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THE ILLINOIS FARMER. 



203 



be equal to the Durham short-horns. The 

 Americans are said to be the best customers of 

 Great Britain for fancy specimens of stock; and 

 the prices we pay them for bulls are described 

 as fabulous by the Reviewer, who instances as 

 in point, the fact that an American gave last 

 year a thousand pounds for the celebrated bull 

 bred by Earl Ducie, which, by the way, un- 

 fortunately broke its neck in the passage out; 

 and that, for another from the same breeder, six 

 hundred pounds was paid. 



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Diseases of Sheep. 



JOHNSWORT Scab, ok Itch. — That pestifer- 

 ous weed called Johnswort, if growing abund- 

 antly where sheep are pastured, will cause an 

 irritation of the skin, often over the whole body 

 and legs of the sheep; but generally it is confined 

 to the neighborhood of the mouth. If eaten 

 in too large quantities, it produces violent in - 

 flammation of the bowels, and is frequently 

 fatal to Iambs, and sometimes to adults. Its 

 effects when inflammation is produced internally 

 are singular. The writer has witnessed the 

 most fantastic capers of sheep in this situation 

 and once a lamb, while running, described a 

 circle with all the> precision of a circus horse; 

 this was continued until it fell from exhaustion. 



Treatment — Anoint the irritated parts with 

 hog's lard and sulphur. If there are symptoms 

 of inflammation of the stomach, administer — 

 putting it into the mouth with a flattened stick. 

 Simply hog's lard is used frequently with snc- 

 eess. Remove the flock to pasture free from 

 the weed, and salt freely. It is said that salt, 

 if given ofren to sheep, is an effectual guard 

 against the poisonous properties of the weed. — 

 [Morrell's Shepherd. 



Pelt Rot. — This is a disease of the skin, 

 as the name implies. It causes a premature 

 falling off' of the fleece in the spring of the 

 year. It is produced by exposure during the 

 wmter, and low condition — the latter princi- 

 pally. 



Preventive. — Good shelter and good keeping. 

 Let the wool fluid be kept healthy and abund- 

 ant, and there will be no danger of any attack 

 from this disease. — fib. 



Inflammation op the Lungs. — This is by no 

 means an uufreqnent disease among sheep. It 

 is caused bj cold and wet pasture — chills after 

 hard driving — washing before shearing, when 

 the water is at too low a temperature — shearing 

 when the weather is too chilly and wet, and 

 other circumstances of a similar description. 

 Its first indication is that of fever — hard and 

 quick pluse — disinclination for food — ceasing to 

 chew the cud — unwillingness to move — slight 

 heaving of the flanks, and a frequent and pain- 

 ful cough. The disease soon assumes a more 

 aggravated form, but farther description is 

 useless; it is sufficient for the farmer to know 

 the first stages ot the malady, and then pursue 

 the course of treatment which experience de- 

 termines as best. 



Treatment. — Bleed and purge freely, and 

 secure the sheep in some comfortable place, 

 free from all exposure to the vicissitudes ot the 

 weather. Let noirritating food be given. — [lb. 



HORTICULTURAL. 



The Rebecca Grape. 

 This is a new grape, which was first 

 brought to notice near Toronto, Canada. 

 A writer at that place thus describes it: 



I am with the merits of this vine. In 

 the first place, I will say that I did not tell 

 the whole truth about its size and prodnc- 

 tiveness in my first notice of it, because I 

 thought the story was large enough as it 

 was ; but now that it is depreciated by some, 

 I will say that instead of producing three 

 barrels, it will produce five if the grapes 

 were all made up~iuto wine. And now, as 

 to the quality of the wine. I have submit- 

 ted it to the best judges, these in parts, 

 and without exception, they have pronounc- 

 ed it a superior article, quite equal to the 

 best Port wine, which it very much re- 

 sembles . It sells readily at $2 per gallon, 

 and some has been sold for $2 50. Now 

 Uncle Sam, beat this — five barrels wine, 36 

 gallons each, is 180 gallons, which at $2 

 pel gallon would bring $360. This $300 

 worth of wine is from one vine in one sea- 

 son, while 15 cents would cover all ex- 

 penses. 



1 will give you as correct a description of 

 it as I can. In its general appearance 

 it more nearly resembles the Clinton then 

 any other with which I am acquainted, yet 

 it differs very much in some particulars. 

 The vines of the Clinton are of a dark 

 color, while this is more like the Isabella. 

 The leaves resemble the Chnton very much, 

 but are larger, and have a more glossy ap- 

 pearance. It is also the hardiest and earli- 

 est grape with whieh I am acquainted. At 

 this present date, the fruit is as large fin a 

 few instances J as buck-shot. I measured 

 to-day one of the longest shoots of this 

 year's growth, and found it to be nearly 

 seven feet. The clusters are not very com- 

 pact, and sometimes very loose, and will 

 hang on the vines for a long time after being 

 ripe, without injury from the weather. For 

 culinary purposes it is esteemed above 

 every other kind vs?hich we have here, mak- 

 ing a splendid jelly and preserve. , It yields 

 of wine 100 per cent., a gallon of grapes 

 making a gallon of wine. 



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Gnrrants as a Market Crop. 



We have just seen a single branch or 

 limb of the Cherry Cnrrant, raised by 

 Messrs. Wells & Provost, at Yonkers, N. 

 Y. This branch is about 15 inchcft in 

 length, and half an ineh in diameter, and 

 yet contains fully three-fourths ot a pound 



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