1870.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
177 
nails, is firm enough for use on smooth, land. 
The accompanying engraving shows suck a 
Fig. 1. — HOG-DRESSED VEAL. 
marker. The rod and chain attached to the 
cross-piece is hinged on, and may be turned 
upon either side. The chain in dragging marks 
■where the next furrow is to be made, or the 
track of the horse, whichever is preferred. 
Veal-The Fatted Calf. 
The sale of a well-fatted calf in the vicinity of 
good markets, usually brings in as much money 
as it costs to keep a cow through the winter. 
A good calf sells for the price of one or two 
tons of hay. The cow should pay for her keep- 
ing by her milk the rest of the year. A good 
many calves come to market on their feet. 
This is a poor way, for the veal is injured by the 
confined, heated, hungry and nervous condition 
the animals are often in. It is far better, and 
the producer realizes more, besides, for the veal 
to come to market "hog-dressed," as it is called. 
A veal so dressed is shown in fig. 1. The calf 
is killed by cutting its throat, and strung up by 
one hind leg to bleed. Then the head is skin- 
ned and removed ; the feet, skinned to the hocks 
and knees, and removed. The lights and guts 
are taken out, leaving the heart, liver, kidneys, 
sweetbreads, etc., in place. After wiping out 
and hanging up until cool, it is ready for ship- 
ment. The skin of the head may be tied over 
the neck, that of the legs over the ends, and a 
single cord around the ribs closes the carcass 
together, and secures cleanliness. Sometimes 
the head and feet are taken off without skinning, 
as shown in our engraving, and frequently only 
a small opening is made in the belly, and all 
the viscera, except the kidneys, taken out. In 
this case a stick is inserted to hold the cut 
open and air the cavity. 
When veal is required for- 
borne consumption or for 
the neighborhood, the calf is 
skinned and dressed. After 
hanging until cold it is cut 
in two, as shown in figures 2 
and 3. "When cut up for use 
the principal divisions are 
those indicated in fig. 2. The 
cut dividing the quarters 
passes just back of the ribs. 
The hind-quarter is divided 
into the " Loin," a, and the 
" Leg," b, and each ot these 
may be further cut up, or 
used entire as choice roast- 
ing pieces. From the fore- 
quarter the " Shoulder," c, 
is first removed, cutting be- 
neath the shoulder-blade, 
and close to the ribs. Then 
the "Neck," d, d, and the 
" Breast," e, e, are separated, 
cutting through all the ribs. 
The shoulder forms an excel- 
lent roasting piece when the 
blade is taken out, and the 
end is nicely folded down 
and stuffed. Both the breast 
and neck are excellent for 
stews, cutlets, fricassee, etc. 
Veal cutlets are generally 
cut from the lower half of 
the leg, like steaks. This 
leaves the upper half to 
roast. The hock and ten- 
dinous portion near it, 
should always be removed 
in preparing the joint for 
roasting. The French and 
Germans take the cutlets from the fore-quarter, 
FiiJ. 2. — EXTERIOR OF 
The Horse Bot and Bot-Fly. 
« — 
There are not less than three insects, which, 
in their larva or grub state, are parasitic in the 
stomach of the horse. The grubs are known as 
Bots, and the flies, which are the mature prop- 
agating insects, are called Bot-flies or Gadflies. 
They vary in size and general appearance a 
good deal, in both the 
mature and grub states. 
The common one lays its 
eggs on the hairs of the 
legs and body, another 
about the throat, and a 
third upon the lips. The 
common Bot-fly is famil- 
iar to every one bred or 
living in the country. It is 
represented in fig. 1. This 
is called GustcropJtilus cqui, and is easily distin- 
guished from its congeners by its spotted wings. 
The insect is tawny, its abdomen covered with 
woolly, shining hairs; the 
thorax is black and covered 
with yellow hairs, and the 
eyes very dark brown. The 
wings have several pale, 
smoky spots in the middle, 
and towards the tips, as Fi e- 2.-bot-flt. 
represented. This is the female fly, and the one 
best known ; when ready to deposit an Qg'j; she 
poises herself near the spot selected, as shown 
in figure 2, protrudes her ovipositor, and then 
with almost incredible swiftness she darts down 
and attaches an egg to a hair, as shown in fii;'. 
3. The eggs are slender, and are, so to speak, 
VEAL CARCASS. Fig. 3. — INTERIOR. 
cut off at the large end on a slant. They ad- 
here very tightly to the hairs, and cannot be re- 
moved by ordinary grooming. Some, probably 
dead ones, remain until the coat is shed in the 
spring. The writer has practiced washing the 
parts of the animal on which the eggs are abund- 
ant, with strong carbolic soap, and greater num- 
bers than he has 
ever before observed 
remain unhatched 
through the winter. 
Should this prove, as 
be suspects.a remedy 
for the Bots, it will 
be very gratifying, 
for so far as our own 
Fig. 3.— bot-fly's ego. horses are concerned 
we are very ready to forego any benefit, real or 
imaginary, which Mr. Bracey Clark thought 
might result from their presence in the stomach. 
Exactly how the eggs hatch, appears to be 
unknown, but it is certain that very lively little 
worms come out of them. We think it probable 
that they hatch and cause a tickling or itching 
of the skin, which makes the horse lick 
or gnaw the spot, when they adhere to 
the tongue or lips and are swallowed. 
It has also been stated that the licking 
caused the eggs to hatch, and at the 
same time removed the worms. Once in 
the stomach they soon make an attach- Fig. 4. 
ment and suspend themselves by two hooks, seen 
in the engraving, fig. 4. This represents the grub 
or larva, in which condition the insect makes its 
growth. The little worm soon becomes robust 
and swollen, and remains much like the form 
shown, until it reaches the size indicated, never, 
so far as known, relaxing its hold upon the 
