, the ap- 

 plication of actual cautery, castration, &c., and 

 also states that very refactory horses had been 

 made to submit to shoeing, and soon learn to sub- 

 mit afterwards without a repetition of the ether. 



The ether and chloroform mixture is adminis- 

 tered with great facility, by attaching to the nose 

 of the animal, a muzzle or basket, (fastened to 

 the head-stall,) in the bottom of which has been 

 placed a very coarse open-textured sponge, which 

 has been soaked in water and squeezed dry. One 

 part of chloroform and four of ether are mixed in 

 a bottle, aud then poured upon the sponge from 

 time to time, as needed, renewing it as it evapo- 

 rates. The animal breathes it freely, and "soon 

 falls down gently into a deep sleep of insensibili- 

 ty and unconsciousness," and becomes entirely 

 passive to any operation that may be performed. 



Dr. Jackson regards the use of pure chloro- 

 form as dangerous, and recommends its mixture 

 with ether for animals, as better than ether alone 

 on account of its greater power and concentra- 

 tion. The mixed vapors also act more kindly, 

 on account of the slightly stimulating property 

 of the ether overcoming the deadly sedative effect 

 of tlie pure chloroform. Dr. Jackson remarks 

 that he lias never known a single fatal accident 

 from the administration of the vapor, nor of this 

 mixture, provided air was also admitted into the 

 lungs mingled with the vapor, so as to sustain 

 the functions of life as required for respiration. 

 This remark, we understand, he applies to its ef- 

 fects on the human system, in which his practice 

 has been most extensive. 



Animals that have considera])le sensible per- 

 6pirati(m, will bear large; doses without any dan- 

 ger ; sacii are the hull, horse, &c., while a cat 

 nuiy be readily killed by a full dose of chloro- 

 form, and ft sliould be very cautiously adminis- 

 tered to the dog. Ether, alone, mixed with air, 

 is considered as perfectly safe. — Country Gentle- 

 man. 



Profit of Cows. — At a meeting of the Far- 

 mers' Club, of the town of Bedford, N. Y., De- 

 cember 21>, 18.54, the subject of discussion being 

 the relative profits of l)utter-making and milk- 

 selling, the following was presented by a member 

 of the club : 



"In the year 1853, I kept ton cows. The calves, 



butter, and buttermilk for pigs, amounted to ij^AG, 

 75 per cow. In 1854, I kept eight cows and two 

 heifers in first time ; one, two years old, the oth- 

 er three. The calves, butter, and buttermilk of 

 these last amounted to $44,06 per cow. 



"My cows are common natives, of no particular 

 breed, and kept in the common way of keeping in 

 this town, for butter-making ; but much inferior 

 to those kept for milk only. With good, first- 

 rate keeping, as is the custom with some where 

 they sell tlieir milk, I think my cows will bring 

 me in $00 each." — A7)ieriean Agriculturist. 



For the Neiv England Farmer. 



CRITICISMS. 



Messrs. Editors : — I think it would better suit 

 the majority of farmers if the articles, good in 

 themselves, were published at a proper season. 

 If you refer to the different numbers of the 

 last year, you will observe that many letters in 

 relation to the best mode of planting or sowing, 

 have appeared one or two months after planting 

 time ; those on the best mode of cutting or curing 

 hay, have appeared perhaps after everybody had 

 finished haying ; in fact, that articles, interesting 

 at the time they were written, have appeared two 

 months later. The space, too, occupied by re- 

 viewing the articles in a previous number, might 

 be filled with something more interesting to those 

 who have read the previous number. The repe- 

 tition of articles, however short, in the same num- 

 lier, is an objection. A little more carefulness in 

 these matters, I have no doubt, would make your 

 paper one of the most popular periodicals of New 

 England. 



Give us seasonable articles, so that we can 

 immediately avail ourselves of any information 

 or instruction you can communicate, and you 

 will, no doubt, see the effect in an extended sub- 

 scription list. Respectfully, 



Boston, Jan. 15, 1854. II. L. Stone. 



Remarks. — We always receive kindly,criticisms 

 upon our labors when they seem to be made in a 

 spirit of kindness, because they are evidences of 

 an interest in those labors and in the general 

 cause. With regard to publishing articles out of 

 their season, we will relate a little of our experi- 

 ence to our friend. Several years- since, we 

 adopted the plan of retaining such articles as 

 seemed unseasonable until the more appropriate 

 time had arrived, and stated that such would be 

 our course. But in the lapse of a few months we 

 received so many letters of inquiry about the 

 reserved articles, and found so general dissatis- 

 faction, that we abandoned the plan. Corros- 

 I^ondents cannot awaken an inspiration at will — 

 they write when circ\xmstanccs, or the spirit, jj 

 moves them, and when they have written they M 

 desire to see their articles soon published. The 

 practice is really without serious objection. If 

 an article on any agricultural subject is worth 

 publishing, it is worth preserving ; we have, 

 therefore, placed the agricultural matter in a 

 convenient book form, and every year accompany 



