No. 9. 



The Cattle Epidemic. — Useful Directions. 



277 



The Cattle Epidemic. 



This pestilence is beginning to excite 

 much apprehension in Great Britain, so 

 much so as to be taken up by the Highland 

 Agricultural Society of Scotland, and seve- 

 ral of the Agricultural Protection Societies. 

 At the meeting of the Highland Society 

 last week. Professor Low said : 



"The members were all, no doubt, aware 

 that there at present prevailed an epidemic 

 on the continent amongst cattle. He be- 

 lieved it originated in the marshy swamps 

 of Hungary; but it was steadily and rapidly 

 extending northward. The opinion of medi- 

 cal men was, that the disease was contagi- 

 ous: and he thought it was safest to act 

 upon the supposition. The French Govern- 

 ment had been eagerly urged to take some 

 precautions to prevent the admittance of 

 these animals. He thought, therefore, that 

 the Directors should apply to the Board of 

 Trade, that, if necessary, they might sus- 

 pend the operation of that portion of the 

 tariff which refers to the importation of 

 German cattle, so long as the epidemic con- 

 tinues. This would be no injury to the 

 consumer, as the quantity of cattle hitherto 

 imported had been very small, while the in 

 jury which might be inflicted by the im- 

 portation of di^ased cattle, would be enor 

 mous," 



The following extract is from the report 

 read at the annual meeting of the Sussex 

 Agricultural Protection Society: 



"Your committee have lately had brought 

 before their notice, the fact of a most fatal 

 disease raging among the cattle on some 

 parts of the continent, and your committee 

 have taken measures that the existence of 

 such malady should be brought before the 

 notice of the Board of Trade, with the view 

 that that Board should take such steps as to 

 prevent the landing of cattle so diseased." 



It is to be hoped that while this epidemic 

 shall prevail on the continent of Europe, 

 no importations of cattle or stocltof any kind 

 will be made into our country. — Ainerican 

 Farmer. 



Useful Directions. 



Britannia ware should be first rubbed 

 gently with a woollen cloth and sweet oil, 

 then washed in warm suds and rubbed with 

 soft leather and whiting. Thus treated it 

 will retain its beauty to the last. 



New iron should be very gradually heated 

 at first; after it has become inured to the 

 heat, it is not as likely to crack. 



It is a good plan to put new earthen ware 

 into cold water, and let it heat gradually 

 until it boils — then cool again. Brown 



earthen ware, particularly, may be tough- 

 ened in this way. A handful of rye or 

 wheat bran thrown in while it is boiling, 

 will preserve the glazing, so that it will not 

 be destroyed by acid or salt. 



The oftener carpets are shaken the longer 

 they will wear; the dirt that collects under 

 them grinds out the threads. 



If you wish to preserve fine teeth, always 

 clean them thoroughly after you have eaten 

 your last meal at night. 



Woollens should be washed in very hot 

 suds and not rinsed. Luke-warm water 

 shrinks them. 



Suet keeps good all the year round, if 

 chopped and packed in a stone jar, and co- 

 vered with molasses. 



When molasses is used in cooking, it is a 

 prodigious improvement to boil and skim it 

 before you use it. It takes out the unplea- 

 sant raw taste, and makes it almost as good 

 as sugar. 



Use hard soap to wash your clothes, and 

 soft to wash your floors. Soft soap is so 

 slippery that it wastes a good deal in wash- 

 ing clothes. 



It is easy to have a supply of horse-radish 

 all winter. Have a quantity grated while 

 the root is in perfection, put it in bottles, 

 fill it with vinegar, and keep it corked tight. 



Do not wrap knives and forks in woollens; 

 wrap them in good strong paper. Steel is 

 injured by lying in woollens. — American 

 Traveller. 



From the Massachusetts Ploughman. 

 Oats— Eighty bushels per acre. 



Mr. Editor, — If you think the following, 

 in relation to a crop of oats I raised the past 

 season will be interesting to your readers, it 

 is at your disposal. 



I sowed four acres with oats last spring, 

 which had been planted two years previous 

 with corn, and well manured. The yield 

 was eighty bushels to the acre, the oats 

 weighing thirty-five lbs. to the bushel. I 

 procured my seed about forty miles distant, 

 and sowed five bushels to the acre. I attri- 

 bute the superiority of my crops to the 

 changing of seed, more than to any other 

 one circumstance. Would not our farmers 

 find it to their advantage to take more pains 

 than they ordinarily do to obtain their seed 

 oats from soils different from those which 

 they sow! 



I ploughed in the stubble, seeded and 



rolled the ground immediately after taking 



off the crop. The grass seed took well and 



looked promising at the closing in of winter. 



^ D. A. 



Ashfield, Feb. lUb, 1845. 



