1867. 



NEW ENGL^VND FARIVIER. 



45 



EXTRACTS AND KEPLEES. 



LEAD rOISOXIXG. 



A correspondent sends the following caution from 

 the Middlesex Journal, published in Woliurn, Mass., 

 with the request that we give it the wide publicity 

 of tlic circulation of the New England Fahmer: 



Look out for Lead Paint. — E. W. Hudson, 

 Esq., of this town, recently lost two nice young 

 heifers, by being poisoned from licking lead paint. 

 The heifers had been running about the buildings 

 where the painters had been at work, the owner 

 not thinking of their licking the paint. As soon as 

 they took the poison on their tongue, it wa<> ab- 

 sorbed into the system, causing partial paralysis, 

 and ending its work in convulsions and death. 

 This ca.-e makes the third that I have seen this 

 season. All three proved fatal. There is no known 

 cure for this disease, and people should be very 

 careful abuat having their cattle about where they 

 can gel at this deadly poison ; for it is certain 

 death. — L. F. Gerald, Veterinary Surgeon, Woburn, 

 Oct. 22, 1866. 



Remarks. — Similar statements have been pub- 

 lished within our recollection, but we are not able 

 to refer to any now. We believe, however, the 

 caution to "look out for lead paint," a very prop- 

 er one indeed. The American Encyclopajdia says 

 that "the soluble salts of lead possess highly 

 poisonous properties. The preparations of lead 

 vary greatly in their intensity of action, though 

 their effects as poisons are similar ; the semi-vitri- 

 fied oxide (litharge,) the carbonate (white lead,) 

 and the diacetate (Gourland's extract,) arc the 

 most active." In his work on the horse, Mr. You- 

 att remarks that numerous instances are recorded 

 of the fatal effects of the oxide and carbonate of 

 this metal upon horses and cattle in the vicinity of 

 lead-works and rifle-buts. When the poison is 

 thus imbibed in small quantities, the symptoms 

 generally extend over a considerable length of time, 

 and consist in general derangement of the diges- 

 tive system, such as loss of appetite, falling away 

 in strength and condition, frequent attacks of 

 cholic, with obstinate constij)ation of the bowels. 

 The latter is not always present, but sometimes 

 continued diarrhoea. The animal will also fre- 

 quently suffer to a greater or less extent from par- 

 alysis. "The remedial agents for lead poison 

 eonsist," says Mr. Youatt, "of active purgatives, 

 sulphate of magnesia and croton oil being best; 

 this should be followed by opium. If diarrhoea be 

 present we may give the diluted sulphuric acid and 

 opium, with an occasional dose of oil ; the animal 

 in the mean time, being kept on the most nutri- 

 tious diet." But when so lai-ge a quantity is taken 

 into the system as is done in case of lapping fresh 

 paint with the tongue, it is probably, as Mr. Gerald 

 says, certain death. 



THANKSGIVING. 



One day recently a good stout express-man 

 came tugging up our office stairs with a headed-up 

 baiTei, which he set down with the remark, "there 

 are more below." After bringing in another bar- 

 rel and a full sack about as large as a banel, he 



handed us a note, adding — "paid, all right." The 

 note on being opened, reatl as follows : — 



North Pembroke, Mass., Oct. 29, 1866. 

 Gents : — We nave no mammoth vegetables to 

 send you this year, therefore we send you some 

 apples, potatoes and pumpkins ; presuming you are 

 all Yankees and like pumpkin jjies. 



Veiy respectfully, yours, 



Horace Collamore. 

 Messrs. R. P. Eaton 1$ Co., 34 Merchants' Row, 



Boston. 



One of the barrels we found to be filled with as- 

 sorted apples ; the other, with assorted potatoes, 

 and the sack with as handsome sugar pumpkins as 

 we ever saw. Of course the apples and the pota- 

 toes were also of fine size and of the best varieties 

 — none others are sent to the editors and proprie- 

 tors of agricultural papers. If it is more blessed 

 to give than to receive, Mr. Collamore shoukl be 

 entitled to the hearty congratulations of his friends, 

 on this occasion. He certainly has our thanks for 

 these tokens of his friendship and liberality. 



bone dust. 



How is it, Mr. Editor, when publishers of news- 

 papers get a big jol) of advertising by the year, for 

 a pecuniarily responsible company, that they are 

 obligated not to admit anything, good or bad, in re- 

 gard to the article advertised, from those who have 

 been induced to invest their money for the article, 

 by the advertisements ? There have been advertis- 

 ing, pufls, &c. in regard to "bone dust," or "bone 

 flour," in most or all the agricultural papers, for 

 about a year — enough to cost, probably, something 

 like fifty thousand dollars — in consequence of 

 which much of the article has been sold to, and 

 used by farmers. So much could not have been 

 used the past season without producing, in those 

 who paid so high a price for it, some opinion as to 

 whether the like investment will pay another year, 

 based upon their experience of the present year ; 

 but I have yet to see the first allusion to it, goocl 

 or bad, by any one of your numerous correspon- 

 dents, or in any agricultural paper; and I read 

 three eveiy week, and often several others. 



The agent for its sale in this section, who did a 

 good business at it last season, and no doubt would 

 be glad to make twice as much the next, is anxious 

 to see some testimonials in the Farmer from some 

 of his customers, but doubting whether you would 

 publish them, I will not send them at present. 



Anything possessing the merits claimed for "bone 

 flour" ought to be more generally known — should 

 be accessible to every farmer — at a reasonaljle price, 

 and if it is especially adapted to particular kinds of 

 soil, that fact also" should be clearly set forth. 

 Why not devote one comer of the Farmer to farm- 

 ers' experience with commercial fertilizers ? 



Lectum. 



Remarks. — Every corner of the Farmer is, and 

 always has been, open to the experience — good or 

 bad — of fanners, "with commercial fertilizers," or 

 any other article or system advertised or not adver- 

 tised in its columns. And if we have not pub- 

 lished "allusions" to the efiects of fiour of bone, it 

 is because the statements have been withheld from 

 us. And we are much surprised that our corres- 

 pondent should express doubt as to our willing- 

 ness to publish the testimonials alluded to, when 

 we have so frequently invited the freest discussion 

 on all agi-icultural subjects. Indeed, we have 



