94 
AMERICAN AG-RIOULTURIST. 
[Miscn, 
Spavin, Curable and Incurable. 
Every agricultural editor lias almost constant- 
ly sent to him for publication, cures for spaei/i, 
attested in all sorts of Ti-ays. Some writers give 
descriptions of their mode of procedure, and of 
the very satisfactory results attained; others 
send simply recipes. We know it will be very 
hard to convince a horse owner, who has " doc- 
tored" his own and perhaps his neighbors' horses 
for wliat he calls spavin, and cured tlicm, tliat 
true spavin is an utterly incurable disease. It 
seems as if every disease of the hock were cal- 
led spavin, without any discrimination wliatcver, 
whereas this name' is properly applied to only 
one. Spavin is an enlargement of tlie bone or 
bones on the lower, inner and front side of the 
hock joint, or an anchylosis, — a growing to- 
. gether of these bones without enlargement of 
the joint— as in occult sjiavin. This growth of 
bone, gradually in many cases, increases until 
the entire joint, except in its articidation with the 
leg-bone (the one above the joint), becomes per- 
fectly inflexilile, in fiict, almost as one solid bone. 
There arc ten bones composing this joint, 
wliich corresponds with the heel in man; they 
are all capped or enclosed with elastic cartilage, 
whicli protects them from concussion and fric- 
tion ; and between and about the bones thus 
covered, lies the synovial membrane, the oflice 
of wliich is to secrete a fluid to lubricate the 
joint, so tliat tlie machinery shall plaj' smootlilj'. 
Over the joint in several places pass the strong 
tendons of muscles, which move the leg below 
I ho hock, and these are bound down to the 
joint by very strong investing ligaments, under 
^vhich tliey glide freely. 
Severe pulling, leaping, wrenching of the leg, 
and other causes, may bring on an inflammation 
of this structure, which, being neglected and 
commnnicaliug to the bone, causes osseous en- 
hirgement. In some cases it is at once indicated 
l.iy lameness, or by an inability to carry the foot 
naturally, when lirst taken from the staljle ; at 
others it can only be seen or felt when carefully 
observed. In any case it is dangerous, aud may 
grow ■svorse, 
oven when 
cons isling 
merely of 
what the ; 
horse dealer 
will call a 
"Jack," that 
is,a little en- 
large m e u t 
low down 
on the inner 
side of the 
hock, or up- 
on the head 
of one of the 
splint bones. 
splint bones may be seen as a 
sleuder pointed bone, hirgo 
at tlie hock, and extending 
more than half-way to the 
fetlock— sound, in fig. 1, and 
much diseased in fig. 3.) 
Any enlargement of the 
bones of this joint is liable 
to cause lameness, because 
they are so crossed and 
tendons 
K, 
t. i 
Fig. 2. 
(One of these 
Fig. 1. 
pressed upon by 
but the lameness thus caused is al- 
wavs most evident when the horse is first taken 
IVom tlie stable, and often disappears entirely 
after the animal warms up with exercise. For 
this reason a spavined horse, if for sale, is 
never shown in the stable, but always upon 
the road, and after he has been driven awhile. 
By examining the two engravings we present, 
the nature of the disease may be distinctly com- 
prehended. The drawings were made with 
great care from specimens kindly loaned to us 
from the museum of the N. Y. College of Vete- 
rinaiy Surgeons, on Lexington Avenue. Fig. 1 
shows tlie bones sound and healthy ; fig. 3 rep- 
resents a very bad case, of course. Spavin pre- 
vents the free flexion and extension of the limb. 
The front of the shoe is usually unnaturally worn 
off, and often the toe of the hoof is worn by 
dragging. For any inflammation or heating of 
the hock, whether obviously spavin or not, give 
rest, good food, not of a healing cinality; bathe 
the joint in cold water, either simple or contain- 
ing saltpeter or sal-ammoniac in solution, keep- 
ing it constantly wet and cool. Should bunches 
appear and not subside under this treatment, 
the usual practice is to excite the skin by lini- 
ments or blisters, and to apply subsequently an 
ointment containing Iodine, or some of its com- 
pounds. But if a veterinary surgeon of ability 
is within reach, by all means consult him. If 
not, talk with your family physician, and 
exercise common sense. 
Spavin does not render a horse useless Un- a 
long time, but it makes him unsalable, and is so 
hereditary that a spavined mare ought not to be 
used for breeding, and certainly no spavined 
stallion should be employed as a stock getter. 
Occult Sjxiri/i begins with an inflammation, 
leading to ulceration aud anchylosis of the joint ; 
exterior signs are ob.scure, but the horse ma- 
nifests extreme pain. The treatment is rest in a 
sling, so that all weight is taken from the 
joint, and such external appliances and diet as 
common sense, in the absence of a good veteri- 
nary surgeon, will_ dictate. We liave no ex- 
perience aud shall not attempt to prescribe. 
The disease is unhappily both frequent and dis- 
tressing, in some cases resulting in the union 
into one solid mass of the four little bones 
which rest upon the tops of the metacarpal 
(cannon aud splint) bones. Of course per- 
manent and incurable lameness is the result. 
Bor/ Sjxu'in. — This disease is recognized by 
the formation of a sack of liquid on the front of 
the hock-joint, and is caused by an unnatural 
increase of the synovial fluid, which, as we liave 
said, lubricates the joints. It is unsightly, but 
does not ordinarily cause lameness. With good 
usage it is sometimes, though rarely, absorbed, 
and this may be expedited by the application of 
an elastic bandage over the part, when the 
horse is at rest. This puffy swelling, usually 
caused by strains and wrenches, is not for a 
moment to be confounded with true spavin. 
"Blood" spavin is a misnomer. 
How to Glean Seed Wlieat- 
There are sometimes seeds of charlock, winter- 
cress, cockle, chess, dock, pigeon weed, oats, 
and some other kinds among seed wheat. Be- 
sides the seeds of weeds, the small shrunken 
and immature kernels should be separated, and 
the largest and fairest only retained. The small 
shriveled grains may vegetate as readily as the 
idump ones, but the ears will not be so long and 
large, nor the kernels so plump and fair. 
If a person has nothing but a common fan- 
ning mill for cleaning seed wheat, the sieves can 
usually be arranged to separate every thing from 
the best grain. If there be nothing but charlock, 
cress, or dock seed among the wheat, by carry- 
ing the grain out on the screen board so far that 
it will fall near the upper edge of a coarse 
screen, every kernel of small wheat and seeds of 
weeds will fall into the screen box, and the 
choicest grain will be delivered on the floor, or 
in the appropriate grain-box. After such seeds 
have been separated, should there be oats among 
the seed wheat, a sieve made of perforated tin, 
or zinc, should be placed in the lower gain of 
the shoe, and the wheat put through the mill 
again. The perforations in the zinc should be 
just large enough to allow the largest kernels of 
wheat to drop through, while the oats being 
longer thau the diameter of the holes, will slide 
over them and be collected in a box or on the 
floor by themselves. Perforated zinc, or pressed 
wire clolli for sieves, may be obtained at hard- 
ware stores, and bo fitted to any mill. Re- 
peated winnowing with a strong blast will, each 
lime it is repeated, separate additional light 
grains, aud improve the qnalityof the seed grain. 
Coal Tar on Fence Posts 
The subject of preserving fence timber, though 
often discussed, is still one upon which the light 
of new fiicts and experience is alwaj's welcome. 
Mr. Gilbert J. Greene, of Rensselaer Co., N. Y., 
writes: — "I have been requested by several 
readers of the Auurican Agrioiltnnxt, to make 
a short statement of my experiments and ex- 
perience in preserving fence posts, water pipes, 
making roofs, floors, etc., by the use of coal tar. 
As your room is too valuable, perhaps, to give an 
extended noticeof my various experiments, I de- 
tail them only so far as preserving fence posts 
is concerned. In the spring of 1858 I had oc- 
casion to build a short piece of fence, which re- 
quired forty posts. I could not procure such, 
timber as I wished, and was compelled to use 
hemlock posts, 4x5 inches square, and surely 
could not have selected worse ones of any de- 
scription. IMany of my neighbors said they 
would rot off before cold weather set in. Think- 
ing it a good opportunity to test the coal tar, I 
treated the posts in the following manner: 
Twenty posts were coated with it for a distance 
of three feet from the bottom, and into this a 
quantity of fine, dry sand was rubbed or sprink- 
led ; the bottom of the post was thickly coated 
with tar and sand. Three days afterward the 
posts were brushed off with a broom, and 
another coat of tar and sand was applied, as 
before. They were left exposed to the sun for 
three days, and were then set thirty-two inches 
deep. Ten of the other posts were merely coated 
with coal tar, and no sand applied ; five were 
charred in a fire aud set without tar, and Jive 
were set without any preparation wliatever. 
On my return from the war in May last, I 
examined these posts, and found that the five 
that were set without aii}' preparation had rot- 
ted entirelj' away, and had been replaced by 
others in the spring of 1862. Three of those 
that were charred were also replaced at the 
same time, the other two a year later. The ten 
that were coated with coal tar without the sand, 
had rotted, and were replaced in 18G4. The 
twenty that were coated with tar and sand arc 
still standing, as sound, I think, as when they 
were put there, and I would have no hesitation 
in guaranteeing them to stand for the next 
fifteen years. Above ground the posts were 
planed and well painted." 
Mr. Greene accounts for these results by the 
fact that a thin coating of coal tar is not im- 
permeable to air and moisture, while llie thick 
coating of sand aud tar is perfectlj' so. He 
adds : — " If I was to build a fence where the 
