516 



vegetable powers of the soil produce, is 

 immediately returned to it, and as most 

 plants derive a portion of food from the 

 atmosphere, the air, by this process, is 

 made to enrich the earth. The soil itself 

 also absorbs from the same source a very 

 considerable amount of fertilizing matters 

 in the shape of gaseous products and when 

 supplied with materials capable of absorb- 

 ing and fixing the reriform principles which 

 are perpetually present — and in large quan- 

 tities throughout this wide spread and in- 

 exhaustible field of fertility — the accession 

 of fecundating matter wil! be very large, 

 and secure the most favorable results, both 

 to the soil and the succeeding crops. This 

 is, perhaps, one of the most economical 

 and effectual methods of replenishment it 

 IS possible to adopt. 



But we must not suffer ourselves to be 

 illuded by the glitter of hypothetical con- 

 clusions : we must attribute results to their 

 legitimate causes, and trace each one, so 

 far as it is practicable for us to do, to its 

 real and proper source. The demand upon 

 the energies of the soil always exceeds 

 the supplies derived from tlie air, and 

 hence we see that there is no such thing 

 as a recuperative power, or principle, inde- 

 pendent of vegetable life. 



The spires and blades of the grasses, 

 and the stalks and foliage of other plants 

 frequently decay and fall upon the ground, 

 their places being supplied by new forma- 

 tions, often emanating from the same or 

 nearly the same points. The same takes 

 place among the roots. When a fibre per- 

 ishes, it is resolved into humus, and sup- 

 plies food for the new organ which nature 

 prepares to occupy its place. This alter- 

 nation of decay and reproduction, is going 

 on continually throughout the wide range 

 of nature, and its results are obvious at 

 every turn. 



The pastures to w^hich we refer, must 

 be, of course, such as are capable of being 

 worked; such as lie near villages, or wher- 

 ever land is high. The rough, rocky, 

 mountain pastures where the land is com- 

 paratively cheap cannot be economically 

 plowed. If they are absolutely needed, 

 being worth more for pasture to allow them 

 to grow up to wood, about all that can be 

 done for them is to keep the bushes down, 

 and sow on them occasionally plaster, lime, 

 or ashes ; and the economy of this will de- 

 pend entirely upon the price at which 



these articles can be obtained, including 

 the cost of transportation. 



From Dr. Dadd^s Veterinary Journal for July. 



Back Galls on Horses. 



The exciting cause of Back Galls, is irrita- 

 tion occasioned by " bad Jits" — (harness or 

 saddle.) The shape of the latter must be al- 

 tered so as to correspond with the shape of that 

 portion of the back with which it comes in 

 contact; this can be done by padding the con- 

 cavities with lamb's wool, and in chambering 

 the convexities, so that there shall be no un- 

 equal pressure nor causes for irritation. Yet, 

 after all, it maybe more economical to procure 

 a new article and a better fit ; no doubt that in 

 some cases this will be the most humane policy. 



Treatment of Back Galls. — So soon as an ab- 

 rasion is discovered on the back, the animal 

 should be excused from duty for a few days ; 

 the abraded part should be lubricated two" or 

 three times, daily, with a small quantity of 

 glycerine; inmost cases, however, a few ap- 

 plications of tincture of aloes and myrrh will 

 produce healthy action, and thus restore the 

 parts to soundness. 



Should there be no abrasion, yet some tume- 

 faction, heat, and tenderness, a cold water pled- 

 get, renewed as occasion seems to require, 

 will, in most cases, have the desired effect. 



Occasionally the integuments are so bruised 

 as to induce induration — hardening. Local in- 

 duraiion in the region of the back is a morbid 

 condition of parts, known to the farriers of 

 old as " sit-fast." The treatment consists in 

 smearing the part with a portion of the fol- 

 lowing: 



Iodine, .... half a drachm. 

 ■ Simple ointment, . . . seven do. 

 Powdered blood root, . . half a drachm. 

 Mix. 



A few applications of a portion of the 

 above, will have the effect of removing the sit- 

 fast, or eschar, when a healthy, granulating 

 surface will appear. 



Some animals, owing to a peculiarity of con- 

 stitution, will " cliafe" as the saying is, in 

 those parts which c ;me in contact with collar 

 and saddle, and no human foresight nor me- 

 chanical contrivance can prevent the same; 

 for example, we now have a horse under treat- 

 ment notorious as a " Immory" subject ; if he 

 perform a day's labour in the warm season of 

 the year, notwithstanding he be harnessed in 

 the best possible manner, ho is sure to come 

 home at night with galled shoulders or else 

 sore back. For such a case as this, the har- 

 ness-makor with all his skill and ingenuity 

 has no remedy. The subject alluded to has 

 had several runs at grass, still he is the same 

 old " two and sixpence," and the owner ha^, 

 at last, decided to send him, for a season, to 

 some fashionable watering or grazing place — 

 Saratoga, perhaps, or the sea-shore, or else 

 will swap him off! 



