424 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



SEPi. 



A plowman here is a plowman always, and doubt- 

 less has more skill than our farmers in holding 

 the plow. The land is entirely free from roots 

 and other obstructions, and the fields are generally 

 large, so that he ought to do good work. I amuse 

 myself often in talking with the plowmen here 

 about our plows, which they think cannot be fit for 

 any use. Of one thing I am quite certain, that an 

 English plow would be utterly useless on most New 

 England farms. With all their weight, two yoke 

 of oxen would break one to pieces in a moment 

 against a stump, and the long beam and handles 

 would be entirely unsuited to the variations of sur- 

 face, and the obstructions with which we meet. 

 Again, the length of the plow compels them here 

 to leave a wide headland, and to dig up with a 

 spade a large corner, most of which one of. our 

 plows would turn over. 



While here, I have witnessed the operation of a 

 new steam plow, just invented, and have seen it 

 plow an acre in an hour. It is entirely different 

 from the one I saw in France, which I think I 

 mentioned in a former letter, but as my letter is 

 already too long, I will defer any description of it. 



I intended to notice the short-horn stock shown 

 at the Suffolk Exhibition, but as I am going imme- 

 diately into the neighborhood of some of the best 

 breeders of it, where I shall see all they have, and 

 not merely the selected animals, it is as well to de- 

 fer any particular notice of it. I find ample oppor- 

 tunity to examine everything in the way of agricul- 

 ture, and have many more invitations to the 

 homes of farmers and of noblemen than I can ac- 

 cept. 



My impressions of the hospitality of the English 

 are becoming more and more favorable. That I 

 am an American, and interested in agriculture, seems 

 to be sufficient to open all doors and all hearts to 

 welcome me, and he alone who has wandered far from 

 home knows how properly to appreciate such kind 

 ness to a stranger. II. F. F. 



For the New England Farmer, 



HOSN AIL. 



Mr. Editor : — I am desirous of saying to your 

 readers that the cruel and absurd custom of boring 

 the horns of animals, and turning in pepper, salt 

 and vinegar, to relieve the animal of disease, is a 

 barbarous practice, and because some have survived 

 the operation, it is no evidence of its utility. Nev- 

 er bore a horn ; the horns and hoofs are protec- 

 tions, and are the last things that need doctoring. 

 I purchased a young cow very cheap, that had been 

 doctored for the horn ail. The first thing I did 

 was to putty up the holes in her horns, tarred her 

 nose, and gave her one-half peck of turnips every 

 day at noon with her hay, for eight or ten days ; 

 after which lime, she fared with the rest ; and I 

 kept her years after, without any sign of disease. 



The supposed cases of horn ail have been the 

 source of more real-practice than any other, par- 



ticularly on old cows and oxen thin of flesh ; such 

 stock is forced to eat meadow hay, and not the best 

 at that, with a cold and open barn for a shelter, in 

 our varying climate. Cattle so kept, without roots 

 and a change of food, will lose their appetite, and 

 of course lose flesh ; and, as a consequence, have 

 less vigor to withstand the changes of climate, and 

 are more susceptible to disease. Such stock often 

 have a cold in the head; the nose is stopped, and 

 the natural drains of the head being closed, produce' 

 cold horn, giddiness, loss of appetite, a watery dis- 

 charge at the eyes, &c. For symptoms like the 

 above, Mr. Gleason, ofWayland, has a prescription 

 that has the most philosophy of any I have seen, 

 and, withal, works well. "Put a half table spoon- 

 ful of spirits of turpentine on the head between the 

 horns, and then with a syringe inject into the nos- 

 trils a solution of vinegar, salt and pepper, which 

 will cause a discharge at the nose." h. 



For the New England Farmer. 



HAIR SKAKES-DAMPHESS IN WALLS. 



Dear Sir : — When a boy I was taught by my 

 school-reader ("Flint's Lectures," I think,) that a 

 horse hair put into water for about two weeks in 

 August would become animated, and changed into 

 a hair snake. 1 became interested in the subject, 

 and tried the experiment ; but could never vivify 

 the hair. 



These old recollections caused me to read with 

 interest the articles on this subject on pages 40 and 

 191 of the present volume (9) of the Farmer. 

 Since then, in an article on the organic contents 

 of waters from the Thames, and other sources, by 

 Edwin Lankester, M. D., F. R. S., published in 

 liOndon, in the Civil Engineer and ArchilecVs 

 Journal for 1852, page 407, 1 found the following : 

 "Thus it is known that the stickleback swallows the 

 eggs of a species of eutozoon," [that is an intestinal 

 worm, an animal living in some parts of another ani- 

 mal — Ed.] "called Bathriocephalus ; but while inside 

 the fish, these eggs never develop into a perfect 

 eutozoon ; but if the fish is eaten by a bird, the crea- 

 ture becomes perfectly developed. The gordius, or 

 hair ivorm, deposits its eggs in water, but the eggs 

 are not developed in this position; they are first 

 swallowed by insects, and in this position the egg 

 is hatched, produces the gordius, which becomes 

 impregnated, and escapes from the insect into wa- 

 ters, where it deposits its eggs." 



On page 259 of No. 6, Vol. 9, Mr. Wells, of 

 Ohio, makes some inquiries respecting dampness 

 in brick houses, which were not replied to in the 

 following number. Dampness in brick and stone 

 houses may arise from three causes. First, by ca- 

 pillary attraction from the ground. Second, from 

 driving storms beating against porous stone or 

 brick. Third, from the walls being thick, and, 

 therefore, not changing temperature so quickly as 

 the atmosphere. Thus, when a warm, damp day 

 succeeds a cool one, the moisture in the air will be 

 condensed in drops, as it comes in contact with the 

 cooler walls ; the same effect will be produced by 

 a glass of cold water on a warm day in summer. 

 The remedy for this latter cause is to furr off" and 

 plaster, leaving a space of confined air inside the 

 brick or stone wall. For the second cause, apply 

 a mastic or water-proof cement, paint, or wash ; and 

 for the first, in building, put in a strata of asphalte. 



