1861. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



89 



HOUSES, AND THEIK DISEASES. 





Crib Bitinp: — Farcy — HiJe 

 BounJ — Roarinj; — Ring Bone. 



VERY farmer is inter- 

 ested in the horse, — and 

 not only himself, for 

 when a good, faithful 

 horse has long been 

 upon the farm, he comes 

 to be regarded almost 

 as one of the familj', at 

 least, as indispensable 

 to its comfort in many 

 ways. When attacked 

 by disease, and the poor 

 animal is suffering, the 

 sympathy of the whole 

 household is excited, and all are anxious to do 

 eomething to alleviate his pain as well as to re- 

 store him to service. We propose, therefore, in 

 the course of this year to mention some of the 

 diseases to which the horse is liable, and some 

 rational remedies for them. It will not be in 

 our power to say that all the diseases will be ac- 

 curately described, or that the remedies are the 

 best that may be prescribed, — but we shall select 

 from the best sources, and would invite those 

 familiar with the diseases which so often disable 

 the noble animal, to aid us in the effort to throw 

 light upon the subject. 



We introduce below, a brief description of sev- 

 eral diseases, with the treatment for each, all in 

 plain, common sense English, from a new work 

 by Edward Mayhew, called "The Illustrated 

 Horse Doctor" and recently published in London. 

 The reader will see in these extracts how briefly 

 and intelligibly he presents the symptoms and 

 treatment of some of the diseases which destroy 

 the usefulness of the horse. 



CRIB BITING. 



Cause. — Sameness of food, and unhealthy sta- 

 bles or indigestion. 



Symptoms. — Placing their upper incisors 

 against some support, and, with some effort, emit- 

 ting a small portion of gas. 



Treatment. — Place a lump of rock-salt in the 

 manger ; if that is not successful, add a lump of 

 chalk. Then damp the food and sprinkle magne- 

 sia upon it ; and mingle a handful of ground oak 

 bark, with each feed of corn. Purify the ventila- 

 tion of the stables before these remedies are ap- 

 plied. 



FARCY. 



Cause. — Excessive labor, poor food and bad 

 lodging, operating upon old age. 



Symptoms. — It is, at first, inflammation of the 

 superficial absorbents. Lumps appear on various 

 parts. If these lumps are opened, healthy matter 

 is released ; but the place soon becomes a foul ul- 

 cer, from which bunches of fungoid granulations 

 sprout. From the lumps may be traced little 

 cords leading to other swellings. The appetite 



fails ; or else it is voracious. Matter may be 

 squeezed through the skin. Thirst is torturing. 

 At length glanders break forth and the animal 

 dies. There is a smaller kind of farcy, called but- 

 ton farcy — the smaller sort is the more virulent 

 of the two. 



Cure. — There is no known cure for the disease. 



HIDE BOUND. 



Cause. — Neglect, or turning into a straw or 

 stable yard for the winter. 



Treatment. — Liberal food, clean lodgings, soft 

 bed, healthy exercise and good grooming. Ad- 

 minister, daily, two drinks, composed of — liquor 

 arsenicalis, half an ounce ; tincture of muriate of 

 iron, one ounce ; water one pint. Mix, and give 

 as one dose. 



ROARING. 



Cause. — The bearing rein ; the folly of fashion. 



Symptoms. — A noise made at each inspiration. 



Treatment. — No remedy. The cabman's pad is 

 the only alleviation ; that conceals and does not 

 cure the disease. 



RING BONE. 



Cause. — Dragging heavy loads up steep hills. 



Symptoms. — A roughness of hair on the pas- 

 tern, and a bulging forth of the hoof. A want 

 of power to flex the pastern. An inability to 

 bring the sole to the ground, only upon an even 

 surface. Loss of power and injury to utility. 



Treatment. — In the first stages apply poultices, 

 with one drachm of camphor and of opium. Af- 

 terwards rub with iodide of lead, one ounce, sim-- 

 ple ointment, eight ounces. Continue treatment- 

 for a fortnight, and after all active symptoms 

 have subsided, allow liberal food and rest ; work 

 gently when labor is resumed. 



For the New England Farmer. 



SOCIETY BEPORTS— SUCCESSION OF 

 FOREST TREES. 



The Transactions of the Middlesex Agricultu- 

 ral Society for the year 1860 is a well prepared 

 document, and contains valuable information to 

 the farmer. I notice, however, one important 

 omission, which, in common with many of the re- 

 ports of county societies, detracts much from its 

 inte'-est and value. It is shortly this : In not 

 giving full statements with regard to crops en- 

 tered for premiums. What we want to know is, 

 the most successful methods of culture, with the 

 cost attending it, the nature of the soil, its previ- 

 ous use, the kind of seed, the amount sowed, and 

 the manure applied. Without such statement, 

 the reader only knows that A. B. raised twenty- 

 five bushels of wheat to the acre, and nothing, 

 more. 



The address of Mr. Thoreau is a very interest- 

 ing one, particularly that portion which explains 

 the process of nature, by which when a decayed 

 pine wood is cut down, oaks and other hard woods 

 may at once take its place. In other words, how 

 it is that, without the aid of man, a rotation of 

 crops in the shape of trees takes place. This is 

 done, as he truly says, by the winds, in some cases, 

 by the birds and by animals in others. The 

 squirrel is a great tree-planter, the oak, the wal- 

 nut and the beech are mostly planted by him. 

 They are brought from long distances and are 



