CLIQUES AS OPPOSED TO HONORABLE COMPETITION, ETC. 
19 
Again, as the ewe was but little more than a year 
old, came in with her first lambs, had not appeared 
to be diseased until within a few days of yeaning, 
all taken into consideration will serve, I hope, to cause 
additional attention to be paid to the diseases of ani¬ 
mals, and search for causes of death in every animal 
that dies in any mysterious or uncertain manner. 
There are so many diseases in animals that assi¬ 
milate to those of the human species, and the treat¬ 
ment of such appears so well adapted to each 
other, that medical men generally are turning their 
attention to animal medicine and to agriculture, as 
sciences intimately connected with their own pro¬ 
fession. In fact, the nature and diseases of ani¬ 
mals, especially those of sheep, have been too long 
neglected, and the remedies that are generally pre¬ 
scribed, are by those who know not the why nor the 
wherefore—who are entirely unacquainted with the 
true nature of anatomy, physiology and pathology 
of animal medicine, and, under such circumstances, 
are as much liable to do injury as good. Humanity, 
therefore, justly prompts a more special attention to 
animals—to ameliorate their diseases and suffer¬ 
ings, and render more scientific and systematic at¬ 
tention to their history. We may justly consider, 
that a malpractice in regard to brutes, that shall oc¬ 
casion an undue suffering and sacrifice of life, is 
attended with a degree of moral responsibility at 
least proportionate to human life itself. The way, 
then, must be opened by medical men; they alone, 
at present, as a general thing, can give system, 
order, and science to the study, and I am happy to 
see that animal medicine and agriculture are no 
longer beneath their notice, and begin to assume a 
standing and attention that they so justly deserve. 
I shall devote some of my future numbers for espe¬ 
cial consideration of medical men to the subject of 
husbandry. Andrew Stone, M.D. 
La/ce Court House , Ind., Nov. 22, 1845. 
CLIQUES AS OPPOSED TO HONORABLE 
COMPETITION. 
I have looked with sadness and sorrow upon the 
tendency of partyism as it shows itself in various 
departments of husbandry in this country. As a 
people, we are such worshippers of Mammon, we 
are in such haste to be rich, that many, very many, 
attach a fictitious fancy-value to everything they 
possess; and in their minds, there is a correspond¬ 
ing disposition to depreciate everything of equal 
value belonging to another. A stock-breeder, for 
example, may have a very valuable breed of horses 
cattle, sheep, or swine. In his estimation, it is the 
best the whole country affords. He wishes all 
others to have the same good opinion of his ani¬ 
mals as himself. His expectations are raised of 
realizing large profits from sales of his unrivalled 
stock. The public must be dragooned into a kind 
of mania, to possess what he possesses, and every 
one who buys becomes at once a partner in the 
concern. The press is laid under contribution in a 
thousand forms, to puff his wares. Some favorite 
agricultural paper is made the constant medium of 
communication with the common minds; and the 
system of subsidizing editors to insert sham or co¬ 
vert advertizing, is prosecuted with all the ingenuity 
of which the man is capable. The business of 
writing up his own stock, and writing down the 
stock of others, becomes a regular business, and is 
prosecuted with an energy worthy of a better cause. 
I have been sickened and pained at the exhibition 
of utter selfishness and want ol heart, which I have 
often seen manifested, so unworthy of a high- 
minded farmer. We want nothing of this cliqueism 
and partyism in American husbandry. We want 
honorable competition, not this mean and miserable 
spirit. And for, one, I think it high time that il 
was rebuked. I blame the agricultural press, when 
it lends itself even unwittingly, or otherwise, to 
promote the views of such a class of men. It 
ought to know better. And I blame more than all 
a venal agricultural press, that will be flattered, oi 
cajoled, or bribed, or bought up, to serve the inte¬ 
rests of any clique or party in husbandry or the me¬ 
chanic arts. We have a great country, and we 
should have hearts large as our country. We need 
honorable competition, and we should do all in our 
power to encourage it. Let us feel that we can 
talk with each as friends, not as foes, through your 
columns, and those of every similar paper in the 
land. Let us be improvers, not calumniators. 
What say you, Mi. Editor ? Am I right or am i 
wrong ? Is there no venality and corruption of the 
public press in your department, to be feared ? i 
bring no accusations against you. I believe you 
have endeavored to breast this influence with be¬ 
coming energy. Let our farmers be a noble band 
of brothers, each doing well himself, and rejoicing 
in the prosperity of others—too high-minded not to 
despise the spirit of which I have spoken, and too 
honest not to bestow upon it a justly merited frown 
and rebuke. I hope I shall despise myself when i 
become so selfish and so mean that I cannot rejoice 
in the improvements of others, and when I cannot 
admit the merit of anything which they possess, 
which has merit in itself. 1 will give my approba¬ 
tion to whatever is meritorious, let it be where n 
may, and however it may interfere with my indi¬ 
vidual interests. If another man has what is really 
better than anything I possess, let my tongue be 
palsied when it refuses to say it. Agricola 
FINE CHINA CLAY IN GEORGIA. 
Some time in the early part of last summer, a Mi 
Hardy, from Georgia, left at our office, 27 Cliff 
street, a small sample of white clay, which he sup¬ 
posed might be fuller’s-earth. I tested it foi thai 
earth, but found it totally different. On presenting 
the sample before the Brooklyn Natural History 
Society, it was referred to Mr. J. T. Bailey, a gen¬ 
tleman well acquainted with the various materials 
used in the china manufactory of England, who 
immediately pronounced ii to be a fine quality 
china clay, bought by their potters at $15 per ton ; 
at least double the price of fuller’s-earth. The follow 
ing is the report made by Mr. Bailey to the Institute ■ 
“ The specimen of clay, brought by Mr. Hardy, 
from Georgia, I immediately saw was good china 
clay, not inferior to the Devonshire clay used in 
making the best china ware in the Staffordshire 
potteries. I divided it into two pieces, and sub¬ 
mitted it to a strong heat, sufficient, to calcine or 
bake it into (what the potters term) the biscuit 
state, as it appears in the ui glazed piece, which ie 
the state in which the pattern is alvvay» put upon 
china. I then toox me other piece (which was w 
