SALIVATION OF HORSES. 231 



every racking reduces its strength, and much of the spirit escapes 

 with the carbonic acid gas whicli is evolved in the iormcntive pro- 

 cess. Tlie oxygen of the atmosphere, besides, increases the vine- 

 gar fermentation. But if" these methods fail, resort may be had to 

 the me;in« of impeding the na(ur:ii operation of the mucilage, < r 

 vegetable leaven. This may be done by what is called sluminitifr, 

 that is, burning a rag impregnated with sulphur, in the cask in 

 which the liquor is to be decanted, after it has been partly tilled, 

 and rolling it so as to incorporate tlie liquid with the gas ; or by 

 putting a drachm or two of Uie snlplmte of potasli into emch cask, 

 which will precipitate and render insoluble the remaining leaven. 

 If the fruit is 2;ood, and properly ground, and tliC cider racked from 

 tbe fennenting casks at a pro[)er lime, most or all of tiie subsequent 

 Oj)erations will be superseded. 



I fear, Mr. Editor, I have been too prolix upon a subject which 

 almost every farmer professes to understand ; yet considering it, as 

 I do, of great importance to the community at large, I cannot close 

 this without suggesting to the consideration of the enliiihtened 

 Trustees of your State Agricultural Society, the propriety of ascer- 

 taining, by experiment and analysis, the comparative value of our 

 cider-fruit, and of awarding premiu'ns, not only for the discovery 

 of the best kinds of cider apples, but lor indigenous or hardy grapes, 

 best adapted for American wines, J. Buel. 



Aibamj, Feb. 26, 1827. 



SALIVATION OF HORSES. — OIL OF PU3IPKIN SEED. 



The following article respecting Oil of Pumpkin Seed, and the 

 Salivation of Horses, we copy from that valuable work, llie .'Ameri- 

 can Farmer. A query was inserted some time since in this Jour- 

 nal, respecting the Salivation of Horses, and its cure. It is gene- 

 rally attributed to what is known by the common names of puke- 

 weed, Lidian tobacco or Lobelia. This, together with the other 

 plant mentioned by Rafinesqiie, viz: Euphorbia, which we have 

 never seen in Maine, may bring it on, and so may many other acrid 

 plants which are accidentally eaten by horses. We believe, how- 

 ever, that these causes act much more seldom than is imagined. It 

 is not impossible, that a certain state or stage of the juices of grass 

 may bring on this salivation, either by fermentation or other cause 

 not well understood — stimulating the coats of the stomach, and ex- 

 citing a superabundant flow of fluid. We are led to this conclu- 

 sion by the Aict. that horses at some seasons are not so much af- 

 fected with slavering, as they are at others, although they run in 

 the same pasture, — and we have observed ditferent horses in the 

 •ame pasture, diiferently. aifected ; — some very much, others, 



