70 THE COMPLETE FARMER 



animal affected. Descriptions of some of these instruments 

 may be seen in the Domestic Encyclopedia, vol. i. p. 409, 

 410. Loudon likewise observes, that ' the flexible tube for 

 the relief of cattle that are hoven or choked, consists of a 

 strong leathern tube, about four feet long and half un inch 

 diameter, with a leaden nozzle, pierced with holes at the in- 

 sertion end. It should be kept in every farmery. There is 

 a similar one on a smaller scale, which should be kept by 

 every shepherd.' 



In turning cattle or sheep into fresh and rank clover oi 

 lucerne, care should be taken at first to let them remain but 

 a short tiiiie when the grass is dry, and then turn them out 

 again, that they may by degrees become accustomed to the 

 rich herbage. 



Hoof-ail, or Hoof Distemper. A writer for the Massachu- 

 setts Agricultural Repository, vol. iv. p. 339, gives some 

 account of this disorder, from whi^h we extract the following. 



' Symptoms. When an animal is at all lame, its foot should 

 be carefully felt. The first indication is usually an uncom- 

 mon degree of warmth, and a soft and puffed feel of the 

 parts immediatply ponnected with the slit between the hoof, 

 either before or behind the foot, and generally just above it. 

 If in the hind foot, and not easily handled, a fulness may 

 generally be perceived, by standing behind the animal, and 

 carefully comparing the appearance of the two feet betv/een 

 the dew-claws and the hoofs, (for it A'ery rarely commences 

 its attack on more than one foot.) In the fore foot it gene- 

 rally swells forward; and in taking up the foot the slit be- 

 tween the hoofs will generally have the appearance of dry- 

 ness, easily distinguishable to a person used to cattle ; and 

 the animal f equently licks the front part of the foot. In- 

 stances frequently occur of sudden and extreme lameness, 

 without any appearance of heat or swelling in the foot ; and 

 these are often the worst cases ; but one symptom rarely 

 fails to accompany the disease, which is extreme restlessness 

 and appearance of anguish, attended with loss of appetite 

 and flesh, but without in the least affecting the brightness of 

 the eye, and, perhaps, sometimes unnaturally increasing it; 

 but the eye has a peculiar cast. As a general rule it is 

 safest to attribute all lameness of the foot which cannot be 

 traced to a sufficient cause to the hoof-ail. Lameness of the 

 foot can generally be distinguished from that of the leg, hip, 

 or shoulder, by making the animal step over a stick or rail, 

 and carefully watching its motions. 



