1865.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
and be less liable to burt the sbeep. After the 
long toes have been pnmeil off, shave oflf the 
prominent corners with tlie pocket knife. 
There are several remedies, ointments, caus- 
tics, and corrosive applications, which have 
been employed in curing the foot rot. An ap- 
plication of pine tar and spirits of turpentine 
mixed, h.is been used with good results. Blue 
vitrei pulverized and mingled with tar, applied 
warm, is anotlier remedy ; and a strong solution 
of blue vitriol in warm water, is also good, 
the sheep being made to stand a minute or two 
in a trough containing it. It is, however, apt 
to be washed otf in a short time by wet grass. 
The best preparation that we have ever used 
was equ.al quantities of drj^ white lead and 
finely pulverized blue vitriol mingled with 
boiled linseed oil, but only to that degree that it 
would barely flow. This is applied with a small 
swab to the aflected parts, after the feet have 
been prepared as already directed. One or two 
applications of this preparation during the first 
stages of the foot rot, will usually arrest its 
progress in a flock, and effect a permanent cure. 
But when the disease has required the paring 
away of a large proportion of the hoof, so 
much so that the bones are laid bare, as is 
sometimes the case, it will be necessary to tie 
pieces of firm cloth over the feet, which are 
first wrapped in tow. The tow is put around 
and over the wound, then pieces of coarse tow- 
eling, or of old sacks about 5 inches square, are 
placed beneath each foot, the edges are turned 
up, the corners folded smoothly to the leg, and 
tied barely tight enough with woolen yarn to 
keep tlie rags from dropping off. The boiled 
oil causes the lead and copper salts to adhere 
well, and by drying soon, it forms a good coat 
to exclude dirt, after the bandage has worn out. 
Sheep should be examined at least once a week 
where the hoof rot has made its appearance ; 
and a constant watch should be kept to discov- 
er any symptoms of lameness, which is one of 
the first signs of the disease. Timely attention 
may save many valuable sbeep. 
Youatt directs, that after thoroughly paring, 
" The foot should be washed with a solution of 
chloride of lime, in the proportion of one pound 
of the powder to a gallon of water. This will 
remove the fcetor, and tendency to sloughing 
and mortification, which are the too frequent 
attendants on foot rot. The muriate or butter 
of antimony must then be resorted to, and by 
means of a small stick with a little tow tied 
around one of its extremities, applied to every 
denuded part, lightly where the surface has a 
healthy appearance, and more severely where 
fungus granulations have been cut off, or 
where there are small granulations springing 
up. There is no application compared to this. 
It is eSectual as a superficial caustic ; and it so 
readily combines with the fiuids belonging to 
the part to which it is applied, that it quickly 
becomes diluted, and comparatively powerless, 
and is incapable of producing any deep or cor- 
roding mischief. So far as these foot cases 
are concerned, it supersedes every other appli- 
cation. The change of color in the part will 
accurately show to what portions it has been 
applied, and what effect has been produced. 
* * * The foot should be dressed every day. 
Each new separation of horn should be re- 
moved, and every portion of fungus submitted 
to the action of the caustic, with a degree of 
severity proportioned to the necessity of the 
case. The new horn should likewise be ex- 
amined. If it appears to be healthy and toler- 
ably firm, nothing should be done to it ; but if 
it is soft and spongy, the caustic should be 
243 
lightly applied. The sooner the bandage can 
be removed, and the sheep turned to some 
upland or thoroughly dry pasture, the better 
will it be for the foot and the health of the ani- 
mal generally. The worst cases of foot rot will 
readily yield to this mode of treatment, provid- 
ed the bone has not been exposed, and there 
are no sinuses running into the joints, or deep- 
seated parts of the foot, or the pasterns above." 
Maintaining a full Flow of Milk. 
During the months of July and August in our 
latitude, the full flow of milk is frequently 
checked. In most instances grass fails. Some- 
times, however, f\\rmers have kept too many 
animals on a given surface ; and many cows 
have kept the grass from growing, and the usu- 
al flow of milk has diminished. Dairymen slide 
into this practice of over-stocking their pastures 
at a season of the year when grass grows freely. 
A cow consumes a certain amount of feed to 
sustain and to repair the waste of her body. If 
she can have more than enough for this purpose 
the surplus will be converted into milk. There- 
fore, if feed is short, the 'flow of milk must in- 
evitably diminish. Breeding is another cause 
of diminution in the quantity of milk. Some 
cows, even when supplied with all the good 
grass they will consume, will fall ofl' in milk 
within a few weeks after being got with calf; 
and there is sometimes so much shrinkage in 
the amount of milk, that a cow might be dried 
off in a short time. Another common cause of 
failure in the flow of milk is, a want of an abun- 
dant supply of pure water. 
These are the chief difficulties that people 
meet with, who keep few or many cows. To 
obviate the difficulty of short pasturage, a farm- 
er will find it much more profitable to keep 
fewer cows and so have more and better grass, 
as two cows when kept on as much grass as they 
will eat, will yield more milk than three or four 
cows kept on the same feed, for they would find 
barely enough to support animal life. By over- 
stocking a pasture, most of the grass is used up 
to keep the animals alive, without improving 
their condition, while a smaller number would 
thrive well, and at the same lime, give a good 
supply of milk. Therefore, in order to obtain 
the greatest amount of butter or cheese from a 
given amount of pasture, the correct way to do 
it is to keep few cows and feed well. When 
grass fails, they should have at least one feed- 
ing daily of good hay, or green corn stalks, or 
a few quarts of meal or bran, made thin with 
water. It is quite important that the flow of 
milk be maintained; because, if a cow be al- 
lowed to shrink in the quantity of milk, it is 
usually quite difficult, even by extra feeding, to 
bring it up again. Sometimes it can be done 
without difficulty. But in most cases it is im- 
practicable. 
Whenever it is known that a cow shrinks in 
her milk after getting with calf, take means to 
prevent it each year until about three months 
after the time of turning cows to grass. The aim 
should be to have such cows come in just in time 
to recover from the debilitating eflTects of par- 
turition by the time grass is large enough for 
grazing. Then her milk will be had at a sea- 
son of the year when cows are usually most 
profitable. But if they are allowed to breed 
early in the season, they are frequently very 
unprofitable cows ; and improper management 
renders them still more so. 
Cows well fed and properly milked, can not 
be expected to yield a large supply, unless they 
have an abundance of good water several times 
a day. Once or twice is not sufficient. In hot 
weather they need it three times daily. They 
relish a pailful of good water as we do a cool- 
ing draught from the "old oaken bucket." 
And they must have it or they will not and 
can not yield an abundant supply of milk. 
Large cows that have access to pure water 
often drink from twenty to thirty gallons daily 
during the hot weather, and this water assists 
greatly in keeping up the flow of milk. With- 
hold a part of it and the supply diminishes. As 
soon as cows have filled themselves with grass 
they often desire to drink. They seldom take 
much water into an empty stomach. Conse- 
quently if they are required to drink at a pool 
of standing, dirty water, perhaps defiled by 
dung, they will drink no more than is absolutely 
necessary to sustain life. Such water is not 
refreshing to cows, or any other animals ; and 
no one need expect that milch cows will 
keep up the quantity of milk, so long as they 
are required to use such an unwholesome drink. 
Harvesting Peas. 
Peas are often mown like grass, and after re- 
maining in the swath a few days they are gath- 
ered with forks, with hand-rakes, or with horse- 
rakes. This is a slow and laborious way. 
Another plan is to roll them with a scythe. 
This is done by reaching forward with the 
scythe among the uncut peas, and drawing it 
straight backward. Those vines that do not 
separate readily, are cut off, and when a roll is 
as large as can be handled easily, the scythe is 
run around and beneath it to cut off all the 
vines that would be a hindrance when pitching 
the bunches on the cart. This is a better way 
than the first. There are also several ways of 
raking them with a horse-rake without cutting. 
Some farmers proceed the same as when raking 
hay, which leaves a strip beneath each wind- 
row not separated from the ground where they 
grew. This makes slow and hard pitching. In 
order to make clean and thorough work, oth- 
ers run the rake gradually into the usraked 
peas imtil it is nearly full, when the horse is 
guided out, and the peas are left on the raked 
ground. But this is not so good a way as first 
to run the rake across the field where the wind- 
rows are to be made, clearing tracks, say 30 or 
40 feet apart, going and returning in the same 
place. This prepares a strip of raked ground 
for each windrow. The standing crop is thus 
simply raked into windrows with a horse-rake 
(the wooden revolving rake is best) ; and this 
will be found the most expeditious, thorough, 
and easy manner of gathering peas. The crop 
lies in this shape several days — until it is suffi- 
ciently cured to stack or house. It may be 
pitched upon the cart directly from the wind- 
rows, and this is usually better than to roll up 
heaps, which tangles the haulms and makes 
subsequent handling laborious. In case of hard 
rains it is well to turn over the windrows to let 
those plants which may be matted down upon 
the ground have a better chance to dry. 
Peas may be thrashed at any time. They are 
fed unthrashed to sheep and hogs during the 
autumn and winter, to excellent advantage; 
and the thrashed straw if well cured, is eaten 
freely by all kinds of stock, and may be used as 
freely as timothy hay. If not properly cured, 
all its value as fodder is liable to be lost. 
m-, —■— I » 
Fowl Idea. — A correspondent asks, whether 
hen manure is the best fertilizer for egg plants. 
