Vol 1.— No. 43. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



34 J 



parts of the western country, • nd has excited 

 an anxious desire in the hearts of humane in- 

 dividuals, and even in the legislative bodies, 

 who have offered a premium for the discove- 

 ry of the cause and remedy. 



The first persons leier heard of, falling 

 victims to this violent attack, were Mr. Win, 

 Tompkins, of Virginia, and Mr. Bernard 

 Fowler, both of whom died on Bank Lick 

 creek, Kentucky, about the year 1794-5. — 

 I again heard of it prevailing, on the Tur- 

 keyfoot fork of Eagle creek, in Kentucky; 

 again in Henderson county, Kentucky, near 

 the Red Banks; and subsequently in other 

 parts of Kentucky. 



In settling the state of Ohio, soon after 

 the luxuriant herbage began to be eaten 

 down, it prevailed on the head streams of 

 Paint creek ; on Darby creek ; Little Miami ; 

 on Mad river; particularly in the vicinity 

 of the mouth of Buck creek, where Mr. 

 Robert Renwick resided (now Springfield.^ j 

 It was not till the year 1807, that I could 

 form the least conjecture what could be the; 

 cause of producing this milk sickness, or' 

 puking complaint. But some tiwie dining 

 this year, Mr. Renwick found some of his! 

 cattle afflicted with the trembles, as it is cal- 

 led. He kept up the sick cattle, and by ad- 

 ministering to each a heavy draught of whis- 

 key, they recovered. He then turned outj 

 the well cattle, and followed them in the j 

 range, to discover if he could, the cause. — j 

 The cattle took their usual round, and Mr. 

 R. followed them; it being the fall season [ 

 of the year, [the usual peiiod when cattle J 

 take the trembles ;] Mr. R. discovered his 

 cattle feeding very greedily on a poison vine; 

 which grows very plentifully on shady, wet, I 

 and marshy ground ; the result was, hisoth- 

 er cattle took the trembles also, and he had il 

 to doctor them in like manner. 



From the above peiiod to the present time, j 

 I have kept my attention fixed on the above u 

 circumstance, and have examined and in- 

 quired to find out the cause, from Ohio, 

 through Indiana, Illinois and Missouri : and 

 often been led to conclude that it was a 

 weed; at other times stagnated water im- 

 pregnated with arsenic, again a small i tin- 

 ning vine ; but recent circumstances have at 

 length fully confirmed me in the belief that 

 Mr. Renwick made a correct discovery. 



This complaint in many parts of the west 

 lias at times been truly afflicting. It has 

 been communicated to adults by means of 

 the beef, the milk and the butter, and on 

 some occasious has swept away almost a 

 whole family of childien, and some times 

 parents also, who have used, peilmps on ma- 

 ny occasions from necessity, a milk diet. — 

 When the cattle have died of the trembles, 

 the hogs that have eaten the flesh died in 

 like manner; and the dogs, alter eating of 

 the flesh of the cattle or hogs have died al- 

 so. 



This poison vine grows up about knee or 

 waist high, stubby and bushy on the top: the 

 leaves resemble very much the poison vine 

 which frequently ascends the trees, ('not the 

 creeping poison vine,) and may he of the 

 same species is the former. It is so well 

 known to most of mr western settlers, that 

 any further description is unnecessary. It is 

 frequently found in the marshes, deep hol- 

 lows of hills, and on wet lands. 



During the last severe winter, Mr. Horrel, 

 a highly respectable citizen of our neighbor- 

 ing county, Clark, and his neighbor, Col. 

 Harrod, formerly of Kentucky, both of 



whom are intelligent men, and reside in the 

 vicinity of Charleston, on the head of the 

 little Miami, where the trembles and milk 

 sickness have prevailed for many years; 

 both of the above gentlemen vouched for the 

 following fact: That during the long con- 

 tinuance of the snow, about thirty cattle 

 were in a lot enclosed, where this poison vine 

 was raised above the snow; and although 

 they were well fed, they chewed the stalks on 

 the vine and took the trembles and most of 

 them died. Those cattle put into an adjoin 

 ing field, and fed and drank at the same well 

 or pool, were not at all affected, though fed 

 on the same food. On Darby creek, I was 

 informed on yesterday by an intelligent per- 

 son, that there was a similar case lately oc- 

 curred. 



Thus it is. that after many years conjec- 

 ture, 1 have all my doubts on this subject en- 

 tiiely removed; as I have also learned it to 

 be a fact, though I have not yet tried the ex- 

 periment, that the juice of this poison vine, 

 administered to cats and dogs in milk, pro- 

 duces the same results as though it were the 

 milk or flesh of a poisoned animal. 



1 am, sir, very respectfully, yours, kc. 

 TH. S. HINDE. 



Urbana,June27, 1831. 



N. B. I have communicated the above 

 facts for publication, and hope all the west- 

 ern edilors will give it an in insertionpro bo- 

 no publico. 1 shall be much gratified if it e- 

 licits such remarks as may lead to beneficial 

 results. Surely, if my position be correct, 

 this poison vine is very easily eradicated and 

 destroyed from every neighborhood — for it 

 appears to propagate or spring up from roots 

 only ; it does not bear seed. 



f3flt would be desirable that some of our west- 

 ern friends should give a strict Botanical descrip- 

 tion of this Poison vine, that it might be classed 

 in its proper place, and become extensively known. 

 The assertion that it " does not bear seed," is an 

 anomaly in nature, of which we are advised of 

 no instance, except in exotics, requiring longer pe- 

 riods to perfect themselves ; in all of which cases, 

 the preparation of blossoming is apparent. — Ed- 

 itor. 



SELECTIONS. 



From the New York Farmer. 



THE COUNTRY FARMER.- No. V. 



On the proper Education of the Sons and 

 Daughters of Farmers. 

 Mr. Eleet — The proper Education for 

 Farmers, male and female, supposing that 

 the sons and daughters are to pursue the I 

 same business, will first be discussed. AstOj 

 the extent of mere literature, or of science, 

 and the knowledge of philosophy, which is 

 desirable for a Farmer, much will depend! 

 upon the capacity of each individual, as to 

 resources of mind, physical and moral ener-! 

 gy, and pecuniary ability: always remem- 

 bering, however, lhat more learning than; 

 understanding, totally disqualifies every son 

 anil daughter of the Farm for its business. 

 If men, and boys, and women, and girls, 

 would put their learning to good uses.i 

 there would be little danger of having too 

 much : nor would there, as the case actually 

 stands, if it were not so much the fashion to 

 throw away so much time in learning what 

 is worse than useless. We are a nation of 

 Englishmen, and the literature of our moth- 

 er tongue, embraces all, that can, by any 



possibility, be of anv service to a Farmer. — 

 Learn as much as they may, of English 

 literature, with science and philosophy, and 

 there is little danger of an overstock, or that 

 the conceit of learning will spoil a boy, or 

 a man, for Farming, unless, indeed, he be 

 spoiled before, by want of mind. Let him 

 go to a ' profession,' and crawl along the 

 road to indolence, uselessness arid contempt, 

 the 'stunted pig' of the older, as a living 

 beacon (o other Farmers' sons. 



But how much learning should a Farmer 

 have? All he can get, I answer, and make 



a good use of the main thing, after all. 



When a Boy. a thorough knowledge of the 

 spelling book, the ground work of all litera- 

 ture, so as to be able to spell readily, and 

 correctly, all the words of common occur- 

 rence in the language. He must learn to be 

 a good reader also, and may read a book of 

 grammar, for amusement, but should never, 

 if a lad of good sense, be permitted to com- 

 mit a single rule of it to memory. Leave 

 this to boys who have time to throw away 

 upon the dead languages, and often before 

 they can spell half the words in their own, 

 the way to make pedants, coxcombs, and 

 learned dunces. He must learn arithmetic, 

 and learn how to apply it to use, taking spe- 

 cial care to commit the tables to memory, at 

 school. The elements of geography, may 

 be learned in a few months, while practising 

 in penmanship; and some knowledge of his- 

 tory is good, if only to implant a taste for 

 the study, during the leisure hours of a Far- 

 mer's life. Natural inclination, is like ap- 

 petite for food. That which is the taste and 

 humor of the mind, is easily acquired, sets 

 well, and is likely to be useful. If the boy 

 has some geometry in the mind, study math- 

 ematics, geometry, and the elements of as- 

 tronomy, but let it be his own study, assisted 

 by his teacher. So, also, if he have a mind 

 for mechanism, indulge him with tools, and 

 the study of mechanics. So, also, in bota- 

 ny, and the physical sciences as they are cal- 

 led, as mineralogy, geology, and zoology, 

 but only in the rudiments at school. In nat- 

 ural philosophy, encourage all his taste for 

 information. Farming, is. truly a most phi- 

 losophical business, the delights of which, 

 as well as the success, and profits, are much 

 increased, by an intimate early acquaintance 

 with the laws of matter. The great purpose 

 of learning, is to supply food for thought. 

 So, also, of writing; to set men to thinking 

 for themselves. The horse, who ruminates, 

 glazes all the time. It takes the cow half 

 her time, to chew the cud, without which shp 

 would give no milk. 



But how much time would you allow the 

 sons of Farmers in getting all this school 

 learning? 1 answer, not more than half of 

 each year, from the age of five to fifteen ; 

 that is, in our northern climate, to attend 

 school through each winter, and be kept at 

 work on the Farm all the rest of the time, 

 so as to have a handy habit for <■ ork, as well 

 as for learning at school. If kept out of 

 school, half the time, they will return to it 

 with a good appetite for learning; and if 

 kept at school half the time, and the other 

 half to work on the Farm, they will return 

 to their work with a good relish for it, tired 

 of the school house. Whatever is taken 

 with a good appetite, nourishes, whether it 

 be for the body or mind. These alternate 

 changes, besides that their varied occupa- 

 tions keep the appetite always keen, allow 

 time for reflection, keep the mind occupied, 



