382 



Useful Recipes. — Manures. 



Vol. V. 



in consequence of their adhesion to the feet 

 of every description of farm stock. From 

 this receptacle they are soon disengaged and 

 ready for fresh vegetation, and tlie propaga- 

 tion of their seeds. Thus this execrable plant 

 almost imperceptibly spreads over a whole 

 farm, be it large or small. Avoided by every 

 animal at any stage of its growth, when once 

 in even partial possession of fields or mea- 

 dows, it will be found extremely difficult to 

 eradicate. It sets at absolute defiance every 

 instrument or application, excepting the 

 plough, hoe, or spade. The wild-carrot, 

 daisy, narrow-leaved plantain, ten-o'clocks, 

 and garlic, are sufficiently injurious and trou- 

 blesome ; but these can be kept down by 

 grazing; not so with the Broad-leaved plan- 

 tain — nothing shoit of iron or steel, so far as 

 the writer's experience goes, will subdue it, 

 and then the operation must be performed 

 repealedly, and with much care. 



It is respectfully recommended to the 

 farmer to keep a vigilant eye on this detesta- 

 ble weed, to attack it on its first appearance, 

 and in every stage of its progress strive to 

 arrest it; otherwise, he will sooner or later 

 discover that this pest alone, is worse than 

 " thorns and thistles." 



Chester County. 

 June, 1841. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Useful Recipes. 



Mr. Editor, — I have been so much pleased 

 anS instructed in reading your interesting 

 journal, that I cannot withhold my approba- 

 tion of the many truly valuable communica- 

 tions which from time to time appear therein, 

 and feel it a duty to add whatever useful in- 

 formation may be in my power for the benefit 

 of my brother farmers, many of whom are 

 frequently deterred from doing thus, from the 

 fear of inability to dress their ideas in such 

 language as may ba acceptable to your nu- 

 merous and intelligent readers — such, I may 

 say, being my own case, — but hoping the fol- 

 lowing remarks may be of use to some of our 

 friends, I am induced to offer them to your 

 acceptance, should you think them worthy 

 an insertion in the Cabinet. 



I have been engaged in rearing horses for 

 the market for several years, and have never 

 had a case of the botts amongst my stock — 

 presuming the reason is, that I salt my horses 

 several times a week during winter and sum- 

 mer; while some of my neighbours, with a 

 much smaller stock, are occasionally losing 

 a horse from that disease, and I believe my 

 security lies in perseverance in the use of 

 salt as a condiment, thereby strengthening 

 the stomach and destroying the grub, which 

 otherwise might destroy the horse. 



Many colts are annually lost by the scoura 

 or a laxity of the bowels, which disease may 

 be cured by the following means. Take a 

 pint of strong coffee a little over milk-warm, 

 add two table-spoonsful of flour, and break 

 into it two eggs; stir well together, and give 

 the whole as a drench. Two doses are gene- 

 rally sufficient for the most inveterate attack, 

 if taken in time. 



Some time since, a fine young horse of 

 mine was taken suddenly with the colic — 

 and after resorting to all the means common 

 in such a case, but without success, he wag 

 given over to die; when, recollecting that I 

 had read of laudanum being a sovereign 

 remedy in that dangerous disease, I lost no 

 time in administering about half an ounce; 

 and in less than ten minutes he appeared per- 

 fectly well. 



With foundered horses, I generally suc- 

 ceed, in taking from the neck vein about a 

 gallon of blood, and administering as a drink 

 a quart of sassafras tea, made strong, one 

 table-spoonful of saltpetre, and a quarter of 

 an ounce of assafoetida; withholding any 

 drink for five or six hours, at the end of 

 which, should he not be better, I repeat the 

 bleeding, taking half the quantity, and giv- 

 ing another sassafras drench, offering him 

 bran or oats scalded with sassafras tea, his 

 drink being mixed with the tea: his feet 

 should be well cleaned and filled with cow 

 manure. I am, sir, respectfully, 



John M. Johnson. 



Hannibal, M\., June, 1841. 



Manures. 



The cardinal point in the management of 

 manures is, to apply them in that state and 

 to those crops which are the most benefited 

 by their application. When manures are left 

 in the yards over the summer, they should 

 be thrown up and mixed with large quanti- 

 ties of vegetable mould ; marsh mud, clean- 

 ings of the sides of roads, leaves, &,c., that by 

 fermentation the whole might become decom- 

 posed and incorporated : in this way the value 

 of yard manure is increased fourfold, and the 

 quantity augmented. A new manure has 

 been created in France, by the admixture of 

 gypsum (plaster of Paris) and urine, the mass 

 being then dried and pulverized. It is found 

 to be the most effective of all animalized ma- 

 nures, and requires caution in the use ; a 

 small quantity being sufficient to produce a 

 most rapid and vigorous growth to every crop 

 to which it is applied. How easily could our 

 farmers make the experiment ! it is within 

 the power of all. — Alb. Cab. 



No success in any science, or employment 

 useful to mankind, is experienced withotjt 

 industry and perseverance. 



