194 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Apkil 



How they came there, or how long they had 

 been there, is unknown. Some of the sticks 

 have been preserved. The ox is in good flesh 

 and is doing well. 



WOOL-GRO"WING PROSPECTS. 



At the late meeting of the Maine Board of 

 Agriculture, Mr. Jefferds expressed the opin- 

 ion that the time is not distant when a pound 

 of wool will be produced cheaper than a pound 

 of cotton ever was or ever can be, with paid 

 labor ; and consequently, that the keeping of 

 sheep for the production of wool, primarily, 

 cannot be profitably pursued for any length of 

 time in Maine or New England ; as the ad- 

 vantages of other sections of the country for 

 •wool-growing are far greater than our own, 

 and wool is one of the most portable of all ag- 

 ricultural products. He believes, however, 

 that our circumstances are favorable to the 

 raising of mutton sheep and the wools that 

 some of them produce. Our farms are small, 

 and sheep are usually kept in small flocks ; our 

 pastures are rich (when not over stocked) and 

 forage good. Though he would have flirmers 

 watch the signs of the times, and though he 

 believes an increased tariff on wool will be 

 only a temporary relief to the New England 

 ■wool-grower, still he thinks we should not be 

 discouraged in sheep husbandry, as mutton is 

 the cheapest meat that can be raised, and the ex- 

 pense of transportation will always secure to us 

 the mutton market without serious competition. 



■WENS ON" CATTLE. 

 A correspondent inquires for a cure, without 

 any particular description of their location or 

 appearance. A few years ago Mr. Milton 

 Smith, of Middlefield, Mass., cured a "Wen" 

 as large as a hen's egg on the jaw of a three- 

 year old steer by extracting an ulcerated tooth. 

 A salve of soot, spirits of camphor, turpen- 

 tine, and soft soap, in no very exact propor- 

 tions, was recommended by J. W. Clark, of 

 Wisconsin, in the Country Gentleman some 

 time ago. Wens have also disappeared after 

 the application of nitric acid and other caustics. 

 Some years ago a correspondent of the Far- 

 mer said he cured wens by taking a tin cup, 

 large enough to cover the wen, filling it al)0ut 

 half full of unslaked lime, then nearly fill it up 

 with soft soap, bind it on the wen tight, and 

 tie up the animal so that it cannot lie down or 



rub off the cup, and in four or five hours the 



work is done. Some rub on a mixture of salt 



and tar, or soap and salt, while others have 



great faith in the efiicacy of rubbing alone. 



On this subject an intelligent writer for the 



Albany Cultivator remarks : 



In chronic swelling there is a deficiency of pure 

 hlood, ordinary natural circulation is distructedor 

 impeded, and ibul matter, either from injured parts 

 or active infection of disease/accumulates in larger 

 or smaller masses. Now, if a wen or slow swell- 

 ing be rubbed, the heat of it is increased by exter- 

 nal friction and intenial excitation, action. This 

 increase of heat softens the intluration, by causing 

 a movement, and more or less interfusion of its 

 fluid particles. By this means circulation is ex- 

 cited, and as whatever leads to arterial circulation 

 leads equally to venous depuration, it follows, 

 that as the arteries bring in new blood, and thus 

 give new life and feeling to the part, tho veins take 

 away diseased and refuse matter, whether the re- 

 sult of collision or infection. Thus the cure pro- 

 ceeds as the circulation is increased, and restored ; 

 the veins taking away an excess of black foul 

 l)lood, and thus reducing the swelling in the degree 

 that the circuhxtion is accelerated by I'ubbing ; and 

 when the circulation is completely restored, there 

 is a cure. Thus does rubbing cure curonic swell- 

 ings. J. w. c. 



Some years ago, Mr. M. C. Peck, West 



Cornwall, Vt., sent us the following statement : 



"One year ago last fall, I had a cow which, from 

 all appearances had a wen growing on her neck ; I 

 at first administered a plaster of salt and tar, and 

 drew it to a head, and in the spring I procured 

 fresh green cicuta (cow-bane) leaves, and boiled 

 them up and bathed the wen in the solution, leav- 

 ing the leaves in ; it wholly dried up in four weeks, 

 so that she fatted sufficiently for beef. I have 

 known others in this vicinity to cure them with the 

 same remedy and keep them for years. Should 

 you consider this of sufficient worth, you are at 

 liberty to insert it in your valuable paper." 



BREEDERS' ASSOCIA.TION. 



We learn by the Country Gentleman that 

 the Association of Breeders of Thorough-bred 

 Neat Stock, had a meeting at Albany, N. Y., 

 Feb. 14th, for the election of officers, and the 

 result was as follows : 



President— E. II. Hyde of Stafford, Ct. 



Vice Presidents — J. F. Anderson, South Wind- 

 ham, Me. ; J. O. Sheldon, Geneva, N. Y. ; Burdett 

 Loomis, Suffield, Ct. ; J. W. Freeman, Troy, N. Y. ; 

 E. D. Pierce, East Providence, R. I. 



Secretary — J. N. Bagg, West S|)ringfield, Mass. 



Treasia-er — II. M. Sessions, So. Wilbraliam, Mass. 



Shurt Horn Pedigree Committee — S. W. Buft'um, 

 Winchester, N. 11. ; S. W. Bartlett, East Windsor, 

 Ct. ; P. Stcdman, Chicopee, Mass. 



Ayrshire and Hereford Committee — Geo. B. Lor- 

 ing, Salem, Mass.; ll. S. Collins, Collinsville, Ct. ; 

 Wm. Birnic, S])iing!ieid, Mass. 



Devon Committee — II. M. Sessions, South Wil- 

 braliam, Mass.;B. II. Andrew, Waterbury, Ct. ; 

 E. II. Hyde, Stattbrd, Ct. 



Alderney Committee— iiohn Brooks, Princeton, 

 Mass.; O. B. Iladwin, Worcester, Mass.; James 

 Thompson, Nantucket, Mass. 



Adjourned to meet at Springfield, Mass., 



the second Wednesday of February next. 



