1881.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
271 
not in use. Press down with the hands, and 
the clamp opens for the work and stands 
thus until the handle is raised as in figure 4. 
The Use of “ Firing ” in Treating Horses. 
BT PROF. A. LIAUTARD, OF THE AM. VETERINARY COLLEGE. 
[There are Veterinary Surgeons and “Horse 
Doctors”; the one as well educated for his 
profession as the ordinary surgeon, while the 
other corresponds to the empiric who treats 
two-legged patients with his nostrums. 
When the Horse Doctor is called, he feels 
that he is expected to do something. A 
proper surgical operation is beyond his skill, 
and he often resorts to “ firing,” as that 
makes a show, as well as a bad smell. It 
should be understood that by “firing” is 
meant the direct application of heat, by 
means of a heated iron, or otherwise, to the 
living tissues of the animal. As we have in¬ 
quiries in regard to the operation of Firing, 
and knowing that the operation is often em¬ 
ployed by the regular Veterinary Surgeons, 
we have requested Prof. Liautard, one of the 
most eminent of these to give some hints as 
to the propriety of the operation.—E d], 
The operation of “ Firing ” is one to which 
Americans often object in the treatment of 
diseases, and owners of horses very often 
refuse to have their animals submitted to it. 
The objections are made both on account of 
the blemishes which may follow, and for the 
failures which have often followed the treat¬ 
ment. Marks cannot be avoided, in fact they 
are a necessary consequence of the opera¬ 
tion, if it is properly done, unless the firing 
is very light. The failures are not necessarily 
due to the inefficiency of the operation, but 
more frequently to the incomplete manner of 
its performance. Of course we would not 
convey the impression, that all cases will be 
followed by certain recovery after the ap¬ 
plication of the actual cautery, but our long 
experience justifies us in saying, that in the 
immense majority of cases it has either 
brought cure, or at least great relief, and we 
know many cases of lameness, for instance, 
where all other treatment had failed, in 
which “Firing” was followed by the most 
satisfactory results. 
“Filing” consists in the proper application 
to living surfaces, of a high degree of heat, 
which will initate or even destroy those sur¬ 
faces, either superficially or deeply. 
According to Prof. Bouley, the cases in 
which “Firing” may be used are quite numer¬ 
ous. He recommends it in diseases of the 
joints, when bony deposits are developed on 
the borders ; in injuries of ligaments ; in dis¬ 
eases of bones, of tendons, of muscles; and 
in some nervous affections. Still farther, he 
advises its use as an auxiliary in pneumonia, 
pleurisy, etc. 
The reader will see from this, that firing is 
employed with very different objects. Several 
modes of “ Firing” are used : that known as 
the “Objective Firing," is where the caloric is 
transmitted to the living parts by radiation, 
and not by direct contact of the heated in¬ 
strument. It is a dangerous mode of opera¬ 
tion, which requires a great deal of care, else 
it may be followed by ugly wounds, which 
may leave bad blemishes. 
“ Transcurent Firing" is the one most 
commonly used, and is performed with 
special shaped instruments called “irons,” 
or “cauteries.” Some are knife shaped, and 
others pointed. Hence the cauterization in 
one case is in lines, and in the other in points 
and dots. The lines are used principally for 
large surfaces, while the dots or points are 
used upon limited spaces. These are prefer¬ 
able as they leave fewer marks afterwards. 
A third mode of “Firing” has recently been 
introduced into Veterinary Surgery, known 
as “Needle Firing .”—This is different from 
the second mode of operation, as the instru¬ 
ments are fine needles, which are introduced 
while hot, through the skin, and sometimes 
through the tissues underneath. In cases of 
large bony growths most advantageous results 
have been obtained from this method. The 
operation, when properly applied, requires 
no other application than that of the red 
iron ; it is, however, customary in America, 
to join to it blistering. This, however, could 
be well dispensed with, if the “Firing” was 
properly done. The following are the un¬ 
favorable results which may follow “Firing,” 
and are of so little importance that they will 
by themselves show how little risk there is 
in the operation: 
1st.—Section of the skin, if the iron is 
applied too hot and heavily, healing rapidly. 
2nd. —Bleeding, when the instrument used 
is rough and sharp, and pressed too hard 
on the skin, this is generally harmless, and 
stopping of itself. 
3d.—Tearing of the scabs by carelessness 
in the attendance after the operation. 
4th.—Sloughing off of large pieces of skin, 
when the “Firing” has been too deep, or 
when greasy substances are used in con¬ 
nection with the operation. 
5th.—Irregular blemishes or cicatrix, re¬ 
sults of the above accidents, which it is im¬ 
possible to remove ; and which ought not to 
take place at the hands of a skillful operator. 
Lucerne, or Alfalfa, in Indiana. 
BY C. L. INGEKSOLL, PROFESSOR OF AGRICULTURE, PUR¬ 
DUE UNIVERSITY, LAFAYETTE, IND. 
Lucerne, which has been largely used in 
Europe as a forage plant, has not attracted 
the attention which perhaps it deserves, in 
the central and eastern portions of the United 
States. On the Pacific slope, and especially 
in California, where the year is approximately 
divided into two seasons—the rainy and 
the dry —great difficulty has been experi¬ 
enced in getting plants for forage that will 
root deeply enough to stand the long period 
of drouth and produce growth for the stock. 
This want has been met in part by Lucerne. 
There are various portions of the eastern and 
central United States where periods of drouth 
are met almost every year, and where it is 
with great difficulty that the ordinary tame 
grasses and clovers survive the trying ordeal; 
and when the newly seeded fields are entirely 
destroyed. Such a dry period visited some 
parts of Indiana in 1880, in which the com¬ 
mon grasses were largely burned out, and 
even the Kentucky Blue Grass was completely 
destroyed in patches in lawns and pastures. 
The experimental grounds of Purdue Uni¬ 
versity were laid out in April 1880, and early 
in May a plat of Lucerne was sown in drills 
about 8 inches apart. In due time it came 
up, and made a slow but steady growth until 
about the end of June, when the plants had 
attained a hight of 4 to 6 inches. At this 
time a parasitic plant—the Dodder—was 
found to be preying upon it and winding its 
tendril-like stems about the Alfalfa so as to 
almost choke the life out of it. The unequal 
contest was watched with interest for several 
days, when the Dodder seemed to get the 
better of the Lucerne ; the plat was mown 
close to the ground, the whole product gath¬ 
ered and burned, lest the seeds of the parasite 
should mature and give trouble in the future. 
No rain had fallen for nearly four weeks, and 
the plat was apparently dead. In ten days 
time, we were surprised to see our Lucerne 
making a new growth which continued 
through the season, giving a thick stand of 
perhaps 10 inches high. The only labor ex¬ 
pended, after sowing, was the weeding out 
of the plat twice, early, while the plants were 
young and small, as Lucerne is very tender 
and must be given a good chance until rooted, 
when it will evidently take care of itself. 
This spring, on the first of April, the Lu¬ 
cerne was no farther advanced than half a 
dozen grasses and other plants in our grounds; 
but on May 10th the Lucerne measured 24 
inches over the whole plat, and was ready to 
mow. The plants were in blossom May 28th, 
as the plat was not cut, and at this date (June 
3d) it stands fully 32 inches high, and from 
present appearances we can predict in this 
latitude (40°), that three good crops of forage 
may be taken in a single season, or that it 
will furnish a large amount of pasture. It is 
said that it is difficult to get a stand of it, if 
sown with grain crops, as wheat, oats, etc. 
Nearly every farmer needs and should have 
a small field adjoining his bams for forage or 
pasture purpose. Will not some of our 
farmers who have not given this a trial, do so 
on a small scale and note the result. With 
us it promises well, and we hope to be able to 
give something more definite with regard to 
it in due time. We firmly believe that there 
are hundreds of acres of hilly land where 
grass makes a poor, feeble growth, and is 
frequently burned out by drouth, where 
Lucerne would be a very valuable acquisition. 
Its valuable points, to recapitulate, are :—1st, 
its manner and quickness of growth ; 2d, 
capacity to endure drouth ; 3d, hardiness in 
winter; and 4tli, that it adds one more to the 
valuable list of our forage plants, and thus 
enlarges the range of our production. 
[We gladly give the foregoing testimony as 
to the success of Lucerne in a northern 
locality, and under-adverse conditions. One 
of our friends in Massachusetts gives an 
equally favorable report, and there seems to 
be no doubt as to the value of this forage 
plant when properly treated. In the early 
experiments with Lucerne it was sown broad¬ 
cast, and treated like clover. We regard sow¬ 
ing in drills, where it can have proper care 
until it gets well established, as essential to 
success. That the roots are sufficiently strong 
to survive a mowing of the plant close to the 
ground, when the tops are but six inches 
high, is an interesting fact, and an important 
contribution to our knowledge of the plant. 
Prof. Ingersoll suggests its use as pasture; 
we would add that experience elsewhere has 
shown that it is better for the permanence 
of the plantation to always cut the forage 
than to allow the animals to run upon it. 
We would suggest to those who have facili¬ 
ties for irrigation, that if they would learn 
how much of the most nutritious forage can 
be raised upon a given area, that they tiy 
Lucerne under irrigation. The results, we 
are quite sure, will astonish them.— Eds.] 
