248 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



respecting the disease (of which I communicated an account), and on the sen son 

 preceding its prevalence, &c ; but I regret to inform you that farmers in general arc 

 so deficient in observation, and so entirely out of practice of recording facts, that I 

 Lave n<>t been able satisfactorily to ascertain whether the season in which the " in- 

 jurious hay was made" was a dry one or not. 



"However, my father informs me that, as nearly as he can recollect, about that period 

 the ditch which conveyed water to his meadow became so tilled with mud and ac- 

 cumulations of mud and other matter as to render the supply very imperfect. As a 

 deficiency of water appears to be the -cause of the unwholesome qualities of the hay, 

 it is highly probable that the injurious hay was made during the season that water 

 was wanting. But shortly after this time^ the death of my grandfather in a great 

 measure excluded my father from the benefit of the water. The original plantation 

 being divided into two farms, and that of my father lying farther down the stream, 

 the water of the artificial course is exhausted before it reaches his land. It should, 

 however, be remarked that since that period he mows his grass while it is very young, 

 and before the .seeds are touched by the "smutty affection." Indeed, the fanners 

 generally in this neighborhood, since their cattle were affected with the disease, are 

 careful to mow ranch earlier than they did formerly. 



"I am strongly induced to believe that Mr. Cooper ascribes the disease to the proper 

 cause, for I have been correctly informed that a load of the injurious hay was sold to 



Rogers, who at that time kept the Buck Tavern, in second street, whose cow, in 



consequence of feeding on it, was affected with a disease of a similar nature. 

 Your friend, etc., 



W. T. WOODMAN" 



The disease prevailed to a great extent in Orange County, Xew York, 

 in the year 1820, and is very well and minutely described by Dr. Arnell. 

 corresponding secretary of the agricultural society of that county, 

 The facts detailed by him leave no doubt of the deaths of numerous 

 cattle in his vicinity being caused by their eating hay made from some 

 grass that was affected with the species of ergot observed in the pro- 

 duce of the meadows before mentioned, for he expressly mentions that 

 the spear grass grew in the meadows in the towns of Wallkill and Bloom- 

 ing Grove, where the disease prevailed, and in a bog meadow soil. 

 Dr. A. remarks that, u the hay was cut in June or beginning of July, 

 immediately before harvest; that only cattle in good condition suffered 

 from eating the diseased hay, the poor and meager escaping. 77 The 

 means of prevention pointed out by Dr. Arnell are similar to thatju- 

 dically recommended by Mr. Woodman, viz., to cut the grass early, be- 

 fore the ergot forms ; or, if it be found in the grass, to defer cutting it 

 until late, when experience proves that it may be safely used; for 

 Dr. A. remarks that " the ergot then becomes dry and shriveled, with- 

 out any of the flour or vegeto-aniinal matter which it usually contains. 77 

 But the hay made from such late-made grass must be of little value, 

 because Dr. A. says truly that " this spear grass is so early that 

 if left to stand till the usual time of mowing meadows it loses all its 

 succulent and nutritious properties. 77 This agrees with our experience 

 with respect to the spear grass of Pennsylvania, where it ripens next 

 in order to the early Anthroxanthum odoratum, or sweet-scented meadow 

 grass. Still, however, it may be useful by answering one purpose of 

 food in all animals : to stimulate by distention, and to add to the stock 

 of barn-yard manure. The various remedies tried to cure the disease 

 in New York are enumerated by Dr. Arnell. Those that • succeeded 

 were : 



1. Poultices of soap, rye-meal, and salt, to the legs and feet. 



2. A wash of beef-brine, composed of saltpetre, and common salt, 

 applied several times a day, and after washing and rubbing the feet 

 with the bitter-sweet ointment. Of the animals thus treated, one only 

 lost its hoof. 



In the treatment of the disease, the first object to be attended to is to 

 remove the cause producing it. This is to be effected by drenches of 



