154 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



April 



There is yet a little patch of evening left for 

 the boys to read. They may have left school for 

 the season, or for life, but their education is not 

 finished. Let them have a few moments with 

 their books, and papers, and thoughts, especially 

 in these days, 



"For we are living, we are dwelling, in a grand and awful time, 

 In an age on ages telling — to be living is sublime." 



A singular notion seems to have been harbored 

 in many people's heads, until it is nearly con- 

 densed into a proverb, something like : Learning 

 cmx't he lost. Therefore, when the school closes, 

 down go the lids of the books of their children, 

 to be raised only when school again opens. Yet 

 these same people will sometimes claim to have 

 forgotten more in a year than most know at one 

 time. The fact is, we forget so fast that almost 

 constant practice is necessary to keep our knowl- 

 edge of any branch of science or art available. 

 For this reason it may be cheaper to let the boys 

 review their lessons occasionally, evenings and 

 stormy days, than to neglect study entirely till 

 school time comes round again. 



The young folks generally intend to have a lit- 

 tle fun on the first day of this month, which is 

 called "April Fools' Day,^^ not only in New Eng- 

 land, but wherever the English language is spok- 

 en. The New American Encyclopaedia says that 

 the custom of sending people on empty errands, 

 and laughing at them, is common in every coun- 

 try of Europe, and wherever the European races 

 have settled on this continent. Two accounts are 

 given of its origin. The Oriental scholars say 

 that it is derived from the liuU feast among the 

 Hindoos, where a similar custom prevails. The 

 other opinion is, that it comes from a celebration 

 of Christ's being sent about to and fro between 

 Herod, Pilate and Caiaphas. In France, the fool- 

 ish person is called poisson d'avril, meaning a 

 silly fish, like a mackerel, easily caught. Li Scot- 

 land, he is called gotok, which means a cuckoo. 



By the first of this month, farmers in this sec- 

 tion hope to start the plow. This is a most im- 

 portant branch of our business, and we submit as 

 a proper subject for special thought and study 

 during the month of April, the principles and 

 practice of ploining — the whys and wherefores, 

 as well as the how. 



Com, Oils. — The New York correspondent of 

 the Boston Commercial Bidlctin says : "The ker- 

 osene and coal oil trade is very much depressed, 

 the sujjply being largely in excess of the demand. 

 The refined oil now sells at from 28 to 30 cents, 

 which, at the present rate for crude stock, Avill not 

 pay a profit to the refiners, and the works in this 

 vicinity are being very generally suspended. Some 

 parties are buying up and storing large quantities 

 of the manufactured oil, in anticipation of an ex- 

 cise duty of ten cents per gallon, being levied up- 



on the manufacture by the new revenue act about 

 to be passed upon by Congress. Enormous quan- 

 tities of the article are stored in this vicinity, and 

 the receipts of both crude and refined oil from the 

 Avells and Western factories are very heavy." 



THE CATTLE DISEASE. 



AVe are glad that the Board of Agriculture has 

 thought it proper to call attention to this matter. 

 There are those who believe the disease is not con- 

 tagious. We have seen enough to convince us 

 that it is, and that there is imminent danger of its 

 sweeping with destructive power over the whole 

 State. It is more than folly to neglect its en- 

 croachments. It is among us noxc, beyond doubt 

 or cavil, and every prudent measure should be 

 adopted to arrest it, Avhether it is contagious or 

 not. If those who object to action in relation to 

 it would visit diseased herds, examine animals 

 when slaughtered, and make careful inquiries into 

 the nature of the disease, they would be quite like- 

 ly to be more consistent in their opposition to 

 investigation and the measures to prevent its ex- 

 tension. 



Hr.PORT ON THE CATTLE DISEASE. 



The undersigned, a Committee appointed by the 

 Board of Agriculture to prepare a statement of facts 

 for publication in relation to the cattle disease, would 

 respectfully report that — 



Having good reasons to fear that the disease known 

 as pleuro-pneiiraonia (so fatal in its ravages among the 

 neat stock of North Brooktield and vicinity in the years 

 1859 and 18G0) has again made its appearance in several 

 towns in the county of Norfolk, they feel it the duty of 

 this Board to warn the farmers and others, owners of 

 neat stock in the Commonwealth, that the time has 

 arrived for them to take every precaution to prevent 

 the spread of this scourge ; and in view of its conta- 

 gious nature they would urge the necessity of the 

 greatest care being taken by all interested in purchas- 

 ing or permitting strange cattle to come in contact with 

 their herds. 



The disease now claiming our attention made its ap- 

 pearance in the town of Qaincy last April, breaking 

 out in two herds nearly simultaneously. Eight ani- 

 mals from one of the herds were sold to a person in 

 Ilandolph, m the month of September, for cight}--five 

 dollars for the lot. One of these animals died before 

 reaching the homo of the owner, and three more short- 

 ly after. The other four have been lost sight of. One 

 herd in Milton, and also one in Dorchester, have been 

 .ift'ected for some months. Four animals from one of 

 these herds, which had been sick during the summer 

 of last year, but had apparently recovered, were taken 

 to Brighton in the fall and sold. Four of the other 

 herd have since died or been killed — all presenting a 

 seriously diseased appearance. On examination hj 

 the veterinarians conversant with the Brooktield com- 

 plaint, they pronounced it identical, so far as they 

 could judge. There are four or live animals still left 

 of this herd, some of which are cither sick or showing 

 symptoms of contagion. There are also other cases 

 which have not been examined — the Selectmen of the 

 towns waiting the action of the Legislature in passing 

 a law authorizing a new commission. The law has 

 now been passed, and the commissioners appointed, 

 and we would respectfully urge upon the gentlemen 

 composing that commission the great importance of 

 immediate measures to nivestigate the disease, and, if 

 necessary, applying the remedies placed by the law in 

 their hands, that the ravages of this fearful pest, (which 

 there is little doubt is identical with the Brooktield 

 disease, and which can be traced to that neighborhood,) 

 may be stayed. 



There still being doubters in the community as to 



