1863. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



8S 



"WHAT MAKES THE HENS DIE ? 



The first symptoms of ailment are swelling of the 

 head about the eyes, nearly as large as a walnut, on 

 both sides of the head, above and below the eyes. 

 They walk about slowly from one to three weeks, and 

 then die. A number have thus died. 



North Charlcstown, X. H., 1863. o. 8. 



Remarks. — The disease described above is a catarrh, 

 the symptoms of which are similar to those in the hu- 

 man system, namely, a watery or sticky discharge from 

 the nostrils, and a swelling of the eyelids ; in bad cases 

 the head is swollen at the sides, and the disease has the 

 appearance, or seems to run on to true roup, catarrh, or 

 sicc/k'd head. The cause is generally exposure to 

 cold and dampness, such as long continuance of wet 

 weather, or roosting in damp, chilly places, or places 

 that are open to damp, cold winds. 



In simple cases, the treatment may be removal to a 

 dry, warm situation, and a supply of food rather more 

 nutritious and stimulating than usual. In severe 

 cases, the fowl should at once be separated from the 

 rest. Bathe the nostrils and head with warm water 

 into which two or three drops of the tincture of arnica 

 has been placed, and occasionally with warm milk 

 about the eyes, or with weak, warm soap suds ; and 

 then rub the head gently with a piece of warm flannel. 

 Keep the sick fowl in a warm, clean place, with a bed 

 of hay to sit upon. It is possible that some internal 

 remedy may be useful. This disease is apcompanied 

 with intermittent fever, and two or three drops of weak 

 tincture of aconite would, probably, be useful in allay- 

 ing it. The poor birds suffer much, and require ten- 

 der care at such times. 



sore mouth in sheep. 



I am surprised that your correspondent, George 

 French, of Sutton, N. H., never before saw sheep 

 afflicted with sore mouth. It is not a common disease, 

 but occasionally a flock will have it, and if not at- 

 tended to immediately, will lose flesh very fast. I 

 have known of three flocks having it the past season, 

 which is uncommon for this vicinity. The cause I 

 ascribe to exposure to wet and cold. For a remedy for 

 sore mouth in sheep, take equal parts of tar, lard and 

 sulphur, warm and mix them thoroughly. Apply warm 

 to the lips. I have known one thorough ap])lication to 

 cure. Gardner Herrick, 2d. 



South Reading, Vt., Jan., 1863. 



Remarks. — Mr. James M. Bass, of Williamstown, 

 Tt., informs us that he does not know the cause of sore 

 mouth in sheep, but that tar applied to the affected 

 parts will cure it. 



stock for our farms. 



For a time, the memory of man runneth not to the 

 contrary, have I heard this subject agitated, but still 

 when I go among the farmers I do not find any essen- 

 tial alteration for forty years last past. Notwithstand- 

 ing some speculative gentlemen and fancy farmers 

 have introduced a few animals of what are termed the 

 improved breeds, the great majority of animals, four- 

 fifths at least, are of the New England stamp. "Why 

 is this so ? Have not our farmers intelligence enough 

 to understand what is most for their own interest ? I 

 believe they have, and that their continuing to use the 

 stock to which they have been accustomed, is not be- 

 cause it is less Jit to be used, but because they think it 

 best to be used. I would value one fact of this kind 

 more than all the fancies derived from the finest Dur- 

 hams, Devons or Ayrshires ever imported. 



The first objection to these imported breeds is, the 

 expense of procuring them. As a general thing, they 

 cost at least four times as much. When, therefore, a 

 young man is about to commence farming, and wants 

 ten cows and a bull to start with, it is quite material to 

 him to inquire whether he shall pay .$"oO apiece, or 

 $200 apiece for his stock. In the one case it requires an 



outlaj: of SoOO— in the other an outlay of .«2,000— 

 a ditlerence of S'l.oOO the interest of mdre than SlOO, 

 the whole of the expected profits of his first year's 

 labor. For I doubt whether there is more than one in 

 ten of the young men who start in farming who make 

 a larger profit than $100 in the first year of their en- 

 terprise. If they can make $100 the first year, they 

 can make $12.5 the second year ; and so they can go 

 on for twenty years, until they get to be worth $5,000 

 —and then they will have' boys and girls enough 

 around to enable them to advance more rapidlv. This, 

 as a general thing, is as much as can be said of the 

 profits of farming, and this is more than can be said 

 of any other pursuit. p. 



farmer SHELDON, OF WILMINGTON. 



1 have read the autobiography of this gentleman 

 with much interest. It is a neatly printed duodecimo 

 volume of 37o pages, each of which contains some 

 striking fact worthy of remembrance. I know them 

 to be facts, because they are so like the author, and no 

 one else. 1 know them to be facts, because forty years' 

 acquaintance with the author has impressed me with 

 entire confidence in his integrity and veracity. It is 

 the story of the life of a plain Yankee farmer, told by 

 himself. Whoever reads it will have reason to think 

 his time ha» been profitably spent. p. 



ANOTHER FINE PORKER. 



Mr. Benjamin Town, of this town, recently dressed a 

 Chester county pig, which weighed, at ten months old, 

 410 lbs. The leaves weighed 38 lbs. 



Montpelier, Vt., Jan., 1863. 



WILD GEESE. 



AVill you, or some of your readers, inform me, either 

 through the Farmer, ox by letter, where I can obtain a 

 pair of full blooded AVild Geese ? Allen Toby. 



Calais, Vt., Jan., 1863. 



For the New Englaml Farmer. 

 THE APPLE CHOP. 



The apple croj) has been so abundant this voar 

 that it has been difficult to pet barrels to hold 

 them. While it is quite as well, perhaps, to keep 

 them for home use in open bins or boxes, they 

 can only be propeily marketed in good, strong, 

 full-hooped, headed-up barrels. 



But few of the ai)ples poured into Boston stop 

 there to be consumed. A late steamer took out 

 fifteen hundred barrels to England. Mr. Tudor 

 has just sent five thousand barrels to Calcutta. 

 There has been a large shipment the whole fall to 

 the British Provinces. 



Now purchasers for these markets, or for any 

 distant one, require that the apples should not 

 only be sound and handsome, but that they should 

 be i)ut up in good barrels. The barrels should be 

 headed uj). It will pay to do it for all worth tak- 

 ing to market. Apples to be shipped, of a)urse, 

 require to be covered. But the purchaser, living 

 hut a few streets oft", will buy more readily, and 

 often at a higher ])rice, if he can feel sure that all 

 the apples he buys will reach his home, as they 

 will if nailed right up before his eyes while he is 

 counting his money. 



No aj)])les ought ever to be sent to market in 

 dirty barrels. It is but a single minute's work to 

 dash in a pail or two of water, and witli a l)room, 

 too much worn to be worth much in the house, 

 give it a thorough cleansing. Every nail should 

 be clenched down. Simple and reasonable as 

 these directions seem, how often they are neglect- 

 ed. Barrels are filled which are covered with 



