372 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



by "precept and example" theym.iy work areform 

 amon": that "deluded people." But if, as T main- 

 tain, the character of the people of the West will 

 well compare with those of many parts of our 

 "happy New Enojand" — then there need be no 

 fears on that ground. Thus, Mr. Editor, I have 

 piven you a few brief, disconnected thoughts; and 

 if I have said enough to elicit a discussion on the 

 subject in your columns, and induce you to give 

 your opinion iu relation to it, my wish is accom- 

 plished. Agricola. 



Remarks. Our correspondent opens a broad 

 field for discussion. We have always considered 

 it a safe maxim to "let well enough alone." If a 

 farmer is comfortably established, owns the house 

 over his head, and the land under his feet, is ac- 

 quiring a good living, and making "both ends clev- 

 erly meet," he had better ponder well some of Dr. 

 Franklin's wise sayings before he breaks up his 

 home and severs all his early associations in order 

 to go to the West, or anywhere else. Take away 

 our rugged hills, hard fields and rough climate, 

 and supply them with the broad prairies and mild- 

 er skies of the West, and our thrifty, energetic. 

 New England character, would gradually die out. 

 We have always supposed that the necessitij for la- 

 bor has been the philosopher's stone which has 

 subdued the rough nature about us and turned our 

 ice and granite into gold. As we go down South, 

 we find people less and less inclined lo labor, until 

 we come to a climate where the spontaneous pro- 

 ductions of the earth are sufficient to sustain life, 

 and there we find very little labor performed. — 

 Civilization is in a low degree, there being, at first, 

 no exciting cause to impel man to action in order to 

 provide himself with food and shelter. Wherever 

 the necessity for exertion exists, and man enters at 

 once into active fields of labor, his ambition is 

 aroused, and he earnestly strives for distinction 

 among the active beings around him. This spirit 

 of emulation increases as it rolls onward; improves 

 every science and art, and makes what is called a 

 high state of civilization. 



We have had some expeiience of Southern and 

 Western winters; they are damp, with cold, cut- 

 ting winds; the roads are mud and water, orrough 

 with frozen ruts, and we found them more trying 

 than our steadily cold and dry atmosphere. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 BLOODY MILK. 

 Gentlemen : — My cow has been giving bloody 

 milk since July last. Will you have the goodness 

 to let me know through the columns of your valua- 

 ble periodical— the New England Farmer — the 

 cause of this disease, and inform me how to cure 

 it; and thereby confer a great favor on the public, 

 and very much oblige. 



Your obedient servant, J. E. Upham. 



Harvey, Albert Co., New Brunswick, Sept. 8, 1851. 



Remarks. — It is somewhat doubtful whether we 

 shall be able to make a satisfactory reply to the 



queries of our correspondent. We have exam- 

 ined all the books to which we have had access, 

 both American and English, and do not find the 

 subject of "bloody milk" alluded to, in any of 

 them. Most of the experienced farmers with whom 

 we have conversed, state it as their opinion that 

 bloody milk is occasioned by some external inju- 

 ry to the udder, either by a blow, being trodden 

 upon by other cattle, or perhaps, by sudden cold. 

 Either of these may be sufficient to produce a rup- 

 ture of some of the small blood-vessels, or induce 

 inflammation in such a degree as to prevent a nat- 

 ural secretion of the fluids. Milk is so nearly al- 

 lied to blood, that a slight disarrangement of the 

 secretory glands might suffijr the juices to pass 

 oft' together, before being elaborated either into 

 pure blood or milk. It is not impossible, however, 

 that the difficulty may be occasioned by injury up- 

 on some other part of the body, or by some gener- 

 al disease. 



The Garget, we believe to be a disease unlike 

 the one in question. In that disease the milk usu- 

 ally coagulates in tiie bag, and causes local inflam- 

 mation where it lodges, and is attended with more 

 or less fever. The udder becomes hard, and 

 filled with lumps, and the teats enlarged and sore. 

 Cows give bloody milk without any of these symp- 

 toms, and even without any soreness of the ud- 

 der; still, we are not certain that it is not the same 

 disease in another foim. 



As the cause of bloody milk is not given in the 

 best works upon the cow and her diseases, we are 

 led to suppose that no certain knowledge exists on 

 the subject. 



The remedies suggested by experienced men, 

 are, careful treatment and feeding, fomentations 

 of the udder with cold water; if fever is apparent, 

 a dose of physic, and the milk drawn off" gently, 

 but completely, twice a day. 



We hope some of our friends intimately acquaint- 

 ed with the physiology of the cow, will enlighten 

 us on the subject. 



For the Neir Em^/and Farmer. 



FARMERS' FESTIVAL AT AMHERST. 



BY P. 



It was my privilege towitne.ss the movements of 

 the farmers of the County of Hampshire, on the 

 2-2d of October. I say interesting, for such has 

 been the organization of societies in this section of 

 the county, that hitherto they have fell themselves 

 in a measure, one side of all accommodations — 

 although, in fact, very centrally situated. 



The rain of the night previous probably checked 

 the ardor of many, who would have added to the 

 show; nevertheless, early in the morning, the as- 

 semblage commenced, and before ten o'clock, A. 

 M., the enti)-e area of the extended common north 

 of the college eminence was covered wiih strings 

 of cattle. 



Our attention was particularly arrested by a 

 magnificent team of S6 yoke of oxen, drawing 180 

 of the farmers of Belchertown, accompanied hy a 



