NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



run over all till they come to the last, -when they 

 have it in their power. They are almost continually 

 shifting situation from hill to dale, from one kind of 

 food to auothor ; and it is a fact that sheep will thrive 

 better on two or three different kinds of fodder, than 

 they will confined to one kind that is of a superior 

 quality. — Prairie Farmer. 



HORN-AIL IN CATTLE. 



This is a disease rather prevalent in this part of the 

 country, the actual seat and character of which, I 

 think, is but little understood among our farmers. 

 The horn is not, as is generally supposed, the origi- 

 nal seat of the disease, it being merely a continuation 

 of the fiontal bones, the sinews of which extend to 

 the very tip of the horn, and in which, with the sur- 

 rounding mcnrbrane, the disease first commences, 

 afterwards extending to the horn. At this time the 

 farmer generally commences his treatment, notwith- 

 standing the disease may have existed several weeks 

 unobserved, the possibility of which I will endeavor 

 to convince him, by relating some of the primary 

 symptoms of this disease — Horn- Ail, so called. They 

 consist in impaired appetite, absence of dew upon the 

 muzzle, pulse and breathing accelerated, increased 

 heat of the horns, thirst, and frequent constipation 

 of the bowels. Now, at this stage of the disease, 

 were the farmer or owner to apply the proper reme- 

 dies, horn-ail would seldom exist. Instead of this 

 being done, little notice is taken of the animal till 

 all the primary symptoms have subsided, and an- 

 other set show themselves, such as, greater loss of 

 appetite, depression of the spirits, staring coat, wast- 

 ing of the body, horns cold, discharge from the nose, 

 a dull, spiritless appearance. This morbid change 

 of the parts, having extended to the horn, terminates 

 in suppuration of its softer parts, and consequently 

 the honeycomb-like cells appear empty Avhen bored 

 into with a gimlet — that being the farmer's remedy 

 at this stage of the disease, generally to him the first 

 stags. He follows the operation by pouring into the 

 hole some irritating mixture, v/hich seldom proves 

 of any avail. I would not say this is the case with 

 every one, but it is thus too frequently. Some, at 

 an earlier stage, coinnTcnce giving a dose of purging 

 medicine, applying an external stimulant between 

 the horns, changing the diet for a more laxative one, 

 and one easy of digestion. By these proceedings, in 

 some instances they restore the animal to health ; at 

 other times the disease terminates difrercntly, by 

 extending to the organs of respiration, producing ca- 

 tarrh, bronchitis, or even pneumonia, (inflammation 

 of the lungs,) which, if not promptly and properly 

 treated, terminates in death. The causes which give 

 rise to this disease are generally pretended difficult 

 to discover. Yet, upon reflection and inquuy, they 

 arc easily traced out. Perhaps the door or window 

 of the cow-house has been left open, and a cold wind 

 allowed to blov/ du"ectly upon the animals. Perhaj^s 

 they have been turned out into the yard diu-ing a 

 cold storm, supposing that, they being animals, it will 

 not hurt them, while they are just as liable to take 

 cold as man, if exposed to the same vicissitudes of 

 temperature. Again : frequently their diet is not 

 sufiiciently nutritious to keep up the necessary de- 

 gree of animal heat to resist the excessive cold of 

 our winters, for it is at this season when it 2»'evails the 

 most. 



For two years past, I have attended the neat stock 

 belonging to the State Agricultural Society, under 

 the care of E. Phinncy, Esq., of Lexington, during 

 which time I have never seen a case of horn-ail, its 

 non-existence being attributable to the comfortable 

 manner in which the^^ are treated. 



Another cause of this disease is in the fodder Avith 

 ■which the cattle are fed, it being full of dust. In 

 breathing, the dust is drawn up the nose, into the 



cavities of the head ; irritation of the lining mem- 

 brane is occasioned, and extends tiU the disease is 

 established in one or all the parts before named. 



The treatment I prescribe, when called to animals 

 laboring under this disease, in its primary stages, is 

 to i^lace them in a comfortably warm situation, giving 

 them a clean, dry bed to lie upon, a diet easy of 

 digestion, should they be inclined to eat ; a dose of 

 moderately-pm-ging physic, with such medicine, once 

 or twice during the day, as the case may require, and 

 which shall allay fever at the same time, and allow 

 the patient to drink at liberty of cold water. Should 

 I not be called till the disease has assumed a chronic 

 character, I then, after seeing the patient housed 

 comfortably, and giving it a dose of laxative medi- 

 cine, commence giving one or two doses in the day 

 of cordials, combined with vegetable and in some 

 cases mineral tonics. 



There are cases, in some instances, wherein the 

 cure is performed by the operations of nature, and 

 without any aid £i-om medicine. In most cases, 

 however, of this disease, as well as all others, nature 

 can be materially assisted by the timely aid of medi- 

 cino properly applied. — Lotoell Journal. 



ROOTS FOR STOCK. 



Not only the farmer, who unites with his other 

 vocations that of stock-raising, but the mechanic, 

 who keeps but a single cow, should endeavor to 

 supply himself with a sufficiency of roots for winter 

 use. There are several varieties of roots now gener- 

 ally cultivated for this purpose, all of which are, no 

 doubt, possessed of considerable value ; yet some are 

 sviperior to others on account of their greater hardi- 

 ness, greater yield, or superior richness in the ele- 

 ments of animal food. The carrot, the parsnip, the 

 beet, and several species of the turnip, are cultivated 

 for this pvurpose, and generally with good success. 

 Indeed, it matters but Uttle Avhethcr we raise one or 

 the other, provided we only succeed in obtaining 

 enough; this is the main object to be attended to. 

 If we are so circumstanced as to render the produc- 

 tion of a crop of English turnips more easy to accom- 

 plish than either of the aforementioned ones, and 

 can secure a sufficiency to insure a liberal and con- 

 stant supx^ly of the roots to our animals during the 

 winter, we ought to be content and thankful ; for 

 notwithstanding the amount of nutritive matter in 

 this root is small, compared with that contained in 

 the ruta baga, yet this deflciencj' may be easily 

 counterbalanced by giving an increased quantity. 

 In this way, the English turnip is made to equal in 

 value other roots, while it is produced at far less 

 expense. "When we have the requisite means, Ave 

 should plant beets, caiTots, potatoes, &c., all of which 

 will afford an agreeable, salutary, and palatable diet 

 for neat stock, and are much cheajier than hay and 

 grain in carrying them through the A\inter, — Maiiu) 

 Cultivator. 



CAMPHOR TO DESTROY LICE ON CAT- 

 , TLE. 



Islv. John Macomber, of Wilton, informs us that 

 for more than ten years past he has used gum cam- 

 phor, dissolved in New England rum, to destroy lice 

 on cattle. It does the work eff'ectually, as we can 

 testify ; it may be applied at all times, even in the 

 coldest Avcather, without injuring the cattle. On 

 the whole, Mr. M. finds it better, safer, more conve- 

 nient, plcasanter, and cheaper than any other appli- 

 cation he has ever used for the purpose. 



A year of pleasure passes like a fleeting breeze, 

 but a moment of misfortune seems an age of pain. 



