1864. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



6t 



orest leaves. Upon this, during the winter, a hog 

 is made to labor. He is cheated into working it 

 over by a slight sprinkling of corn or acorns. 

 When the manure is thrown from the stables, I 

 consider manure thus made contains all the ele- 

 ments requisite to grow wheat. I am satisfied 

 with the result. 



Many good farmers may doubt the propriety of 

 trying the experiment. Some think there are cer- 

 tain sections not adapted to wheat. That is true, 

 judging from past experience, when cultvated in 

 the old way.. Different treatment might change 

 the result. That can be decided by experiment. 

 Theory is often upset by practice. — Z. B. in N. II. 

 Jour. Agriculture. 



A New Disorder among Cattle. — R. W. 

 Burt, of Atlanta, 111., gives the following descrip- 

 tion in the Prairie Farmer of a disease new at 

 least in that section : 



The animals affected appeared to look gaunt, 

 and would move and stagger and fall, in some 

 cases not get-up again, or if they did, only to fall 

 again and die. On examination some blood ap- 

 peared about the nose and anus. The veins un- 

 der the skin were very full ; the spleen or melt 

 was very much enlarged, and on breaking the 

 thin skin, or covering, it seemed rotten. The 

 liver seemed unnatural. Large fine two and 

 three year old steers, and cows with young calves, 

 seem to be those attacked mostly. Some fifteen 

 have died. These cattle had been two or three 

 weeks on very luxuriant clover meadows, full of 

 seed. The same disease has appeared on an ad- 

 joining farm. 



In reply, Dr. Dadd remarks : 



From the above description I should infer that 

 the disease alluded to, is, or very much resembles 

 Splenic Apoplexy, a disease which has generally 

 baffled the skill of those, who in this country, have 

 attempted to cure it. What the conditions are, 

 which favor its propagation, I am unable to de- 

 termine, for I have known it to affect, equally, 

 those which appeared healthy, as well as others, 

 unhealthy in appearance, hence it is very difficult 

 for any one to point out the direct causes of the 

 affection. 



Diptheria and its Cures. — The distinguish- 

 ing mark of this malady from other diseases of 

 the throat, is the formation of a membrane which 

 increases gradually until the patient is strangled 

 to death. It is sometimes accompanied with ul- 

 ceration and great bodily prostration. To pre- 

 vent the formation of this membrane is to arrest 

 and cure the disease. The Cincinnati Post gives 

 the following simple remedy : In the early stages 

 of the complaint, which is always accompanied 

 with a soreness and swelling of the throat, let the 

 patient use a simple solution of salt and water, 

 as a gargle, every fifteen minutes. At the same 

 time moisten a piece of flannel with a solution of 

 the same kind, made as warm as the patient can 

 bear it, and bind it around his throat, renewing it 

 as often as the gargle is administered, and in the 

 meantime sprinkle fine salt between the flannel 

 and the neck. Use inwardly some tonic or stim- 

 ulant, either separately, or if the prostration be 

 great, use both together. The treatment, as may 

 be seen, is extremely simple, and, if used in the 

 earlier stages, will effect a complete cure. 



EXTRACTS AND REPLIES. 



SORE EYES AND SOKE MOUTHS IN SHEEP. 



I noticed in my flock of sheep, when they came up 

 to the barn, that some of them had very sore eyes, and 

 one of them has become entirely blind. The malady 

 is still spreading through my flock. Many of them 

 are also having very sore mouths. Those that are not 

 affected with sore eyes, have sores, commencing in the 

 corner of the mouth, and spreading upon the edge of 

 the lip, scabbing over, and bunching out like small 

 warts. Can you or any of your readers tell the cause 

 and recommend a cure ? Constant Reader. 



Marloio, N. H., Dec. 29, 1863. 



Remarks. — We hope some of our correspondents, 

 wh<a are engaged in .sheep culture, will reply to the 

 above. We have had considerable experience with 

 sheep, but never found a disease jf ke the one described 

 here. 



SILK WORMS' EGOS. 



For a long time I have been desirous to obtain some 

 silk worms' eggs. Can you inform me where they may 

 be obtained, or give me the slightest clue to finding 

 them ? I have quite a large nursery of mulbery trees, 

 and wish to engage in the making of silks, but can 

 procure no silk worms. K. Mc A. 



Limington, Mc. 



Remarks. — We do not know. Will some corres- 

 pondent reply. 



New Recipe for Making Soap. — A corres- 

 pondent of the Germantown Telegraph says : We 

 have lately tried a new recipe for making soap — : 

 new to us at least — and as we had such success, I 

 thought it would be well to send you the modus 

 operandi for the housekeeper's department of your 

 paper. 



Pour four gallons of boiling water over six 

 pounds of washing soda and three pounds of un- 

 slacked lime, stir the mixture well and let it set- 

 tle until it is perfectly clear. It is better to let it 

 set all night, as it takes some time for the sedi- 

 ment to settle. When clear, drain the water off, 

 cut six pounds of fat with it, and boil for two 

 hours, stirring it*most of the time. If it does not 

 seem thin enough, put another bucket of water on 

 the grounds, stir and drain off, and add as wanted 

 to the boiling mixture. Its thickness can be tried 

 by putting a little on a plate to cool occasionally. 

 Stir in a handful of salt just before taking off the 

 fire. Have a tub ready soaked to prevent the 

 soap from stickiifg. pour it in and let it set till-sol- 

 id, when you will have from the above quantity of 

 ingredients, about forty pounds of nice white soap, 

 at a cost o r about two cents per pound. House- 

 keepers, try ir. 



The Patent Office. — During the past year 

 the increase of the business of the Patent Office 

 has more than compensated for the falling off at 

 the time of the secession of the Southern States, 

 and enabled the office to pay all its expenses with- 

 out any further appropriation. This increase is de- 

 rived chiefly from patents for labor saving ma- 

 chines, particularly agricultural implements, the 

 inventions of which have been stimulated by the 

 detraction of field labor by the war. Numbers of 

 patents have been issued for inventions occasioned 

 by recent discoveries. About four hundred are 

 registered solely for lamps to burn coal oil. 



Java yields the Dutch government a cool mil- 

 lion annually by the traffic in birds nests. 



