410 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sept. 



duce enough beef at home. A large quantity 

 of meats come from Au^t^alia, prepared there 

 and shipped here. This section was visited 

 by the cattle plague several years ago, but not 

 so much as othtr sections, although some dai- 

 ries of forty cows were attacked wih it, and 

 they were all slaughtered to get rid of the dis- 

 ease. 



The cattle here now are troubled with the 

 foot and mouth disease, whiih is extrtmely 

 contagious. The cows first show signs of it 

 by a very quick decline of milk, smacking their 

 lips and drooling from the mouth. The tongue 

 and the mouth are covered with large yellow 

 blisters, which break after a couple of days. 

 The eyes are dull, and the flesh hot. The an- 

 imal dislikes to eat on account of the soreness 

 of the mouth. Occasionally the breaking out 

 is on the feet, and the hoofs drop off at times ; 

 (when the sheep have it, it most generally de- 

 prives them of the hoofs.) The best remedy 

 is gruel of wheat bran mash (some put salt in 

 the mouth) and grass cut tine. The better 

 condition you can keep the animal in the 

 sooner in will recover. After an animal has 

 had it once it is likely not to have it again for 

 several years. 



TO BHEEDBRS OF HOHSES. 



I am induced to write a few lines in answer 

 to the frequent inquiry which is made by letter 

 and otherwise, as to the influence of unsound- 

 ness in sire or dam, especially of the dam. 

 upon their produce. I am aware that the sub- 

 ject has been treated of often, but fails to be 

 coni-idered in the proper light by breeders 

 among u«. 



My experience and that of others with whom 

 I have conversed, ia that more than half of the 

 marts bred are quire unfit to produce first class 



f)rogeny. I believe more care is taken to se- 

 ect sires, but if a mare has been a good one 

 or not, and has become foundered, or spav- 

 ined, or wind broken or otherwise unfit for 

 market, men believe that something is saved 

 to breed from such animals, and expect to be 

 repaid for the physical disability under which 

 the dam is liboiing, by reproducing a foal lia- 

 ble to the same weakness which caused the in- 

 jury to the dam. And these injuries become 

 fixed types, as the strain upon the animal 

 economy is greater in any given direction 

 through a series of generaMous. Thus dams 

 are selected which have broken down, and are 

 no longer suited foi active labors or the turf. 

 This course pursued for ten years longer as 

 it has been for the last ten years in Maine, 

 and we may bid good bye to the profit and 

 pleasure of breeding the best horse that goes 

 to market. You who spend five years of care 

 and necessary expense to raise a colt fit for 

 the harness, ask yourselves whether you are 

 willing, when selling an animal, to take a 

 doubtful note for his value. There is as much 

 reason in that, as in expecting an animal con- 



I stitutionally defective, to give you a satisfac- 

 tory progeny. I am not speaking at random, 

 or discussing physiological science, but offer- 

 ing a warning which careful investigation in 

 my own practice has made certain. I can point 

 out to any person who desires to make ob- 

 servation, a large number of mares of consti- 

 tutionally light muscle, which have almost in- 

 variably produced colts that have broken 

 down. And this is more seen when the breed- 

 ing of the mare is so good, (with the excep- 

 tion of the difficulty in question) as to admit 

 of her determining the general characteristics 

 of the progeny. 



Another point is also of much importance, 

 to those who wish to breed to a given quali- 

 fication. Many men expect to breed a trotter 

 by coupling a mare which has no lines of fast 

 blood in her pedigree, with a fast horse. Ex- 

 perience proes that this is rarely done at 

 the first cross, but may be done by two or 

 three in-crossings. Therefore it is necessary 

 when we wi^h to breed speed, that the dam 

 and sire, both be found in aline of speedy ani- 

 mals. To effect this, I cannot but urge in- 

 breeding much more than is now done, espe- 

 cially the second generation to the grandsire, 

 and the second generations to others, when- 

 ever it is desirable to intensify or increase any 

 characteristic. 



Will not some of our young breeders take 

 up this suggestion in in-breeding, and give 

 the public the advantage of their experience. — 

 T. S. Lang, in Maine Farmer. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 MEDICAL TOPICS. * 



BY A MEDICAL MAN. 



The diseases of mos^^t frequent occurrence 

 in the latitude of I^ew England, during the 

 months of July, August and September are 

 DiarrLoea, Cholera and Dysentery; — Of these 

 we purpose to write briefly', and in the order 

 here indicated. 



Diarrhoea. 



This term literally signifies &fliix or loose- 

 ness occurring from any portion of the body; 

 but as commonly emplo\'ed, it denotes a mor- 

 bid frequency of the discharges from the 

 bowels, the dejections being at the same time 

 liquid, or morbidly soft, and frequently other- 

 wise altered in character. Wuen the dejec- 

 tions consist of feces not much changed in 

 character, but simply lijuid or semi-liquid, the 

 diarrhoea is said to be feful, feculent, stercora- 

 ceous or simple. When, from the yellow or 

 green color of the discharges, bile is supposed 

 to be present in larger quantity than u>ual, the 

 affection is called bilious diarrhoea. When the 

 matter discharged is very watery, consisting 

 mostly of serum, the diarrhoea is cMed serous. 

 When the dejections consist principally of un- 

 digested food, we have a case of lienteric 

 diarrhoea. When the discharges are chiefly 

 mucous or slimy, the diarrhoea is said to be 



