274 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



[For the Southern Planter.] 

 SWEENEY. 

 Rappahannock Co., 22 July, 1856. 

 Mr. Ruffin : 



In the July number of the Planter, page 

 204, I have read your remarks on Swee- 

 ney, and your quotations from Percival 

 showing that the disease " is in the fool" 

 and not in the shoulder. I cannot under- 

 take to say that I know the disease is not 

 in the foot, but I certainly believe, that in 

 a case of sweeney the foot is not at all af- 

 fected. In the last ten years I have had 

 three or four cases of sweeney, and in 

 every instance I could trace the disease to 

 a strain or bruise on the shoulder — by 

 having the collar too large and thereby 

 pressing too far back on the shoulder, and 

 fallowing land very hard and dry it is apt 

 to give a young horse the sweeney — or by 

 ploughing new ground that is full of roots 

 and stumpy. 



The disease is «easily cured in the fol- 

 lowing; manner: — Take up the skin of the 



Take in the first place a small pinch of 

 gun powder, and drop it down the pa- 

 tient's throat — this will produce a moisture; 

 then dip a straw into vermifuge and shove 

 it in an inch or two down the wind pipe. 

 The chicken will commence sneezing, 

 and you will soon observe, a roll as it 

 were, of very sniall red worms, which you 

 may see, by having a towel or any thing 

 in your lap. For this receipt, ladies, I 

 charge nothing more than your faithful ex- 

 periment — your good wishes and the very 

 best chicken pie, that any can make at the 

 next annual fair in Richmond. 



Yours, 



N. F. S. of Prince Edward. 



PRxiCTICAL HINTS ON PRESERVING 

 FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. 



SELF-SEALING OR AIR TIGHT CANS. 



In our last issue we referred to the "self-seal- 

 ing" cans, and stated that we had concluded to 

 give them a trial the present year. Recently 

 we ha 1 a lengthy conversation with Mr. S., an 

 horse (between the thumb and forefinger) i intelligent gentleman who had the time, means, 

 at the top of the part of the shoulder that I and inclination to give these cans a full trial 



two 



is sunk, which will be from one to 

 inches from the top of the withers 

 make an incision through the skin with a| 

 sharp pen knife, there insert a goose quill j 

 and blow up the skin, and with your hand 

 press the wind along the part that is sunk 

 to its lowest extremity--thus filling the 

 part that is sunk with air until it is at 

 least even with the surrounding parts, and 

 stick a piece of pitch over the incision, 

 and a cure will be affected. I have never 

 had to repeat the above operation but once, 

 except in a case that I had this summer — 

 I had to make a second incision and blow 

 up as at first and poured in through the 

 quill as much spirits of turpentine as the 

 quill would hold, and the horse was well in 

 three weeks, although at work all the time. 

 It is better to rest the horse if you can, 

 but not absolutely necessary. 



Respectfully, 



A SUBSCRIBER. 



last 



year. 



He states that for the sweeter varie- 



GAPES- IN CHICKENS. 

 Ye ladies of Virginia hut especially of 



j ties of cherries, for peaches, and for sweet fruits 

 generally, they give the highest satisfaction ; 

 but with currants and other strongly acid (sour) 

 fruits they failed entirely, as the acids invaribly 

 eat through the cans. Tomatoes keep beauti- 

 fully without a case of failure, and this fruit 

 preserved came out of the cans at different 

 periods, not only in an excellent state of pre- 

 servation, but it tasted quite as good as that 

 fresh picked from the vines. This superior 

 flavor may be owing to their being eaten at a 

 time when fresh fruit is not obtainable. Mr. S. 

 sa^^s he has not succeeded in preserving green 

 corn, peas, beans, or other articles of this class. 

 His experience is different from that of some 

 others, and thus far those we have conversed ' 

 with appear to be about equally divided as to 

 the utility of the tin vessels, for either green 

 vegetables or acid fruits — some having suc- 

 ceeded with them, while others, with apparently 

 an equal degree of skill and care have signally 

 failed. We repeat the caution offered last 

 month, to invaribly close every can perfectly 

 with wax. The screw and India rubber collar 

 may make a can nearly air-ti^ht, but these are 

 not to be depended upon. Beeswax is quite as 

 good as any compound preparation that can be 

 made. 



Prince Edward. 



I hasten to lay before you what I con- 

 sider a sovereign remedy for that most 

 dreadful of all diseases, common among 

 fowls, to wit: the gapes. 



OTHER METHODS OF PRESERVING. 



Everybody knows how to drr/ fruit, or at least 

 his wife does. Green corn is not dried as often 

 as it should be. We have had all the present 

 season a good supply of green peas, that were 



