NO. 24. 



THE farmers' cabinet. 



373 



These remarks upon Observer's articles, 

 are not made in a fault-finding disposition, 

 nor with any pretensions to literary know- 

 ledge, but witii a desire tiiat ihcy may be 

 received without olltiiice, and be useful in 

 introducin"' a more ajjreeable niaiinor of in- 

 vestigation, and one more in accordance with 

 the subjects under discus!^ion ; or in figurative 

 language 1 would say, tliat Itie Sun with his 

 gentle rays, would much sooner induce the 

 traveler to p:irt with his "cloak,"than Boreas 

 with all his ruar of noise and •'wind.'" 



A Subscriber. 



Wilmington, Gili mo. in, I8ri7. 



To the Editor of tiie Farmers' Cabinet. 



The discussion between two of your cor- 

 respondents in relation to the "horn distem- 

 per," seems to have arrived at that point 

 which each one has avowed himself equally 

 anxious to avoid ; viz. a dispute on words. 1 

 think nothing can be plainer to an impartial 

 observer, than that they are perfectly agreed 

 in the main matter disputed between them. 

 They both assert the existence of a disorder 

 among cattle which causes the horns to be- 

 come hollow. One contends that this is the 

 " hollow horn," but the other controverts this 

 position, and asserts that it is something else. 

 The case seems to stand thus, " horns heco me 

 kolloio,'" vs. " hollow horn." Now this ap- 

 pears to me so equally balanced, that it is 

 quite immaterial which hornoi' the dilemma 

 is chosen. " Observer" has, however, en- 

 deavored to escape both horns by bringing in 

 the polled cattle as subject to the same com- 

 plaint, — but this does not alter the case, un- 

 less he can prove that all cattle are of that 

 description. 



He has devoted all his ingenuity (and no 

 little does it require) to prove the difference 

 — to render plain the paradox; — and to show 

 the very nice distinction between " horns hol- 

 low" and " hollow horns." 



".'Tis stiange what diffurence there should be 

 Tvvixt tweedol diim .nnd tvveedel dee !" 



But seriously ; though I sincerely admire 

 "Observer's" zeal, and think highly of his 

 observations on other subjects; on this one he 

 is certainly wrong, not only in his opinion but 

 in his manner of snpporti;ig it. In spite of 

 every disposition to judge favorably, one of 

 two conclusions must force itself on the mind ; 

 that either his horns or his words arc hollow. 



I should be very sorry to hurt Observer's 

 feelings in any way;* but if the truth is se- 



* Observkr, possesses tnn much ccod sense, tn sufiTcr 

 his feelings to be wounded by <iliservations of this na- 

 ture. We are assured Hint bis object in pursuina: this 

 mnirovprsy has been to elicit truih, nnd tli reby cor- 

 rect the popular and prevailing errors on an important 

 subject, Tliat {rood may result from a well tempi-red 



vere, it is no fault of mine. I have endea- 

 vored to show the folly of disputes on words, 

 tor it is only these kind of difl'erencea that 

 creatt^ bitterness of feeling; no one is angry 

 at another for denying a mathematical truth, 

 ur believing that the world is flat ; but wher- 

 ever there is a distinction without a differ- 

 ence, we are sure lo lind the most determined 

 disputes; tiie most confident assertions, and 

 the most zealous partizans. 



In conclusion, 1 avow my belief in the ex- 

 istence of a (lisea.se among cattle, which may 

 be relieved by boring the horn and allowing 

 the decayed matter to escape. It would be 

 superfluous to bring proof of a fact, that I 

 have never yet heard doubted by any person 

 " ionorant" or learned. A Farmer. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



It seems to be the opinion of some persons, 

 that fut and oily substances and vegetable 

 acids do not attack copper while hot. Can 

 any of the readers of the Cabinet give an ex- 

 planation upon this subject"! 



If correct, what is the temperature at 

 which either will begin to act on the cop- 

 per? This is a subject of great importance in 

 domestic economy. 



Raising and Preserving Pumpkins 



A worthy and intelligent subscriber to the 

 Cabinet, residing in Pittsgrove, Salem county, 

 New .lersey, has sent us a communication in 

 answer to the inquiry in our 20th number, as 

 to the best method of preserving pumpkins. 

 As we are cramped for room in the present 

 number, we can only give the following 

 abridgement of his communication. He 

 states that for the last few years, he has had 

 no difficulty in preserving pumpkins, from 

 six to nine months. His plan is to gather 

 them when they are fully ripe, (by all means 

 before a frost falls,) and then keep them in a 

 warm, dry place. He states that in October^ 

 1835, he had a pumpkin, of the ordinary kind 

 raised in Jersey, about one foot in diameter, 

 called the " cheese pumpkin," brought in 

 from the field ; it was placed on the corner of" 

 a cupboard, and there left until JMarch last — 

 a period of about twenty months — during 



and judicious discussion, adtnits of no doubt. Ob- 

 server lias given his opinion frankly. If the position 

 be lia-i a^su^led is untxjnabli', let it be deuionsirated by 

 ar£!UMient. Wo want facis, on this and on every sub- 

 ject of moment to Ib.nt class to whose interests the- 

 i'abinct is devoted — and we know from con versaiion 

 with many of our reiiders, as well as from the fact 

 that the articles in question have been copied into a 

 iiiiniher of the public journals, that it h.is been the 

 means of excitine the I'tlention of many to nn invcs- 

 tication of ilie disease usually called '■IioIUid /mm." 

 We hope to h( ar often from " Obscrvrr" and " j9 Svb- 

 .'cnV;rr."— on subjects ivithin the range of our work: 

 And, ir"j9 forj/jer" can, by Ihe force of argument, 

 dislodge " Obscrrtr" from the position lie has a!^^umed, 

 our columns arc at his service. 



