1878.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
419 
sition, with 110 “ fire-fauging,” which will change 
■crude material into plant-food, and cause the coarse 
portions to rot and fall to pieces. The opening 
and turning of the heap checks the heating only 
for the moment, while it gives free access to the 
air, and results in even more rapid oxidation and 
“ heating ” than before. Aside from once or twice 
turning, to thoroughly mix the contents of a gen¬ 
eral heap—if only clear stable manure is used, no 
mixing is necessary—all labor spent in working 
over a compost heap is wasted. We have proved 
this by experience, and when the cost of labor in 
making compost, by the old method, is $2, if not 
more, per cord, it is a fact worthy the atten¬ 
tion of the readers of the American Agriculturist. 
- ffv 
Hoisting Apparatus. 
Several enquiries are made for a hoisting appara¬ 
tus for barns, stables, and granaries. The one here 
described may be easily 
made and readily affix¬ 
ed to the frame. Two 
posts, six or eight feet 
apart, are fitted to the 
timbers of the top floor 
and upper beams. A 
wheel is made of three 
thicknesses of one-inch 
boards bolted together; 
the outer ones extend¬ 
ing li inch beyond the 
inside piece, thus form¬ 
ing a groove for the 
rope to run in. The 
edges of the groove 
are beveled off, so 
that the rope will 
neither be pinched, nor rise, and be thrown off, but 
will work easily in it. An axle is framed into the 
wheel, and a flange fitted to its end, to keep the 
hoisting rope in place. At each end of the axle are 
w r ing gudgeons which work in boxes bolted to the 
posts, as shown at fig. 1. 
On the post are a pair 
of round blocks tinn¬ 
ing upon pins, to hold 
the wheel-rope when it 
is desired to suspend a 
weight upon the hoist¬ 
ing rope for any pur¬ 
pose. The rope being 
placed between the 
blocks, they pinch and 
hold it as they are 
drawn together. The 
pulley wheel should be 
8 feet in diameter, and 
the axle 8 inches ; this 
will give one man 
twelve times his natural 
lifting power. Where 
enlarge the wheel and decrease the axle, or 
either may be done with a proportionate gain. At 
fig. 2 is a side view of the hoist with the “ cat-head ” 
over the door outside, for the rope to pass over. 
Physicians as Veterinarians. 
A student in his last year at the medical school 
endorses the course of the American Agriculturist, 
in advocating the introduction of veterinary studies 
into medical schools, and of physicians treating 
dumb animals as well as men. He writes : “ You 
speak of the 1 false pride of the doctors.’ That 
may be the case with some, but the difficulty often 
lies with public opinion. There are plenty of 
tender hearted physicians, who possess the 
requisite knowledge, and would take pleasure in 
giving relief publicly to suffering animals ; but 
I know of cases where it is thought necessary 
to treat them on the sly, the owners promising 
secrecy. I am a medical student in my last Col¬ 
lege year, having a knowledge of comparative as 
well as general anatomy, and an understanding of 
the commoner diseases among domestic animals. 
This summer I undertook the treatment of several 
horses and was quite successful. For this I was 
censured by half the old ladies, as well as a great 
many men. As a student in his last year I am 
allowed to practice, and have had many cases, and 
some admit having received benefit from my treat¬ 
ment. Yet the influence of their acquaintances 
was so great, that I was discharged by them be¬ 
cause I dared to give relief to a suffering brute. 
In fact many would hurt me all they could, saying, 
‘ He’s only a horse doctor. ’ Is it any wonder that 
physicians fight shy of such criticism ? I have 
not the least doubt, if the public would consider 
it honorable for a physician to relieve suffering 
anywhere that life exists, that the Medical Colleges 
would not be slow to take up more of the diseases 
of the brute and their treatment. It is my inten¬ 
tion to, if possible, practice on man or beast, giving 
relief wherever pain is found, pay or no pay.” 
[There are “horse doctors” and horse doctors; 
or the line is now drawn between “ horse doctors ” 
and veterinarians. If a calling is not respected, it 
is because of the men who fill its ranks, and occupy 
its offices. We know of veterinarians who are as 
much respected as any physician in their town or 
city, and of those who practice upon all kinds of 
animals, both human and brute, without detriment 
to their standing. If physicians are thoroughly 
educated in, and fitted to practice, veterinary medi¬ 
cine, there is little danger that public opinion will 
be long against them. They have only to perse¬ 
vere in their course, and show their ability and re¬ 
spectability, in order to be respected, and to have 
all the work they can accomplish.— Eds.] 
Success in Breeding’. 
BY CHAS. r. LY3IAX, V. S. 
Breeding from unsound stock, especially horses, 
is a serious, yet common mistake of farmers. No 
rule is better established, than hereditary transmis¬ 
sion of qualities ; and this does not mean that actual 
disease is communicated, but merely that such pe¬ 
culiarities of constitution, or form, are handed 
down from generation to generation, as renders the 
offspring extremely liable to the same diseases as 
their parents, whenever they arc exposed to suitable 
exciting cases. No one would, of course, believe 
in the transmission of a deformity from an acci¬ 
dent, as a broken limb, or a dislocated joint. But, 
in considering the purchase of a breeding mare, or 
the use of a certain stallion, be careful of what is 
admitted into the list of accidents; do not be im¬ 
posed upon by the assertion that this spavin, ring¬ 
bone, curb, heaves, or roaring, occurred from a 
wrench, strain, or fall, violent or sudden over-exer¬ 
tion, for which the animal is not to be blamed. 
Trust invariably to the mare, or stallion, that goes 
through her or his work, at all ages, sound, and 
turns up sound at the last. Such can speak for 
themselves, and need no apologies for this or that 
ailment. Some diseases are so trivial, that they 
need not to be taken into the account; but many 
others are so serious that they should never be 
overlooked. Broken wind, ringbone, navicular dis¬ 
ease, curb, spavin, and scrofulous diseases of the 
joints (found especially in cattle), periodic ophthal¬ 
mia, cataracts, etc., are so important, and so decid¬ 
edly hereditary, that they should always be consider¬ 
ed, unless known circumstances tend to mitigate 
the general rule. Temper should always receive 
special attention : a fractious, fretful, dogged, or 
vicious disposition is 60 vexatious as to be a great 
drawback on both the value and usefulness of 
the animal No consideration should induce any 
one to breed from an animal with a “ soft ” consti¬ 
tution ; and there should always be plenty of sub¬ 
stance and size to suit the purposes for which the 
progeny may be designed. Choose animals of a 
medium age to breed from, as they generally pro¬ 
duce more vigorous, healthy, and thriving offspring 
than the very young or the very old, though there 
are some notable exceptions to this general rule. 
It is claimed by many, that there is no foundation 
for the prejudice, in some quarters, against in-and- 
in breeding. On the contrary, it has been plainly 
established, that within certain limits, this plan ia 
highly advantageous, when the stock is of the right 
sort. Some writers go so far as to say that there is 
no other way in which the perfections of any par¬ 
ticular strain can be so certainly retained as by re¬ 
turning frequently to the original blood. When 
out-and-out crossing is strictly followed, the tenth 
generation contains only ‘/iimth of the original 
stock ; shown in tabular form as follows : 
1st. 
Off Cross contains 
■A 
original bl< 
2d. 
“ 
“ 44 
*/4 
44 
3d. 
44 
44 44 
v« 
4th. 
44 
V 18 
5th. 
“ 
li 44 
732 
6th. 
l 4 
44 44 
V 64 
7th. 
44 
44 
V 128 
44 4 
8th. 
u 
44 44 
V 256 
44 1 
9th. 
u 
44 <4 
7512 
44 4 
10th. 
u 
44 »4 
V 1024 
The practical results, of course, will not always 
follow this arithmetic, because some certain horse 
may stamp his form so completely on his offspring, 
that it will not be easily gotten rid of ; but still it 
will run out in the course of time, and the more 
complete and violent the cross, the sooner will the 
peculiarity disappear, and it can only be retained 
by frequent returns to the same blood. By bearing 
these few facts in mind, and acting upon them with 
judgment, the breeder can reap all the advantages 
of good stock, without running in-and-in so con¬ 
stantly as to hazard the deterioration of his ani¬ 
mals; on the other hand, if there is any special 
defect, he will be able to breed it out. In short, 
this just amounts to the fact that “like begets 
like”-—shown plainly when looked at in a more 
marked degree—as, who would expect a Short¬ 
horn calf by an Alderney bull from an Alderney cow ? 
and this is no more absurd than to expect a first- 
class foal from inferior parents. Again, the fault 
of looking to pedigree alone, has caused much dis¬ 
aster amongst breeders; good blood is a good 
thing, but it is not soundness and perfection of 
form, and does not supply their place. Never 
breed from an unsound, or ungainly animal, think¬ 
ing that £>er/iops he will “ throw back ” to his sire, 
grand-dam, half sister, or some other renowned 
relative of the past. By all means keep to the 
good blood, but select its best specimens, for this 
alone will give success, or history falsifies herself. 
A Cure for Choking or Bloat in Cattle. 
When cattle are bloated in consequence of the 
accumulation of gas in the stomach, from eating 
greedily of wet grass or clover, or they get choked 
by the lodgement in the gullet of an apple, a small 
turnip, or other obsatele, some mode of immediate 
relief should be applied. An effective means is to 
insert a round billet of wood between the jaws, 
fastening it by cords to the horns or aronud the 
GAG TO CURE BLOAT OR CHOKING. 
head. The billet should be large enough to force 
the mouth wide open, and cause efforts on the part 
of the cow to rid herself of the incumberance. In 
these efforts, during which the cow will raise her 
head, much of the gas will be discharged, or the 
obstacle in the throat will pass downwards. Vig¬ 
orous and continued pressing of the abdomen with 
the hands will assist in the expulsion of the gas. 
more power is required, 
