16S 



THE farmers' cabinet. 



VOL. 1, 



such inclement ieasons, the effects on its 

 general health are highly injurious. The 

 excessive heats of summer, by expanding all 

 the parts of the animal frame, occasion a de- 

 gree of lassitude, and want of energy even 

 in the stomach and intestines; and while the 

 animal eats and digests less food than usual, 

 a greater waste than usual takes place by 

 perspiration. Nature has provided trees, 

 rocks, caverns, hills and waters, to moderate 

 these extremes of heat and weather, and man 

 imitates them by hovels, sheds, and other 

 buildings, according f> particular circum- 

 stances. 



Air asicl Water. 

 Good air and water it may seem unneces- 

 sary to insist on ; but cattle and horses, and 

 even poultry pent up in close buildings, 

 where there are no facilities for a change of 

 the atmosphere, often suffer on this account. 

 A slight degree of fever is produced at first, 

 and after a time, when the habit of the animal 

 becomes reconciled to such a state, a re- 

 tarded circulation, and general decay or di- 

 minution of the vital energies takes place. 



ITIoderate Exercise. 



Moderate exercise ought not to be dispens- 

 ed with, where the flavor of animal produce 

 is any object; it is known to promote circula- 

 tion, perspiration, and digestion, and by 

 consequence to invigorate the appetite. 

 Care must be taken, however, not to carry 

 exercise to that point where it becomes a la- 

 bor instead of a recreation. In some cases, 

 as in feeding swine and poultry, fatness is 

 hastened by promoting sleep and preventing 

 motion, rather than encouraging it; but such 

 animals cannot be considered healthy fed; 

 in fact their fatness is most commonly the 

 result of disease. 



Tranquillity. 



Tranquillity is an obvious requisite, for 

 where the passions of brutes are called into 

 action, by whatever means, their influence 

 on their bodies is often as great as in the hu- 

 man species. Hence the use of castration, 

 complete or partial separation, shading from 

 too much light, protection from insects, 

 dogs, and other annoying animals, and from 

 the too frequent intrusion of man. 



Cleanliness. 



Cleanliness is favorable to health, by pro- 

 moting perspiration and circulation. Ani- 

 mals in a wild state attend to this part of 

 their economy themselves; but in proportion 

 as they are cultivated, or brought under the 

 control of man, this becomes out of their 

 power; and to insure their subserviency to 

 his wishes, man must supply by art this as 

 well as other parts of culture. Combing 

 and brushing stall-fed cattle and cows is 

 known to contribute materially to health; 



though washing sheep with a view to clean- 

 ing the wool often has a contrary effect from 



the length of time the wool requires to dry. 



***** 



Cosnfort. 



Unquestionably an animal may be well fed, 

 lodged, and cleaned, without being com- 

 fortable in every respect; and in brutes, as 

 well as men, want of comfort operates on the 

 digestive powers. If the surface of a stall 

 in which an ox, or a horse stands, deviates 

 much from a level, he will be continually 

 uneasy; and he will be uneasy during night, 

 if its surface is rough, or if a proper bed of 

 litter is not prepared every evening for it to 

 repose on. The form of racks and mangers 

 is often less commodious than it might be. 

 A hay rack which projects forward is bad ; 

 because the animal in drawing out the hay 

 is teased with the hay seeds falling in its 

 eyes or ears ; and this form, it may be added, 

 is apt to cause the breath of the animal to 

 ascend through its food, which must after a 

 time render it nauseous. For this reason 

 hay should lie as short a time as possible in 

 lofts, but when practicable be given direct 

 from the rick. 



Slieep — ©afferent Breeds should 

 be cultivated among us. 



It seems to be a settled law of Nature that 

 a difference in the quality or grade of wool 

 should accompany a different form of body, 

 &c. in the sheep. A robust constitution, 

 and a large, well spread stately form, as a 

 general rule, produces a longer and more 

 coarse staple, while a more delicate consti- 

 tution and more slender form produces a finer 

 — more close and delicate staple. This rule 

 holds good also we believe in animals which 

 produce fur — the smaller and more delicately 

 formed ones produce a corresponding fine- 

 ness of fur, while the longer and stronger 

 ones even in the same latitude produces a 

 coarser kind. 



Thus, the mole has an exceedingly soft, 

 short, and fine coat, while the Buffalo, Cari- 

 bour and Moose have a coarse and long one. 

 The difference of fleece however seems to 

 be a little stronger in sheep than in most 

 animals — that is, a greater disproportion for 

 slight differences of shape, 



Those wool-growers who have been stim- 

 ulated by the high prices of wool, for a 

 series of years past, and have turned their 

 attention to the production of a fine fleece, 

 regardless of size or shape of carcass, have 

 mostly found themselves at last surrounded 

 by a weak and sickly flock. The questioa 

 then has been, how can we restore the health 

 and hardiness of our sheep? By croeeing;. 



