

104 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



April 



cattle or sheep. It seems to me as though it would be 

 as hard for them to do without it, as it would be for a 

 man who is in the habit of using tobacco to do with- 

 out that. 



A subscriber wishes me to inquire if you cannot 

 give the price of gold in the Farmer? 



Cabot, Vt., Feb., 1864. C. M. Fisher. 



Remarks. — We have no doubt that salt is good for 

 horses, and never have heard it doubted before. 



Poultry Book — Cutting Fodder— Horse Power. 



Do you know of a book on fowls that is authentic, 

 where it can be obtained and at what price ? 



Please give your opinion whether it will pay to cut 

 cornstalks and other fodder for cattle, and whether it 

 ought to be steamed ? 



Which is the best machine for horse power ? 



Vergennes, Vt., 1864. W. S. Allen. 



Remarks. — The American Poulterer's Companion, 

 by C. N. Bement, is the best work among us, at pres- 

 ent. The book is written in a moderate tone, having 

 grown out of his own experiences, in a great measure. 

 It is a reliable book — well printed and illustrated with 

 120 engravings on wood and stone. It may be found 

 at the bookstore of A. Williams & Co., 100 Washington 

 Street, Boston. Price $1.50. 



Cutting Fodder. Whether it "will pay" to cut fod- 

 der for stock, depends upon circumstances. Whether 

 it would be economical to hire a man at common 

 wages, purposely to cut fodder for stock, we cannot 

 say, because there are no well attested experiments 

 upon the subject. But that it would be profitable for 

 every farmer having a stock of a dozen cattle or more 

 to feed, to purchase a cutter worth $16 or $18, and use 

 it, we have no doubt whatever. This opinion has been 

 formed after many years' experience in feeding out 

 cut and uncut fodder. We intend to speak more fully 

 upon this matter hereafter. 



Steaming Fodder. This cannot be done profitably 

 with small stock of catrte, we think. No cheap and 

 effectual means of doing it have yet been devised, to 

 our knowledge. With a stock of forty head, or more, 

 we have no doubt it can be done economically. 



Horse Power. We do not know which are the best. 



To Clear Oats from Seed "Wheat. 



I noticed in your paper an inquiry how to cleanse 

 oats from wheat. Washing the wheat in brine as strong 

 as it can be made will take the oats all out. 



So. Maiden, Vt., 1864. D. G. Farrington. 



Saving Manure — Wolf Teeth— Maple Sugar. 



Most farmers keep their cows in the barnyard dur- 

 ing the night, in summer time, their droppings to be 

 turned and overturned by the hens until they are as 

 "dry as a chip." In this condition they are almost 

 worthless. 



I have astonished myself for several years in finding 

 such a large and nice pile of manure saved from this 

 source. After the cows are let out ro pasture, we put 

 their droppings in a pile and cover with dirt. Some- 

 times we have kept the cows in the stables nights and 

 used dirt enough to absorb the urine, which is a good 

 way. 



What is the cause of wolf teeth in colts ? Do they 

 affect the eyes ? What is the reason our fathers did 

 not know of such a thing years ago ? 



Some one inquires in your paper, "Who first manu- 

 factured maple sugar?" I think it was first made in 

 the town of Northfiekl, Franklin Co., in this State. 

 By whom, and when, I have forgotten. Quill. 



Ehelburne, 1864. 



Remarks. — We quote below what we think will an- 

 swer one or two of the questions of our correspondent 

 about. Wolf Teeth in Horses. The word "wolf has a 

 meaning beyond that of being applied to an animal 



that is, it means, a tubercle, an ulcer ; so that a "wolf 

 tooth," probably means an ulcerated tooth. 



Mr. John Pettibone, of Manchester, Vt., in the Al- 

 bany Cultivator, says that "Wolf teeth are quite com- 

 mon, and many good horses are made blind by them. 

 I had two horses or colts, which had them last season. 

 The eurc is simple and easy. Take a piece of iron with 

 a square end, one-fourth of an inch in size. Let one 

 hold the horse and open the lip so as to enable the 

 one with the iron to place it against the tooth, and 

 with a small mallet knock the tooth out. There is no 

 root to the wolf teeth. The best way is to take the 

 horse to a blacksmith shop, and the smith with his 

 punch will knock them out in two minutes. When 

 you see the horse's eye begins to run and look glassy, 

 look for the wolf teeth. It is a small sharp tooth just 

 forward of the grinders of the upper jaw." 



In the same volume, we find Mr. P.'s opinions cor- 

 roborated by Mr. A. M. Williams, who says, "I have 

 had some experience in this matter, and here offer you 

 the result of my observations. I had a valuable young 

 horse who exhibited evidence of disease in one eye. 

 My first impression was he had got some hay seed or 

 something of the kind in his eye. The main symptom 

 was running at the eye, and while affected in this way, 

 he was unusually restless. I consulted with my neigh- 

 bors, and was told that he had a wolf tooth, and un- 

 less removed it would make him blind; I then con- 

 sulted several authors on the subject of horses, only 

 one of whom mentioned this disease, and he men- 

 tioned it merely .to ridicule the idea that a wolf tooth 

 would affect the sight of the horse. I accordingly neg- 

 lected to do anything about it until it was too late. 

 I had it taken out at last, but the horse lost his eye. 

 On another horse taken in the same manner, I had the 

 tooth removed in season, when the running at the eye 

 ceased, and the sight became perfect as before. These 

 are facts that ought to be known. A large proportion 

 of the blindness among our horses is,in my opinion, 

 owing to the presence of wolf teeth, which could have 

 been removed with very little trouble, and the eye 

 saved." 



The new Encyclopedia says that the manufacture of 

 maple sugar is stated to have originated in New Eng- 

 land about the year 1752, but by whom or in what 

 town, is not stated. 



EARLY TURNIPS. 

 Among the great variety of wholesome vegeta- 

 bles which can be grown favorably in this cli- 

 mate, many esteem the common flat turnip as 

 among the best. When crisp, tender and juicy, 

 it certainly is entitled to considerable merit. In 

 this condition it will cook readily, and dressed 

 with a little salt, pepper and sweet butter, is an 

 acceptable and nutritious food. To secure the 

 qualities mentioned, it should be sown early, — 

 that is, as soon as the soil is in a favorable condi- 

 tion, — on new ground if possible, and as fast as 

 the plants appear sprinkle them with ashes, plas- 

 ter, snuff', or anything else that will tend to keep 

 the little black turnip fly from destroying them. 

 If they escape this ordeal, keep all weeds away 

 from them, and if the season is favorable they 

 will make a surprising growth, and perhaps be- 

 come fit for the table in the early part of July. 



