1861. 



THE ILLINOIS FARMER. 



356 



the prairie, the failures were the rule and 

 good crops the exception. Spring plowing 

 and late sowing was the cause of the numer- 

 ous failures, but now many farmers count 

 upon a crop of spring wheat with as much cer- 

 tainty as that of corn, these always plow early 

 in the fall and sow early in the spring. Corn 

 land , free of weeds will need no plowing, 

 but can be sown directly on the stubble; 

 this must be cut low, or it will be difficult 

 to harrow it in. Those intending to sow 

 spring wheat should lose no time in looking 

 after the plowing. 



Treatment of Scratches. 



The Rural New Yorker gives the following in 

 replj to a correspondent : 



" We give several modes, either of which he 

 can test to his own satisfaction: In its early stages, 

 diet, cleanliness, and ventilation require the at- 

 tention of the groom. When the heels are swol- 

 len and hot, a^^ply a poultice of slippery elm, 

 (powdered) ^ pound ; fine salt, 2 ounces. Mix 

 with hot water, and when cool, spread a portion 

 on cotton cloth and bind. If the horse is fat, a 

 mild cathartic, consisting of aloes, 4 drachms ; 

 gentian, 2 drachms ; gingar, 1 drachm — all pow- 

 dered — may be administered. If, on the other 

 hand the horse be poor, use no medicine, but al- 

 low a generous diet. 



" Pi of. Morton, of the Royal Vetrinary College, 

 recommends the following : Equal parts of vine- 

 gar, linseed oil, and turpentine. Wasli the heels 

 with lukewarm water and castile soap, and after 

 wiping dry, apply the mixture. 



" John Johnston gaves his manner of treatment 

 in the Rural for March, 1860, and we reproduce 

 it. Mr. J. says : Take sugar cf lead and iog's 

 lard, and make a salve. Wash the legs of the 

 the horse cl*?an, and when perfectly dry, rub in 

 the ^alve. Keep the borse out of the mud for a 

 few days, using the salve occasionally, and it will 

 soon effect a cure. It appear to me absurd to 

 think of putting anything down the throat of a 

 horse to cure scratches. * * * Before I got 

 my yards perfectly dry, I was greatly troubled 

 with scratches in the legs of my cattle, in soft 

 weather, in fall or early winter. I have had a 

 dozen or more at once, with swelled legs and 

 scratches, a hot fever, and greatly lame. Wash- 

 ing and fomenting the legs with hot water, using 

 the sugar of lead and lard salve, and keeping in 

 dry place, soon effect a cure. Wash off the mud 

 from the horse's legs when becomes in the stable, 

 never let dry on, and a fig for scratches. Pre- 

 vention is better than cure. 



'" A Toledo, Ohio, correspondent of the Rural 

 says any person having a horse troubled with the 

 scratches, will find, by taking a soft or fresh corn- 



cob, and using warm dish water, or warm water 

 and castile soap, (I prefer the former), and rub- 

 bing the affected part with the cob, dipping it 

 frequently In the water, until it has the scruff all 

 oft" and perfectly clean, then drying it with a 

 cloth an.l applying the following salve, rubbing 

 it well, that it will take but a few greasings until 

 the horse is perfectly cured. With a case-knife, 

 scrape from the outside of the iron pots used for 

 cooking the soot or black that is on them, and 

 mix tallow with it until it forms a good salve, or 

 paste, and rub the scratches with it, after being 

 cleansed, three or four times, or even six times, 

 if necessary. The horse should be kept in the 

 stable, or out of the mud, until he is cured, or 

 nearly so. 



" Another correspondent, residing at Lockport, 

 N. Y., possessed of what he claims as a simple 

 preventive and cuie, pens it. It is as follows : 

 When the horse comes in at night, his legs should 

 be washed clean, and rubbed as dry as msy be, 

 then apply good vinegar, rubbing it well to the 

 skin. Two applications a day are sufficient. I 

 have always found it a sure preventive and a cer- 

 tain cure. If the legs have become cracked and 

 sore, apply the vinegar freely, and add a piece of 

 copperas, the size of a common hickory nut, to a 

 quart of vinegar. 



Newspaper Blankets. — Our readers may 

 remember the item which ran through the 

 newspapers several months ago, to the effect 

 that a newspaper laid between the bedclothes 

 added greatly to the warmth of the covering. 

 We attached little weight to this statement, 

 but intelligent persons inform us that it is re- 

 ally true, and that a newspaper under the 

 counterpane or under the jacket is really very 

 effective in keeping the body comfortable. — 

 The texture of the paper is so close that it both 

 keeps out the cold air and keeps in the bodily 

 warmth better than cloth. 



"Ant Othee Man." — "Whenever a slang 

 phrase becomes extensively popular, a score 

 of geniuses set themselves to work for the pur- 

 pose of ascertaining its origin. One of these 

 archaeologists devoted his attention to the 

 Scriptures, in which, whatever is worth find- 

 ing, is sure to be discovered, and ascertained 

 that the starting point of the phrase is in the 

 17th verse of the 16th chapter of Judges, 

 where Delilah was coaxing Samson for the se- 

 cret of his great strength. He divulged as fol- 

 lows : "If I be shaven, then my strength 

 will go from me, and I shall become weak, and 

 be like ' any other man.' " Bully for Samson, 



~—*- 



— A pickpocket is said to have been doing a 

 good business on the lines of railroad out West, 

 by going into a car, refusing to pay his fare, 

 and picking the conductor's pocket as he is put- 

 ting him off. 



