454 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Oct. 



At the same time, I admit the impropriety and 

 inconvenience of permitting the indiscriminate 

 breeding and excessive increase of dogs ; and I 

 rejoice to think that the present dog law of Mas- 

 sachusetts, if enforced as it should be, is admira- 

 bly calculated to restrain these within due bounds. 

 At all events, let us give the law we have a fair 

 trial, before we ask for another and a more strin- 

 gent one ; and, lastly, let us not overlook the 

 difference between the noble, generous dog, and 

 the yelping, nameless, homeless cur. J. c. D. 



Weston, August 12, 18G1. 



Remarks. — We have visited pretty extensively 

 among the farmers of New England, and do not 

 remember a single instance where the rearing ot 

 Bheep was spoken of, but complaint was made of 

 their destruction by dogs. Indeed, the remark 

 ■was oftf;n made, "dogs have driven out sheep al- 

 together — we do not attempt to raise them." 

 This, also, is the testimony of the members of 

 the State Board of Agriculture, who represent 

 every part of the commonwealth. They represent 

 dogs as a scourge to the farmers. We attempted 

 to introduce a fine breed of sheep into the town 

 ■where we reside, but were utterly discomfited 

 by a neighbor's dog. 



CHACKS IN HORSES' HOOFS. 



The following is Dr. Dadd's mode of treatment 

 of this troublesome complaint, consisting essen- 

 tially in sewing the parts together, by means of a 

 strong wax cord: "The best practice would be, 

 first, to poultice the foot, (supposing the shoe to 

 have been removed), with a view of softening the 

 hoof and removing any extraneous matter that 

 may have insinuated itself into the crack. When 

 the hoof is sufficiently softened, it should be 

 cleansed, examined, and dressed with tincture 

 of myrrh. Select a spot about an inch below the 

 coronet, and with a small gimlet bore a hole 

 through the two edges of the crack, and another 

 one inch above the toe. A straight needle, 

 armed with a strong ligature, is to be passed 

 through the upper holes, brought over and 

 through a second time ; thus closing the two 

 edges of the fissure by what the sailors term a 

 "round turn." The same thing is to be repeated 

 at the toe. The assistant, by the aid of the pin- 

 cers or otherwise, shuts the crack as close as pos- 

 sible, the ligatures are each drawn tight, and tied 

 with a surgeon's knot. A small quantity of 

 blister ointment is to be besmeared over the 

 crack, and bar-shoe applied. The cure is ac- 

 complished in two ways — first, by fusion ; ses- 

 ondly, by the growth of new horn from the ma- 

 trix downward. After the edges have firmly 

 united, cut the ligatures, and pare the uneven 

 edges of the cicatrix level with the surrounding 

 parts, and the cure is completed." 



How TO Build Cisterns. — The attention of 

 the reader is called to an article on this subject in 

 another column. To know how to build a cheap 

 and substantial cistern, is a knowledge worth 

 possessing. 



For the New England Partner. 



pijTcatchers and thrushes. 



Interested in anything relating to our native 

 birds, I have been much pleased with the articles 

 upon the "Birds of New England," published in 

 the Farmer over the signature of "J. A. A." His 

 statements generally agree with my own observa- 

 tions, extended over a number of years. To his 

 list of Flycatchers, I M-ould add the Little Ty- 

 rant Flycatcher, {Muscicapa pusilla and Tyran- 

 nula pusilla, Swainson,) closely allied to Acadica, 

 but smaller — measuring about 5 inches in length 

 and 7i in extent. With regard to the Thrushes, 

 their shy, retiring habits and general similarity 

 of size and color render it very difficult to distin- 

 guish the several species. Your Vermont corres- 

 pondent seems to have studied the Hermit 

 Thrush very faithfully ; "Adolphus" — though fol- 

 lowing Nuttall rather closely — has attended to 

 the Wood and Wilson's Thrush, but passes some- 

 what slightingly by the other species, and I am 

 not quite satisfied with his disposition of the 

 synonyms. 



In accordance with "J. A. A." I have found in 

 the vicinity of Boston four well-defined species : 



L The Wood Thrush— (rwrdfts Melodus, of 

 Wilson, T. Mustelinns, of Bonaparte, Audubon 

 and Nuttall.) This noted vocalist, whose song 

 and habits are well described by Wilson and Au- 

 dubon, is sparingly resident here through the 

 summer, usually frequenting wild, rocky woods 

 and shady glens, where its peculiar, solemn, tink- 

 ling warble is often heard. T lis species is dis- 

 tinguished from the other small spotted thrushes, 

 by its larger size, measuring 8 inches in length, 

 and by the more decided spots of blackish brown 

 which are disposed in chains on the upper part of 

 the breast and sides of the body. The color on 

 the head inclines to rufous, and on the tail to 

 olive, the reverse of the Hermit. 



2. The Hermit Thrush— (T. Solitarius, of 

 Wilson, T. Minor, of Bonaparte, Audubon and 

 Nuttall, Merula Solitaria, of Swainson.) is small- 

 er than the AVood Thrush, measuring 7 inches in 

 length and 11 in extent; upper part olive brown, 

 inclining to reddish brown on the tail, a mark 

 which distinguishes it at sight ; breast nearly 

 white, with decided trian<;ular dark brown spots. 

 This species is not found in this vicinity during 

 the summer months, but is seen here as late as 

 the 25th of May, and again in the autumn, re- 

 maining until the last of October. This bird, 

 supposed by Audubon and Wilson to be desti- 

 tute of song, has a note which closely resembles 

 that of the Wood Thrush, and has probably often 

 been mistaken for that bird, — and this may ac- 

 count in part for the great diff"erence spoken of in 

 the notes of the Wood Thrush — although I am 

 well aware that individuals of the same species 

 vary very much in their powers of song ; it is 

 louder, not so flowing, and as I think not equal 

 to the true Wood thrush. Mr. Paine's observa- 

 tions on this species, in the Farmer of August 3, 

 are undoubtedly correct — and his account of the 

 nest and eggs corroborates Dr. Brewer, who has 

 paid much attention to this subject, and who says 

 the nest of the true Hermit Thrush is placed on 

 the ground and that the eggs are unspotted. 



Wilson's description of the Hermit Thrush cer- 

 tainly applies to this bird, but his figure, account 



