68 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



Jan. 



crossing with various English breeds, by John 

 Mackay, who for many years run a packet-ship 

 between Boston and Liverpool. After retiring from 

 his sea-faring business, he interested himself in 

 breeding swine, and for several years the captain's 

 hogs took all the premiums at cattle shows in his 

 vicinity. In 1838, Mr. Sanford Howard said, "For 

 aptitude to fatten, large size at an early age, they 

 are unrivalled by any swine ever known in our 

 country." 



We know nothing about the Plymouth breed. 



The Chester County, Chester Whites, White 

 Chesters, &c., originated in Chester County, Penn- 

 sylvania. They are a good kind of white hogs, 

 but probably they have not been bred with suffi- 

 cient care and during a sufficient length of time 

 to be entitled to the name of breed. Hence, as 

 you say, some are coarse, large and rawny. The 

 demand for these hogs, caused by advertising, &c., 

 has been so large that some breeders have filled 

 orders with such as they could buy of neighboring 

 farmers. 



Before railroads were introduced, drovers were 

 in the habit of buying a nice kind of white pigs in 

 the county of Columbia, N. Y., for the Brighton 

 market. These pigs became popular, and were 

 known as Columbia County pigs. The name is 

 still applied at that market to thrifty looking white 

 pigs from all sources fl,nd of all breeds. 



PLASTIC SLATE. 



A few years ago a patent roofing was adver- 

 tised considerably. It consisted of felt covered 

 with ground slate and coal tar. I believe it vras 

 called Mastic Rooting, and I think the Masomc 

 Temple, Boston, was covered with it. I have not 

 seen it advertised lately. Has it proved a failure 

 for roofs, or are they using it to any extent any- 

 where ? N. 



Fairfax, Vt., Nov. 28, 1870. 



Remarks. — We are sorry to say that this roof- 

 ing seems not to have given sufficient satisfaction 

 to have been extensively used. We say "sorry," 

 because a cheap and durable roofing is greatly need- 

 ed, and the confident manner in which this material 

 was recommended by Solon Robinson and other 

 members of the New York Farmers' Club, led us 

 to hope that the plastic slate would prove to be a 

 valuable article. We have heard nothing of it for 

 6ome time, and suppose it is a— failure. 



SAWDUST WITH MANUKE — VALUE OF COAL ASHES. 



W»!l you please to answer the following ques- 

 tions. What is the effect of pine sawdust on 

 manure when used as bedding ? Are coal ashes 

 won h anything as an absorbent or as a fertilizer 

 applied to land in any way ? Asker. 



Wrentham, Mass., Dec. 3, 1870. 



Remarks —The first cflTect of sawdust on ma- 

 nure is to absorb the liquid portion, that otherwise 

 might be lost ; then it tends to produce heating, 

 which must be guarded against and properly man- 

 aged. 



Coal ashes is worth something as an absorbent. 

 It is good in privies, &c. As a fertilizer it varies 



according to the qualities of the coal burned, 

 kindlings usedj &c., but this value is generally 

 considered to be very small. 



On each of these subjects we have published 

 several articles during the year past ; and the in- 

 dex to the Monthly Farmer will refer you to the 

 various pages on which these matters are dis- 

 cussed. 



URINARY trouble IN A HORSE. 



About a year and a half ago a valuable horse 

 appeared to have some urinary difficulty. It was 

 passed with effort and was quite bloody. These 

 symptoms changed in a short time. The urine so 

 far as I could see resumed its natural color, but 

 was voided frequently and often involuntarily. 

 Any sudden start, such as putting a hand on him 

 unexpectedly, or other nervous excitement, causes 

 a discharge. No one whom I have consulted has 

 been able to account for the trouble. 



Claremont, N. H., Dec, 1870. S. A. Sabin. 



Remarks. — It is difficult to determine the char- 

 acter of the disease with which Mr. Sabin's horse 

 is affected from the above description. It may be 

 a case of gravel, and there may be a stone in the 

 bladder; or, the whole difliculty may have been 

 caused by a violent blow upon the loins, or by a 

 severe strain. If practicable the bladder should 

 be sounded, and a chemical and microscopical ex- 

 amination of the urine made by a competent per- 

 son. 



In the meantime, we would advise that the ani- 

 mal be fed on timothy or natural hay, with a fair 

 allowance of oats and corn, withholding clover 

 and other articles which contain lime. Let him 

 have all the soft water he will drink, but give him 

 none that is hard. Curry him well, clothe him 

 comfortably, exercise him moderately, and in 

 everything keep him in obedience to the laws of 

 health. 



If, on proper examination, a stone be found in 

 the bladder, have it removed by a surgical opera- 

 tion. If it be a case of gravel only, give sixty to 

 eighty drops of strong muriatic acid daily, in the 

 water he drinks ; also give freely of flaxseed and 

 other mucilaginous articles. If the case is the re- 

 sult of a mechanical injury — a blow or a strain — 

 mustard poultices, fomentations, &c., will be 

 proper. 



For the nervousness, liberal doses of bromide of 

 potassium may be useful— say a tablespoonful of 

 a saturated solution, twice or thrice a day. This 

 may be obtained of any druggist. 



working bulls in hot and cold weather. 



In a communication by O. W. True in the last 

 Farmer, he questions whether bulls will stand 

 the heat and cold as well as other cattle. In 1839 

 my father bought two bulls and trained them to 

 work. They proved to be good workers and ^n- 

 tle. At five years old they would do more work 

 about once a month, and have not had any trouble 

 than the heaviest oxen in Danby, where he then 

 resided. Since then he and myself have trained 

 sixteen different bulls, all of which but one were 

 good workers. All were easy to learn except two. 

 Daring the same time we have trained four steers, 



