No. 2. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



19 



about the barn, till it becomes n ntiisnnce. But if it 

 Is daily scattered in the yard for tbe cattle to pick upon 

 through the day, and used for bedding in the slnblcs, 

 it will thus bt'conie impregnated witli tlie liquids of 

 the yard and stables, and mixed with tbe animal nia- 

 mire thereof, and thereby the quantity of manure for 

 spring use will be greatly increased. By such a course 

 a email stock, say of fifteen head of entile, seventy- 

 five sheep, and three horses, will supply three hundred 

 loads of good manure for the corn and potaloe crop the 

 ensuing season. The straw, thus spread frequently in 

 the yard, to some extent, is eaten by the stock, the 

 balance absorbs the juices of the yard, becomes satu- 

 rated therewith, and its value thus rendered four fold 

 greater than if it were applied in its dry state. 



Yours &c. W. PARSOXS. 



Thorn Hill, near Lockport, Dec. 16-10. 



Hoof All— Its Cause and Cure. 



Messrs. Editors — I observed in one of your pa. 

 pers, an inquiry respecting the cause of the disease 

 called Hoof Ail, in cattle ; and having paid some at. 

 tentiiin to the subject, I will cheerfully give you 

 the result of my observations and the prevailing 

 opinions here, which you are at liberty to publish, if 

 you think they will be of service to any of your rea. 

 dera. 



In the winter of 1836-7, this disease made great 

 ravages among the cattle in ibis vicinity. Freezing 

 of the feet was at first assigned as the cause ; but 

 many proofs to the contrary soon led to the abandon- 

 ment of tills opinion, and ergot was substituted as 

 the miscliievious agent. 



I believe it is an opinion well established, that er- 

 got of rye, or Secale cornuium, has given rise to 

 gangrene in the human species. This circumstance 

 and the similarity which exists between it and the 

 disease under consideration, afford good reason for 

 the belief that the causes may be similar. 



Ergot may sometimes be found in large quantities 

 in June or spear grass — whether it differs in its 

 chemical properties from ergot of rye, I am not able 

 to say, but presume it does not materially. This 

 - grass, as is well known, is apt to run out Timothy 

 and clover, consequently it grows in excess in old 

 meadows, and to the ergot growing on it, the disease 

 is attributable. I have made many inquiries, but 

 never found a case occurring where the animal had 

 not been fed on hay containing it. 



I will mention a few facts in confirmation of this 

 opinion : — Mr. W. had .50 head of cattle fed upon 

 hay mown from old meadows — the greater part of 

 which was June grass. Only one of the 50 escaped 

 the disease. A tenant upon the same farm, kept 

 his cattle within 20 or 30 rods of the preceding, but 

 fed them upon hay of marsh grass, and they escaped 

 the disease. Mr. C, on the adjoining farm, had 

 Bomc June grass among his hay, but not so much as 

 W. Only two or three of his cattle were affected, 

 till the latter part of April, when, being out of hay, 

 he procured some of W. ; and in a few days five of 

 them had the disease. Another neighbor, Mr. B., 

 had wintered his cows well, but in spring, being out 

 of hay, he also procured some of Mr. W. ; and be. 

 fore long, all that had eaten it became affected with 

 Hoof Ail. Mr. K., on an adjoining farm, fed his cat. 

 tie on straw, and none of the disease appeared 

 amongst them. Dr. Stimson says he fed his cattle 

 on hay containing a large proportion of June grass. 

 Good attention was given them, but many became 

 affected with the disease ; and it continued to in. 

 crease until he stopped feeding the hay, and gave 

 them turnips and other food» after which no more 

 Hoof Ail appeared. 



I could mention numerous other cases, affording 

 cencloslTe evidence that thi» disease is caused by er. 



got on Juno grass, but I fear it will make this com- 

 munication too long toenumcr.itc them. I w\\\ ro. 

 mark that in this section of country, this gra^ had 

 an abundance of ergot growing upon it last season ; 

 and consequently we may expect to sec cattle af- 

 fected with Hoof Ail again this winter. Indeed it 

 has already made its appearance amongst my f.ithei'a 

 stock. He eommenecd feeding a let of hay found to 

 contain ergot, to some calves, on the 2d or 3J of 

 December ; and on the 12th, 9 of them had tlic dis. 

 case. We immediately changed their food, and cut 

 off the points of Ihtir hoofs, so that they bled i'reely. 

 They arc now doing well. 



This treatment generally effects a cure, unless the 

 disease has been of long standing. The disease 

 rarely affects the fore feet. I have never seen an in- 

 stance, but have heard it asseitcd that it will some, 

 times occur. Respectfully- yours, N. 



St. George, U. C, Jany. 18 U. 



From the CuUivalor. 

 Cure for Hoof Ail. 



Messrs. Editors — Perceiving in your last number, 

 an inquiry respecting the Hor.f Ail in cattle. Jam hap- 

 py to have it in my power to commiinicaie one which 

 never fails in nffect'ng a cure in two or three days. — 

 Blue vitriol, finely pulverized, and applied to the dis- 

 eased part of the hoof, once a day for two or three 

 days, is all that is necessary. In the case of a cow of 

 mine, one application was euflieient, and I presume 

 would generally ans^ver tbe purpose. The disease 

 here ia called by some of our farmers, "fotds," and 

 by others, hoo/ ail. If the case alluded to by your 

 correspondent, is the same disease, you can depend on 

 my remedy. Yours very respectfully, 



H. E. HUBBARD. 



MiddUlown, Ct. 1840. 



Period of Gestation in Cows. 



One of the most satisfactory experiments relating to 

 the subject, on record, is the one made by Earl Spen- 

 cer, and tbe particnlars of which are given in lb ; se- 

 cond number of the English Agricultural Society's 

 Journal. 



Tbe table given, contains the results in the case of 

 seven hundred and sixty-four cows, and the following 

 statements abridged from the paper, will exhibit some 

 of the most important of the details. 



I'irsl. It appears that the period of gestation varied 

 from 220 days to 313 days; or no less than 90 days. — 

 Lord Spencer was, however, unable to rear any 

 calves produced under 242 days. All under 260 days, 

 and over 300, he thinks are decidedly premature, or 

 irregular. 



Second. As 314 cows calved before the 283d day, 

 and 310 after the 285ih day, the average period i-f ges- 

 tation must be eoncidered as between 284 and 285 

 days ; although the time stated in the work on cattle 

 by the London Society, stales it at 270 days. 



Third. It appears, that omitting those considered 

 as premature or irregular, the cows whose period of 

 gestation did not exceed 28G days, produced 223 cow 

 calves, and of bull calves 234; while from those 

 whose period exceeded 286 days, ihecow calves -A-ere 

 only 90, and the number of bull calves was 152. This 

 certainly gives some support to the opinion prevalent 

 among farmers, that when a cow exceeds lier usual 

 time, the produce will be a bull calf. 



Fourth. There were 7 eases of twin cow calves; 5 

 cases of twin bull calves; and 11 cases of twin cow 

 and bull calves. Ear! Spencer has never had n case 

 in which the sexes were different, in which the heifer 

 was a breding one; they have uniformly been what 

 are termed./Vec martins. The cattle of which the a- 

 bove record has been kept, are the pure improved short 

 horn breed, and of the finest herds in Groat Britain. 

 — American Farmer. 



From Ike A. 



Our Wheat Interests-A Public Meetiiifr. 



We have read, with attention, the proceedings of 

 the Convention of Tobacco Planters of the United 

 States held last month, in the city of Washington. — 

 We published an outline of the views expressed, and 

 the measures adopted, by that convention, in our last 

 number; and we ask all our renders to examine them 

 carefully. It seems to us that they ought to pi luce 

 a strong effect upon the public mind, in ail the wheal 

 growing States-that they ought to awaken us to a sense 

 of our stupid neglect of the greatest outward interest 

 which the Creator has bsstowed upon us; and that we 



should feel e.xoited to con'er together henceforth often 

 and extensive, to promote this interest. 



Wc bcl'cve the grain growing interest in the United 

 Slates, is now, under all ihe embarrassments beset- 



: it, six or eight times greater than the Tobacco in- 

 lereel, and can be soon exiended three-fold by just and 

 prudent means. This interest eonnecis itfclf with 

 the great tide of life in all conntn'ee, more vitally and 

 ucli more beneficially than the Ti>bacco interest 

 can. Shall we not then labor to cherish it by all the 

 fair means in our power ? It is not enough to sow, 

 and reap, and grind, the finest wheat known to earth's 

 bioad bosom, with labor and skill, in all the requisite 

 processes of tillage and niaehinery and manufacture, 

 exciting the ndmirniion of the world — and to multiply 

 railroads and canals, and vehicles of transportation 

 upon them, with a rapidity transcending the creations 

 of'fniiy land; but we must actively apply our common 

 sense, and that extensive knowledge of facts which we 

 now possess, or can easily obiain, to the tae'* of ex- 

 tending the markets for this most essential of the ne- 

 cessaries^f life. 



Solomon says, " As goods are increased, they are 

 increased that consume them." This truth is demon- 

 strated by the experience of all ages. And the facili- 

 ty wiih which wheat is raised in this and the neigh- 

 boring latitudes, in a wide belt across the Union, is the 

 chief cause of the rapidly augmenting population, eve- 

 ry where working ilie soil in these regions. But we 

 should not be content with this source of our increas- 

 ing numbers, wcnlih and elrenglb. There are fre- 

 quent communications between all civilized nations, 

 and these have, within a few years, been exiended be- 

 yond all former precedent. The United Slates are 

 coming into close contact \^•ilh all the world. And in 

 ihe trade of the world, surely the nations iihich fur- 

 nish the greatest supply oi the things most essential 

 to the subsistence and comfort of human beings, may, 

 wiih no extraordinary displays ol practical wisdom, 

 enjoy a fair share of the benefits of the world's trade. 

 We do not now, and never have enjoyed such a share. 

 Let us strive to obtain it. 



We import an immense amount of various articles 

 from Great Britain annually, — of which the value has 

 been chiefly derived from the industry of her subjects. 

 In this way her industry supercedes ours to a vast ex- 

 tent. And these importations are chiefly consumed in 

 the wheat growing States. Yet she will take none of 

 our flour, the article on which our industry is chiefly 

 laid out. Shall this state of things be perpetuated 7 

 We have her interests as much in our country as she 

 has ours in hers, and perhaps more; for the high price 

 of her bread stuffs, always artificially exoibitant to fa- 

 ver the landed interest, will give us all her hungry la- 

 borers and artizans, amounting to many millions. 

 Oh that they coivld vote ! as advocates for the admis- 

 sion of our flour into her ports, upon reasonable terms. 

 We think her attention, andthe attention of several of 

 the continental nations of Europe should be called to 

 this interesting subject, in a new tone, to be backed 

 up by suitable legislation in Congress. But the inte- 

 rests of the people ore rarely attended to without the 

 interference of the people. The people must meet and 

 discuss this concern in all its various bearings. They 

 must gather facts and publish them; they must inves- 

 tigate principles and comprehend them; they must pe- 

 tition the national government for its interposition, 

 and show how that interposition may be effectual. 



In t.his most necessary movement we ought to feel 

 no restraint, and Congress should feel none, from the 

 tnrifl' compromise entered into a few years ago. The 

 Tobacco planters and the Cotton Planters suffer no re- 

 straints on this ground, to deter them from pursuing 

 such measures as their peculiar interest may seem to 

 demand. Why should we? we would not resist the 

 law, but we would modify it. 



Nothing is needed, as we fully believe, to place the 

 vast wheat growing interest of our country on its just 

 foundation, but true light and concerted action among 

 the men of the wheat growing States. We ask our 

 intelligent farmerp, our well informed and sagacious 

 millers, our observing flour merchants, our enterpri- 

 sing and exact owners of ware. houses, and lines of 

 trarisportatian, and all others interested in the pros- 

 perity of the country, and instructed on this subject, 

 to collect the lads within their means of knowledge, 

 and lay them before the public, with such suggestions 

 of policy as they think wise and prudent, for the peo- 

 ple and the government to adopt. We shall be happy 

 always to publish, and give, as far we can in our pa- 

 per, currency to their statements and reasonable views. 

 And we would earnest advise, that a meeting should 

 be speedily called, in this city, to consider and discuss 

 this subject; and to recommend a convention of dele- 

 gates from each of the wheat gro-wing Stales, to b« 



