162 



Hoof-ail — Lime as a Manure for Potatoes. Vol. Ill 



prasa to which her disease was allributed when in a 

 slate of hay. 



I think iho iliaecise was never known but one spason. 

 The first symptom of it was oljservalile in Foljiiiary, and 

 it reached iis crisis about the middle of May. tjliould 

 .his commuuication lead loany furiher ol«ervalion.s on 

 the nature and cause of the disease, I shall be much 

 pleased, and they may be of great service to the aericul- 

 lurist. .Shoiil<l the disease ever again make its ap- 

 pearance, I shall be more particular in my observations. 

 1 remain, very re.spectfnily, 



Wm. T. Woodman. 



P. S. It should be observed, that though we have 

 every year more or less of the erjot, the quantity of it 

 is never considerable. I think there is seldom more 

 than one pint to a hundred bushels of rye. 



Dilferen', remedies were tried, but none of them 

 afforded any relief 



■ Beinc desirous to ascertain whether the disease of the 

 prass to which Mr. W. referred, had grown in meadows 

 uiat had been deprived of llieir usual supply of water, I 

 addressed a letter to him in reference to this point, and 

 received the fallowing answer. 



Tredyffrin, June Wth, 1815. 



Sir, — Your favor of the 30th ult. came to hand the 4lh 

 Snst. Since the receipt of it, I have made numerous in- 

 quiries, for the purpose of obtaining additional infonna- 

 tion respectin<: the disease, (of which I communicated 

 an account,) and on the season preceding its prevalence 

 &c.; but I regret to inform you, that farmers in general 

 are so deficient in observation, and so entirely out of the 

 practice of recording facts, that I have not been able 

 satisfactorily to ascertain, whether llie season, in which 

 the " injurious hay was made," was a dry one or not. 



However, my father informs me, that .as nearly as he 

 can recollect, about that period, the ditch which con- 

 veyed water tn his meadow, became so filled with accu- 

 Diul-itions of mud and other matter, as to render the sup- 

 ply very imperfect. As a deficiency of watering appears 

 to be the cause of the unwholesome qualitiesof the hay, 

 it is highly pruliable the injurious hay was made during 

 the season that water was wanting. But shortly afier 

 this time, the death of my grandfather in a great mea- 

 sure e.xcluded my father from the benefit of the water. 

 The original pdantation being divided into isvo farms, 

 and that of my father lying farther down the stream, the 

 water of the artificial course is exhausted before it 

 reaches his land. It should however be remarked, that 

 since that period he mows his grass while it is very 

 young, and bef ire the seeds are touched by the " smutty 

 affection." Indeed, the farmers generally, in this neigh- 

 borhood, since their cattle were affected with the 

 disease, are careful to mow much earlier than they did 

 formerly. 



I am strongly induced to believe that Mr. Cooper as- 

 cribes the disease to the proper cause ; for I have been 

 correctly informed, that a load ofthe injurious hay was sold 



to Rogers, who at that tinie kept the Buck 



Tavern, in Second-street, whose cow, in consequence of 

 feeding on it, was affected with a disease of a similar 

 nature. Your friend, &c. 



W. T. Woodman. . 



The disease prevailed to a great extent in Orange 

 county. New York, in the year ISiO, and is very well 

 and minutely descrilied by Dr. Arnell, corresponding 

 secretary of the Agricultural Society of that county.* 

 The fads delailedliy him leave no doubt of the deaths 

 of numerous cattle in his vicinity being caused by their 

 eating hay made from some grass that was affected with 

 the species of ergot, observed in the produce of the mea- 

 dows before mentioned, fir he expressly mentions that 

 the spear-crass erew in the meadows, in the towns of 

 Wallkill and Blooming Grove, where the disease pre- 

 vailed, anil in a bog-meadow snil. Dr. A. remarks, that, 

 " the hay was cut in June, or beginning of July, imme- 

 diately before harvest: that only cattle in good condition 

 suffered from eating the diseased hay, the poor and mea- 



fre escaping." The means of prevention, pointed out 

 y Dr. Arnell, are similar to that jmliciously recom- 

 mended by Mr. Woodman, viz. to cut the grass early, be- 

 fore the ergot forms; or, if it bo found in the grass, to 

 defer cutting it until late, when experience proves that 

 it may bo safely used; fir Dr. A. remarks, that "the 

 ergot then becomes dry, and shriveled, without any of 

 the flour, or vegelo-animal matter, which it usually con- 



Albany Plough Boy, vol. 3, p. 44. 



tains." But the hay made from such late made gras j 

 must be of little value, because Dr. A. says truly, that 

 "this spear-grass is so early, that if left to stand until 

 the usual time of mowing meadows, it loses all its succu- 

 lent and nutritious [.roperties." This agrees with our 

 experience, with respect to the spear-grass of Pennsyl- 

 vania, where it ripens next in order to the ea.T\y anthoX' 

 unlhujn (xloraluiii, or sweet-scented meadow-grass. 

 .Still, however, it may be useful, by answerine one pur- 

 jHiseof food in all anin)als; to stimulate by distention, 

 and to add to the stock of barnyard manure. The 

 various remedies tried to cure the disease in New York; 

 are enumerated by Dr. Arnell. Those that succeeded 

 were : 



1. Poidtices of soap, rye-meal, and salt, to the legs 

 and feet. 



2. A wash cf beefbrine, composed of saltpetre, and 

 common .salt, applied several times a day, and after 

 washing and rubbing the feet with the bitter-sjceet 

 ointment.* Ofthe animals thus treated, one only lost 

 its lioofs. 



In the treatment of the disease, the first, object to be 

 attended to, is to remove the cause producing it. This 

 is to be effected by drenches of castor-oil, or sweet-oil 

 and molasses and water warmed, to which may be 

 addetl, if fuund necessary, after the failure to operate of 

 the first dose, half a pound of glauber salts, dissolved in 

 warm water. During the operation of the drench, corn- 

 meal, rye, or oatmeal, mixed with a large proportion of 

 warm water, ami a handful of common salt to every 

 bucket of it, should be freely given. The use of hay 

 free from ergot is as obviously indispensable. A handful 

 of salt should be given every day to promote digestion, 

 and give tone to the system. The local applications 

 must be of a stimulating nature, to rouse the activity of 

 the circulation and of the absorbents, and to enable the 

 part laboring under a deficiency of vital energy, to 

 resume its healthy functions, or to throw olT the disease. 

 Fish or beefbrine will answer as well as any, but they 

 should be well rubbed on the feet and legs, for friction 

 greatly tends lo assist in restoring the health of the 

 parts. To prevent the appearance of the ergot in the 

 izrass, care should be taken, when practicable, to supfily 

 the meadows with water in dry seasons. 



Ijime as a Manure for Potatoes. 



Some things have already been said and 

 done on the subject of lime in raising pota- 

 toes. The experience of the friend whose 

 name is attached to the statement below, 

 Efoes to recommend at least an experiment. 

 Will not the quality of potatoes be improved 

 by the use of lime, as well as the quantity 

 increased 1 



Waterford, January 1. 1&38. 



"Respecting the use of lime in raising 

 potatoes, I can make no accurate statement — 

 as I was not at home when my workmen 

 commenced digging those that were limed ; 

 but as near as I can calculate, I obtained 

 something like 100 bushels more for making 

 use of about six bushels of shocked lime, in 

 the following manner: I had about a half 

 pint of lime placed in the hill, and had the 

 potatoes dropped on it, and pressed down 

 gently with the feet, before covering. I was 

 led to try the experiment by seeing the effect 

 produced by some lime that had been used 

 in a tannery, being put into the hills of some 

 potatoes. — J^er. Tel. John Ide. 



♦ Bitter-sweet, or woody night shade, (solanum dulca- 

 mara,) a. vn!\\-\i.nown medical plant; long used in Eu- 

 rope. It is iinestionable whether from this external re- 

 medy any benefit w.-\s derived in the case of the cattle, 

 except from tho effects of the friction used in its applica- 

 tion. 



