No. 7. 



Murrain in Cattle. — The Span or Rafter Level. 



229 



pressed, for while feeding on the limed land 

 their coats were close, shining and healthy, 

 and their spirits light and cheerful, even 

 when they were compelled to labour hard to 

 obtain a belly-full; but when turned into the 

 watered grass, six inches or more in height, 

 a difference for the worse could be perceived 

 in 24 hours, and every day after they lost 

 condition amidst the greatest abundance, with 

 coats rough and staring, lax in the bowels 

 and flaccid, with distended paunches, dejected 

 countenances, and sluggish in their move- 

 ments: they soon exhibited a depreciation in 

 value to the amount of about half their for- 

 mer worth. But the transition to health and 

 vigour and good looks was quite as sudden 

 and apparent on a return to the limed land, 

 for again in 24 hours, or by the time the food 

 had passed through the system, a change, 

 particularly in their air and carriage, was 

 very perceptible. My friend adds, he never 

 had an instance of the murrain or botts while 

 his stock fed on these pastures, but is satis- 

 fied he should have had both, but for the 

 change to the limed land ; for while feeding 

 on the watered pasture, the stock had always 

 the appearance of a predisposition to that 

 state of derangement of the digestive system, 

 by which he has no doubt these diseases are 

 engendered. 



In conclusion, I would ask, is it not quite 

 fair to draw the following deduction from 

 what has been said, namely, that all dairy 

 pastures ought to be heavily limed, it being 

 the most natural thing in the world to sup- 

 pose that a proper secretion of milk, the best 

 and most wholesome, depends very much on 

 the nature of the food with which the animals 

 are fed ! and must not the butter from a cow 

 that is in health and spirits be of better fla- 

 vour, colour and consistence, than that from 

 one that is lax, washy and weak, from feed- 

 ing on watery, acid and soft herbage ] and 

 will not this account for much of the disgust- 

 ingly rancid, ill-flavoured and ill-looking but- 

 ler which we so often find in the market ? 

 My friend above quoted, and who is now at 

 my elbow, answers " Yes ; for while my cows 

 Fed on the watered meadow, the butter was 

 scarcely eatable — white, soft and ill-flavour- 

 Bd, but it was sweet, firm and fine-flavoured 

 when they were confined to the limed land." 

 Ergo, lime your pastures, and allow your 

 3tock as much salt as they will consume daily, 

 for I am convinced that lime and salt are a 

 remedy for " botts in horses," as well as the 

 " murrain in cattle." Via. 



No high improvement in the agriculture of 

 iny country can take place, whilst the spirit 

 of emigration is abroad, and the population a 

 floating one : the fiirmer should have a fixed 

 md abiding attachment to the soil. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



The Span or Rafter Level again. 



The span, or rafter level, as its name de- 

 notes, resembles in appearance a pair of raf- 

 ters with a collar-bearn framed across them. 

 It may be made much in the same way, with 

 some extra bracing, of white-pine or any 

 other light and stiff" wood, not much subject 

 to spring or warp by exposure to the weather. 

 The span of the feet may be of any desirable 

 length, but from 12 to 16 feet is generally 

 considered the most convenient, particularly 

 if it is to be much used in making drains. 

 The joints should all be well fastened to- 

 gether with wood-screws, and a small screw 

 may be inserted on each side near the apex 

 or peak of the instrument. As any carpenter, 

 who can frame a pair of rafters, can readily 

 make one, it is thought unnecessary to give 

 very minute directions concerning this part 

 of it. To fit it for use, place the instrument 

 on any smooth surface, a piece of sawed tim- 

 ber for instance, laid as near level as can be 

 judged by the eye, and mark the place occu- 

 pied by each foot, then hang a plummet from 

 the screw near the apex, and holding the in- 

 strument in such a position that the plummet 

 line may just swing clear of the face of the 

 cross-piece. When the plummet has come 

 to rest, mark the place where the line crosses 

 the cross-piece with a lead-pencil, then re- 

 verse the feet of the instrument, placing them 

 exactly in the marks on the timber, and mark 

 the point where the plummet-line now crosses 

 the cross-piece. Then with a pair of sharp- 

 pointed compasses divide the space between 

 the lines into two equal parts, on this divi- 

 sion make a mark with a fine saw or other 

 suitable instrument, and efface the pencil 

 marks; then raise one foot of the instrument 

 until the plummet-line falls exactly on the 

 line last made on the cross-piece. Both feet 

 of the instrument will now be in the same 

 level or horizontal line, and by hanging the 

 plummet-line on the other screw, a mark may 

 be made on the other side or face of the crosa- 

 piece, and the instrument can be used with 

 the plummet on either side as most conve- 

 nient. It may be here remarked that if, on 

 reversing the instrument as above directed, 

 the line coincides with the mark first made, 

 it shows that the surface it stands on is level 

 and that the work is done except marking it 

 permanently. 



The instrument is now a span or rafter 

 level, and in using it, whenever it is so 

 placed that the plummet-line coincides with 

 the mark on the cross-piece, the feet will be 

 in the same level line, and whatever it re- 

 quires one foot to be raised to make it so co- 

 incide, so much is the surface or points on 

 which they rested out of level. The instru- 



