654 THE SOUTHERN PLANTER, [November 



This quarter-evil is a subtle complaint, which 

 is almost peculiar to our yearlings. It carries 

 off large numbers of stock, and when its at- 

 tack is commenced there is little hope of re- 

 covery. One general cause may be observed 

 in the majority of case*, and it is the result of 

 bad manag&ment. From some cause or other 

 the yearlings have had a check in their growth. 

 It may be from being wintered badly, or pos- 

 sibly from being put upon inferior pasture in 

 the early summer, or it may be from sudden 

 change from warm buildings during the cold 

 nights of May, followed by a sudden removal 

 to better keep or more shelter. The first re- 

 sult of this change is a gradual improvement 

 in the animal, which continues in a marked 

 degree until the system is preparing more 

 blood from this rich food than it has energy 

 to use, and the result is an inflammatory ac- 

 tion in one quarter of the body. Had the sys- 

 tem been kept in a state of progressive im- 

 provement, it would have been prepared for 

 the healthy employment of the nourishment 

 brought into the system, but as this nourish- 

 ment follows a period of scarcity, the system 

 receives this rapid increase of rich blood more 

 quickly than it regains its energy to use it, 

 and hence an inflammatory action commences. 



There are various modes adopted to prevent 

 this attack. A seton in the dewlap is frequent- 

 ly employed with success. Occasional doses 

 of purgative medicine have been found useful. 

 The cause, however, appears to suggest the 

 preventive by avoiding periods of insufficient 

 food being followed by strong keep. It will 

 sometimes happen that the keep is not suffi- 

 ciently abundant for the stock, but this should 

 be met by the use of artificial, (such as oil- 

 cake, for instance), and great caution should 

 be shown in putting stock upon better keep 

 after they have had a short supply. 



If, however, the quarter-evil makes its ap- 

 pearance, I have been frequently successful 

 in curing the animal bv giving one of the fol- 

 lowing powders three times daily — digitalis, 1 

 scruple : nitre, 1 drachm ; tartar, antimony, 

 1 scruple. Its utility depends upon its imme- 

 diate use, for the loss of half an hour may de- 



Cattle, published in the Transactions, may be 

 consulted on this point. I have never met with 

 a ease of this disease in all my experience. 

 Good keeping, however, may be considered not 

 as a preventive in every instance. — a famous 

 breeder of improved short-horns having lost in 

 one summer four calves, which had been treat- 

 ed in the most liberal manner. The same bree- 

 der had lost fiom time to time' so many fine ani- 

 mals by the disease, that he had to give up. 

 from prudential motives, the breeding of valua- 

 ble stock. This instance is rather against the 

 idea that oil-cake is an unfailing remedy against 

 the malady. Other agents, such as atmospheric 

 influences or nature of the soil; have in all pro- 

 bability not a little to do with it. 



J. Z>., Athdstaneford. 



termine against its being of any service. The 

 appearance of this disease should lead to extra 

 diligence in preventing any others from suf- 

 fering in the same manner, as generally there 

 are others similarly predisposed for its attack. 



Rheumatism is often productive of much in- 

 convenience, and especially amongst cattle of 

 this age. It generally arises from a want of 

 sufficient shelter, or from stock being kept in 

 low, damp land late in the season. Remedies 

 are here of little service, for the attack soon 

 passes off after they are removed from the 

 cause.* 



Management of Two year-old Heifers. — Lit- 

 tle need be added to the foregoing to describe 

 the course of management which should be 

 adopted the following season, for it is simply 

 a repetion of the former year's practice. I 

 shall therefore proceed at once to consider the 

 time at which heifers should be allowed to 

 breed. The practice of breeders differs widely 

 as it is possible, and many adopt a course they 

 do not entirely approve of, to overcome greater 

 difficulties which present themselves in making 

 many of our best animals breed. These diffi- 

 culties are oftentimes almost insurmountable, 

 and many of our best animals are consequently 

 placed in the hands of the butcher, with a very 

 reluctant will on the part of the breeder. It 

 is very desirable we should understand the 

 causes which come into operation, as they are 

 productive of much inconvenience and delay, 

 and frequently lead to the loss of our best ani- 

 mals. 



The fact is, what we consider a perfect ani- 

 mal is altogether an unnatural development. 

 The consequence is, that as we diverge from 

 the original type, so increased difficulties are 

 thrown in our way for reproducing animals 

 possessing such unnatural characters. If we 

 take an ordinary cow or heifer, reared on com- 

 mon land or moors — it may be, under many 

 hardships and privations — we find no difficulty 

 inbreeding from such an animal; but when 

 we have — as we call them — better bred ani- 

 mals to deal with, we find a progressive series 

 of difficulties. Are we then to consider the 

 design of Nature incomplete in this respect? 

 Certainly not. This is no solitary instance of 

 the opportunities of improving natural produce 

 which stimulate the energy and industry of 

 man, and of the reward which follows his per- 

 severance. Look at the general produce of a 

 farm, and observe the extent to which many of 

 our most valuable productions differ from and 



* The effect of rheumatism is understated ; it 

 frequently assumes an Aggravated form, when 

 once the ligatures and membranes of the joints 

 get inflamed. A chronic tenderness or inflam- 

 mation sets in; for such cases there is no cure. 

 Young bulls are most subject to it. It is sup- 

 posed by many to be the effects of cold, chills, 

 or want of sufficient exercise while the animals 

 are allowed nutritious food.™/. D. 



