24 



NEW ENGLAOT) FARMER. 



Jaw. 



tion of the feet, or similar afiFections in the bowels 

 or eyes. It is always best to prevent these dis- 

 eases by moderation in driving and loading, and 

 in kind treatment of the animal in every thing. 



The remedies are bleeding, soaking the feet in 

 warm water, poultices, and sedative and cooling 

 medicines. Sometimes blistering is resorted to. 

 All these things, however, should be done under 

 the advice of some surgeon or physician. 



Thrush is usually occasioned by filth of one 

 kind or another. It is a foul discharge from the 

 cleft of the frog, and attended with disorganiza- 

 tion of the horn. Sometimes, however, thrush 

 springs from internal disease. If it arises from 

 internal disease it commonly shows itself in the 

 forefoot. 



For a cure, remove the animal from all filth, 

 pare away the frog till only sound horn remains, 

 or the flesh is exposed, and tack on the shoe. 

 Wash with chloride of zinc, three grains to an 

 ounce of water, the cleft of the frog. When the 

 stench has ceased, a little liquor of lead will per- 

 fect the cure. 



We have had three cases of acute founder, and 

 one case of thrush in our horses. The latter was 

 easil}' managed ; but the founder was incorrigible, 

 and kept the poor animals tripping and stumbling 

 along in an awkward and dangerous manner, al- 

 ways after the disease was upon them. 



PERTILIZEIIS FOR APPLE TEEE8. 



How shall I properly manure a piece of land on 

 which are twelve large apple trees only fifteen feet 

 apart, and the ground too much shaded to culti- 

 vate, although by top dressing it produces a good 

 crop of grciss ? The trees seem to want more food 

 than simply a top dressing, which is probably no 

 more than the grass needs. What shall I apply 

 this fall to afF)rd a perceptible benefit to the trees ? 



Medford, Mass., Oct. 20, 1870. Amateue. 



Remarks. — Top dress liberally this fall, and 

 upon that sow fifteen bushels of unleached wood 

 ashes. If you cannot get the ashes, dissolve their 

 equivalent of potash, and saturate loam or peat 

 with it and sow upon the land. 



WART OB. TUMOR ON COLT. 



I have a valuable three-year-old colt which has 

 a wart just back of the fore leg, which has been 

 there two years. Two months ago it commenced 

 to maturate and run a whitish substance, which 

 was somewhat offensive in smell. It appears to be 

 wholly in the skin, and has been gradually spread- 

 ing. Immediate advice as to a cure will greatly 

 oblige A Young Farmer. 



Auburn. Me., Nov. 9, 1870. 



Remarks. — We fear you have something to deal 

 with of a different character from an ordinary 

 wart. You are probably familiar with the use of 

 a string or cord, and of caustics for their removal. 

 Equal quantities of spirits of turpentine and sul- 

 phuric acid, mixed thoroughly in a glass tumbler, 

 and then put into a vial, may be applied with a 

 feather once or twice a day to the roots of common 

 warts, and it will gradually eat them off. From 

 your description of the case, we doubt whether 



either could be safely applied to your horse. If 

 there is no veterinary surgeon in your neighbor- 

 hood, we think it would be well to get the opinion 

 of some regular doctor, after a personal examina- 

 tion. Mr. S. N. Tabor, of East Vassalboro', in 

 your State, says he has been entirely successful in 

 ridding horses of common warts by dosing the an- 

 imal with chopped cedar boughs, given in his 

 grain, also washing the warts in a strong decoc- 

 tion of cedar.- But the one on your colt has been 

 there so long, and is in such a condition that it 

 will probably require skilful treatment. 



COMPOST FOR TOP DRESSING. 



I have a pile of muck which I wish to compost 

 with chip dirt, lime, &c., as an experiment for top 

 dressing. Will it be best to mix lime this fall or 

 not till spring ? 



Will a compost of such materials for top dress- 

 ing grass land pay ? The soil is a yellow gravelly 

 loam good for grass or com. My idea is to apply 

 the compost early in the spring and sow clover 

 seed and thoroughly harrow the turf. 



East Dover, Vi., Oct. 20, 1870. E. F. Sherman. 



Remarks. — Mix the whole immediately. If the 

 compost is fine, and in proper condition apply it 

 this fall, and sow the seed and brush-harrow in 

 the spring. The carting can be done much better 

 now than in the spring, and the rains will wash 

 down the dressing among the roots of grass, and 

 prepare it as food for the next crop. 



SWELLED ANKLE OF A HORSE. 



Last June I purchased a very valuable mare, 

 and ever since I have noticed a slight swelling of 

 one hind ankle on standing in the barn awhile, 

 but which disappears after a little usage, or while 

 running in the pasture. What is the cause, and 

 what the remedy ? A Subscriber. 



Vassalboro', Me., Sept., 1870. 



Remarks. — Swellings are of so many different 

 kinds, and result from so many different causes, 

 that we are unable to answer the inquiries of our 

 correspondent. The cause of the swelling must 

 be ascertained before remedies can be prescribed 

 further than the most simple ones. 



SALTPETRE IN CREAM. 



Your correspondent "S. O. J.," in the article on 

 "Gilt-edged Butter," says Mrs. A. puts two heap- 

 ing table spoonfuls of saltpetre in her three gallon 

 cream jug; and that "this keeps the cream per- 

 fectly free from bitter taste, and does not harm 

 the buttermilk in the least degree." 



The italics are your correspondent's, and it is 

 not my purpose to attempt to controvert the posi- 

 tion ; but I would like to have some of your sci- 

 entific or professional readers do the public the 

 kindness to inform us of the advantages and dis- 

 advantages of such an excessive use of that arti- 

 cle. How does "S. 0. J." know that it has been 

 used for years without any deleterious effects ? 

 Arsenic, 'and nearly the whole range of poisons, 

 narcotius and stimulants have been used for years, 

 and in some instances, without apparent deleteri- 

 ous effect; but that only proves that the living 

 system can in some degree adopt itself to un- 

 natural conditions and circumstances. 



After taking thirty-six pounds of butter out of 

 the contents of a three gallon cream jug, the little 



