288 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
DISEASE IN HOGS, AND A EEMEDY. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — In the July number 
■of the Cultivator, I noticed a communication from S. W. 
McGehee, I'especting a disease in his hogs, which has 
proved fatal. 
Having suffered a similar loss a few years since, I will 
give my experience, in hopes that he and others may be 
benefitted. During a long wet spell in the spring I noticed 
that my hog and shoats were affected with a cough, ap- 
peared languid and refused their feed ; some would have 
the staggers and in a short time die ; those having the 
cough only, would rapidly become worse ; heave dread- 
fully and in a few days die, apparently from suffocation. 
I tried a number of remedies without effect, and on open- 
ing the hogs discovered all the appearances of pheumonia 
as presented in post mortem examinations in the human 
subject. In the meantime I obtained Clater & Youatt’s 
Cattle Doctor, by Skinner, in whieh I found a descrip- 
tion of “Inflamation of the Lungs, or Rising of the Lights,” 
and, on page 241, directions for bleeding in the leg as fol- 
lows : “A largar quantity of blood, however, can be ab- 
stracted from the vein on the inside of the tore-arm about 
an inch above the knee. The application of cold water 
with a sponge, will generally stop the bleeding without 
difficulty, or at least so far arrest it that no harm will be 
done if it should continue d little longer.” In bleeding I 
tied the leg above the knee with a rope, sufficiently tight 
so that the vein became full, then feeling on the inside of 
the leg, just above the knee, I found the vein, and, with a 
sharp pen-knife, split the skin, which brought the vein in 
full view, which I then opened and suffered the blood to 
run until it became of a bright red color. I bled in both 
legs at the same time, if the hog was large ; I then turned 
them in a dry lot with shelter and fed upon wheat bran, 
mast, or Oats. 
The above plan is the only effectual treatment accord- 
ing to ray experience. Yours truly, M . 
Daklonega, Ga.,July, 185-5. 
CTJLTUEE OF LUCERNE. 
We have been informed by Mr. Lewis Mabry, of this 
city, that he has cultivated Lucerneregularly for more than 
forty years with the most satisfactory success, it has in- 
variably supplied him with the greatest abundance of 
green food of the richest quality for soiling cows, and it 
makes a hay in all respects equal to clover. There are 
plants now in Mr. Mabry’s yard which have been there 
for forty years. He has usually had about two acres of 
ground in lucerne and his mode of cultivation is as fol- 
lows : • 
The land should be well and deeply prepared, as the 
plants send down -their tap roots to a great depth. 
The soil should be dry and rich. The time for sowing 
the seed is in September, and they should be sown broad- 
cast. They soon vegetate, and the plants continue to 
grow vigorously during the fall, and acquire sufficient 
strength to W'itlistand the severity of the coldest winters. 
In the spring they start off to grow in advance of all other 
vegetation, and take entire possession of the ground. If 
the seed is sowed in the spring, the grass will overtop and 
smother the lucerne, unless it is drilled, in which case it 
requires frequent and carel'ul workings. It should not be 
so'wed with any other crop. When sowed in the fall, it 
will furnish two cuttings the next season. The second 
season it will be fully established, and yield as many as 
four cuttings, which it will continue to do for four years. 
By the expiiation of that period it will begin to die out in 
patches, and another sowing should be made. The plants 
should not be suffered to bear seed any further than is 
necessary for new growings. 
On the whole, Mr. Mabry considers Lucerne as invalu- 
able, particularly on small farms, from the great quantity 
of food it supplies; thus enabling the possessor of only u 
few acres to keep a number of cows, which, in their turn, 
furnish abundant means of enriching the land, besides, af- 
fording the owner the luxury and profits to be derived 
from a good dairy. We would especially recommend to 
our farmers in the neighborhood of the city to make the 
experiment. With milk at a sixpence a quart, and butter 
at 50 cents — never less than 37}^ cents a pound, the ad- 
vantages to be derived from a dairy appear to us to b« 
very decided. 
Mr. Mabry informs us that the Alfalfa clover, about 
which we made some inquiry a few weeks ago, is nothii»g 
else than Lucerne . — Southern Farmer. 
DYSPEPSIA 
Editors Southern Cultivator — Your Mississippi 
correspondent “Omo,” is down upon nostrums and nos- 
trum venders, to which your writer, also from Mississip- 
pi, says Amen and Amen. These vile pests of society 
care no more for your health, kind reader, than do the 
stay-makers. They make their nostrums that they may 
make money, and so do your corset, lace jacket makers ; 
neither of whom — the makers or venders — know who 
will use, nor care they, provided they be paid. From 
Old Swain, of Panacea memory, through Bull and Town- 
send, down to the last subterfuge to steal money out of your 
pockets none of them ever made a nostrum that they cared 
one iota about, only thatit mightadd to their sales. “Omo,” 
from his writings, must be an M.D., and is not likely to 
do the good that his warning ought to, as many silly 
people will think he is actuated by a sordid motive. Too 
many of our race think no man is stirred up to do a 
good thing without having self-interest in view. Of 
course, we excuse all such for unkind surmises; they are 
ignorant of generous impulses, of public spirit, of “doing 
unto others as ye would they should do unto you.” Your 
writer is also an M.D. since March 1829, from Pennsyl- 
vania University, but never being able to overtake the pro- 
fes.sion. in three years pursuit, quit the hunt and took to 
the cotton patch Knowing something of Dyspepsia, 
caused by the habit of smoking tobacco, and too rapid eat- 
ing, he offers his counsel, and without charge. He would 
say , don't take physic, even “ the advice vj a good, 
pkvdr.ianf but if you will take it, it is better, it is right to 
kifl yourself scientifically ; therefore, you sIiQuld always 
ayply ft>r your medicine ” to an M.D. Use water to the 
whole body, with a towel every morning; wipe dry w'ith 
a coarse towel ; take, soon after, a little moderate exer- 
cise in the open air, and form the habit of taking a 
. tumblerful of cold water before breakfast. Let your diet 
be plain and simple, as little of varieties, condiments, 
‘sweet uieats, deserts, fabricated liqueurs, &c., &c., as the 
servants of our farms are allowed. Be certain to take 
exercise daily, the hoe, rake and axe, is the best. The 
sun has a healing influence, not at its heat; and heart in its 
light and cheeiful beams. Be not afraid of a little sun- 
burning. Be hea’thy, and care not to be fair, 
^ An Old M.D. 
SNAKE BITES. 
Editors Southern Cultivator— Your July number, 
received this evening, contains recipes for Snake Bites, 
on page 228. Allow me to add an old one, which has 
again and again, been published, and wiiich should be 
published yearly, to keep all people in remembrance. It 
is the free use of ardent spirits, an article, though, too 
often pernicious from its quantity, yet in this case more 
advantageous from its being in every vicinity, if not in the 
. possession of every family. Not so with olive oil or plaai- 
I tain and hoarhound. 
