1864. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



99 



surprise of the animal. In less than fifteen min- 

 utes from the time he took her in hand, he took 

 up her feet, hammered upon them and handled 

 them just as he pleased ! The result was equally 

 satisfactory with a horse that was usually terror- 

 stricken when an open umbrella came near him, 

 and with others, vicious in various ways. 



Mr. Rockwell's art lies in convincing the horse, 

 at once, that he has lost his power ; that man is 

 an overmatch for him. Under his management, 

 it is wonderful how quickly the animal seems to 

 come to this conclusion. There is no secret in 

 this. With the same energy and tact that Mr. 

 R. employs, any other person can produce the 

 same results. The exhibition was gratifying and 

 highly instructive. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 ASIATIC FOWLS. 



Messrs. Editors : — In obedience to your re- 

 quest, asking me to give your readers my opinion 

 of the difference between the White or Grey 

 Shanghai and the Brahma Pootra fowl, I will 

 state my experience in regard to the different va- 

 rieties. I have kept the Grey Shanghai and now 

 keep the Brahma. I believe it is admitted by all 

 poulterers, that these large Asiatic varieties were 

 all produced, originally, from one species, and 

 that they have descended from a large bird in the 

 Islands of Sumatra and Java, known as the Great 

 Malay Fowl. The difference between these vari- 

 eties is due to the influence of crossing and do- 

 mestication. Our American stock of these fowls 

 came from Asia in the vicinity of Shanghai. The 

 first were brought to this country about 40 years 

 ago, since which time permanent crosses have 

 been made, and thus the Brahma, and other va- 

 rieties, have been produced. I have found the 

 pure Grey Shanghai to be a very coarse, large- 

 boned, awkward fowl, quite unfit for the market, 

 and "with the exception of the Buff Shanghai," 

 the most inactive of all the Asiatic varities. The 

 pure Brahma fowls are more compact in form, 

 shorter legs, much shorter tail feathers, and a su- 

 perior market fowl. They are small-boned, in 

 comparison with the size of the fowl, small feed- 

 ers, and very hardy. If fed properly, they will 

 thrive well where common fowls will suffer, or 

 freeze. A very beneficial characteristic of the 

 Brahmas is, that when old their flesh is both ten- 

 der and juicy, which is quite the contrary with 

 any other breed I have erver seen. 



The Brahmas and the Shanghai are quite unlike 

 in their general appearance to the eye of a fowl 

 fancier. The thorough-bred Morgan horse may, 

 to the inexperienced eye, closely resemble the 

 common native farm horse, but by the horseman 

 the difference will immediately be observed. With 

 fowls, as with all other animals, those who breed 

 them with care will observe a very slight imper- 

 fection that would pass unheeded by those who 

 have not turned their attention to careful breed- 

 ing. 



I think every New England farmer who has 

 given the Brahma fowls a fair trial, is convinced 

 that they excel all others in every desirable quali- 

 ty, especially as winter layers. Any breed of 

 fowls will lay in the summer se 



part, I prefer to have eggs in winter when they 

 command a much higher price. I have forty 

 Brahma pullets that have averaged twenty-three 

 eggs per day during the past two months, which 

 have been sold at thirty-five cents per dozen. I 

 wish to keep the breed of fowls, and if any one 

 has a better variety I am willing to give them a 

 fair trial ; but after keeping upwards of thirty 

 different kinds, I have found none to compare 

 with the Brahmas for every desirable purpose to 

 the farmer. J. S. Ives. 



Salem, Feb. 24, 1864. 



FOOT-ROT IN SHEEP. 

 John Johnston writes us that he believes he can 

 manage this disease as well as M. Bauchiere, and 

 that his method has, besides, the advantage of 

 being no secret. He describes it as follows : — 

 Take finely pulverized blue vitriol — the finer the 

 better — make it into a salve with lard, butter, or 

 honey. After cutting away every particle of the 

 hoof that has become detached by suppuration, — 

 if some blood is drawn no injury will result from 

 it, — apply the salve freely, and I will warrant that 

 in less than five days the sheep will be sound, pro- 

 vided the detached hoof has all been cut off. But 

 it is safer to apply the salve at different times, 

 say two or three, at intervals of four or six dajir, 

 examining carefully at each application to see that 

 none of the detached hoof is left on the foot. To 

 cut this entirely away is indispensible. The best 

 way I have found to pulverize the vitriol, is to 

 hang up an iron pot by a rope or chain, put in 

 half a pound of vitriol ; then put in a cannon ball, 

 and take hold of the pot with both hands, and 

 give it such a motion as will cause the ball to roll 

 on the vitriol, and it soon becomes pulverized. 

 The vitriol will require to be loosened up from the 

 bottom of the pot once or twice. No better cure 

 for foot-rot need be desired than this, provided 

 the application be thorough ; but if the land is 

 wet, or foot-rotten sheep have been pastured on 

 it long, it will be safer to remove the sheep as fast 

 as they are cured, because the foul land will again 

 inoculate them. — Cultivator. 



Value of Manure. — In a bushel of Indian 

 corn, for instance, there are fifty-eight pounds of 

 grain, which will make, according to circumstan- 

 ces and conditions of animals, from three to twelve 

 pounds of flesh and fat. Now what becomes of 

 the remainder of the fifty-eight pounds ? A por- 

 tion of it is consumed — burnt up as fire burns 

 wood — in sustaining the necessary warmth of the 

 animal. But the greater proportion is cast out 

 in the droppings. 



This rule holds good in fattening neat cattle, 

 sheep, swine, and all other domestic ,;;,ini Is. 

 And herein, to a great extent, lies the real pro.fi 

 of feeding animals grain. The profit is in fci'fl 

 manure. If that is lost or wasted, the profit is 

 often very small, or there is no profit at all. — 

 Country Gentleman. 



To Prevent a Horse from Pulling at the 

 Halter. — Tie a rope around the r.eck, put it 

 through a hole in the edge of the manger, and 

 tie it around the fore leg below the knee, and 

 when the horse pulls, the rope will slip through 

 the hole and pull up the fore leg, and he will soon 



