558 
Diseases  of  Cattle  and  Sheep. 
their  appearance  is  an  invaluable  qualification.  But  this  know- 
ledge does  not  consist  in  the  indiscriminate  administration  of  physic 
and  bleeding,  which  is  dangerous  to  the  stock  and  unprofitable  to 
their  employers.  The  groom  attentively  observes  the  slightest 
change  in  the  condition  of  the  horses  under  his  care.  If  one  of 
them  coughs  and  shows  symptoms  of  catarrh,  he  alters  the  tem- 
perature of  the  stable — changes  the  character  of  the  food — and 
administers  some  simple  stable  remedy,  or  consults  the  usual  ve- 
terinary medical  practitioner.  This  is  the  knowing  how  to  manage 
when  symptoms  of  illness  exhibit  themselves,  although  of  what 
precise  nature  sometimes  the  practitioner  himself  cannot  at  this 
early  period  exactly  determine.  With  cattle,  the  management  on 
the  first  appearance  of  disease  is  entirely  different.  The  whole  herd 
have  sometimes  the  hoose  ; after  a time  one  or  more  may  exhibit 
symptoms  more  severe  than  the  others,  and  the  utmost  that  is 
done  in  these  cases  is  very  frequently  little  more  than  a drench, 
with  shelter  if  it  occurs  in  the  winter  months ; and  with  this  the 
efforts  to  remedy  the  disease  seem  to  stop.  Is  it  any  wonder 
then,  that  the  diseases  of  cattle,  of  the  simplest  kind  at  the  com- 
mencement, become,  from  such  neglect,  dangerous  and  difficult  to 
manage  when  the  veterinary  surgeon’s  assistance  is  required  ? 
Such  carelessness  has  the  appearance  of  cruelty,  and  the  conse- 
quences at  all  events  are  the  same.  Very  little  attention  to  the 
causes  of  disease,  as  set  forth  in  this  essay,  must  show  that  they 
are  more  commonly  the  result  of  mismanagement  than  of  acci- 
dent or  of  circumstances  which  cannot  be  controlled,  and  even  the 
agencies  inducing  epizootic  and  contagious  diseases  may  be 
guarded  against,  or  considerably  modified,  by  proper  and  regular 
feeding — good  drainage — and  suitable  yards,  sheds,  and  farm 
buildings. 
XXVIII. — On  the  Cost  of  Agricultural  Buildings. 
By  George  Dean. 
To  Mr.  Pusey. 
Dear  Sir, — Some  time  since  you  mentioned  to  me  that  I should 
be  doing  landed  proprietors  a service  if  I could  point  out  to  them 
the  way  in  which  they  might  be  enabled  to  ascertain  whether  the 
sums  charged  by  tradesmen  for  erecting  agricultural  buildings,  or 
repairing  them,  be  proper  ones — if  the  materials  used  be  suitable 
for  the  purposes  to  which  they  are  applied — and  the  work  pro- 
perly performed.  Knowing  you  take  much  interest  in  all  matters 
connected  with  agriculture,  and  being  a landed  proprietor,  I am 
desirous  to  afford  you  the  information  you  seek.  You  are  aware 
that  to  give  non-professional  gentlemen  this  information  is  no 
