362 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[September. 
handling. A few hands make lively work, 
and corn fodder cut in the afternoon before 
a frost, is saved. The least degree of wilting 
is sufficient to prevent the bursting of the 
cells and breaking up of the internal structure 
of the plant by the frost. I have been amazed 
to see the leaves of corn fodder cut up after 
sundown, and apparently not wilted at all, 
perfectly uninjured, when those upon that 
left standing were ruined. Had the cut stalks 
been laid upon the ground, I might have 
thought the earth had in some way protected 
them, but they were stooked up close to that 
left standing, and apparently even more ex¬ 
posed. It is evident, therefore, that the wilt¬ 
ing is not altogether due to the evaporation 
from the heat of the sun, but when the sup¬ 
ply of moisture from the root is cut off it is 
felt in the leaves, and either through trans¬ 
piration or moisture, or relief of pressure, the 
cells of the leaves expand without bursting 
under the influence of frost. 
I have not made special experiments to 
ascertain whether this effect takes place im¬ 
mediately, or only after sufficient time has 
elapsed to allow a perceptible amount of 
moisture to pass out of the cells by transpira¬ 
tion, but I am so sure that cutting saves the 
fodder that I would, to save the fodder, work 
late into the night simply cutting and laying 
the com in armfuls on the ground. 
The subject of stooking corn has been so 
often discussed, that it is hardly worth while 
to dwell upon it. If frosts hold off so that 
the cool October nights have come before the 
fodder is cut, the stooks may be made quite 
large—so large that it will require two men 
to bind them. I have found withes of single 
willow rods most convenient bands. The 
fibres are broken by twisting at some odd 
time, and as I use them they save time and 
labor in various ways. The binding is quicker 
done, and is very strong. The size of the stook 
depends very much on the higlit of the fod¬ 
der, and whether it is in drills or broadcast. 
The former is much stiffer and easier to handle, 
and stook up like field corn. The latter is apt 
to be weak and soft. I always sow com for fod¬ 
der in drills, and so cannot advise as to hand¬ 
ling broadcast corn fodder. Stooks so large 
and tightly bound that they would mould and 
spoil if put up in August, or even the first of 
September, will cure beautifully in October, 
and, as already intimated, there is little 
danger after the first hard frosts that, com 
fodder will not cure well. 
Large stooks are advantageous because a 
larger proportion of the fodder corn comes 
out bright and green. That on the outside is 
bleached, and although I never could see that 
it made any difference in the consumption of 
the fodder, yet I prefer to see as large a pro¬ 
portion as possible looking fresh and green. 
I have great faith in corn fodder, and 
am heartily glad that ensilage has waked up 
such an interest in it, but have j r et to learn 
that proper curing in the stook is of any dam¬ 
age to its nutritive ingredients. It would be 
remarkable,certainly,if aportion of the woody 
fibre did not become indigestible through 
drying, but we can hardly consider woody 
fibre, whether digestible or not, as nutritive. 
WSaitewusH tlae Sta!»!es.—A health¬ 
ful mode of cleaning the stables and sheds is 
to give them a coat of lime wash, applied hot. 
A quantity of the wash may be made by 
slaking a bushel of lime in a tight pork barrel. 
Only enough hot water should be used to make 
a thick paste. After the lime is slaked fill the 
barrel with water, and after standing for 
a few hours apply the contents to the stables. 
A small force pump can be used to advantage 
for this work, but if not at hand, a whitewash 
brush must be freely employed. There is no 
danger of using too much, and no great care 
to keep the wash from the floor need be exer¬ 
cised. Dash it on, especially in the corners. 
Wood and Wire Gates. 
Mr. S. G. Howison, Spottsylvania Co., Va., 
sends a drawing of a gate, made of wood and 
wire, which he constructed two years ago, 
and finds very convenient. He writes : “ To 
make it, obtain three uprights, 3 inches by 
l 1 /, inch, 5'/ a feet long, and four strips, 3 
inches by 1 inch, 11 feet long. Cut shoulders 
in the ends of the strips, and saw out corre¬ 
sponding notches in the uprights. These I 
Fig. 1.—a neat gate of scantling and wike. 
make l‘/ a inch, or half the width of the strips. 
The bottom notch is 2‘/ 2 inches from the end 
of the upright, and the upper one 9‘/ a inches 
from the top end. Fit the strips into the 
notches. There is then a space of one inch 
between the strips, into which put inch 
strips, so as to make all solid, and fasten to¬ 
gether with carriage bolts. Braces 3 by l’/a 
inch are inserted, and held in place by bolts 
or wrought nails. Bore as many holes in the 
end pieces for ’/ 4 inch eye-bolts as it is de¬ 
sired to have wires. Twist the wire firmly 
into the bolts on one upright, and 'secure the 
Fig. 2.—A CHEAP GATE OF BOARDS AND WIRE. 
other ends to the corresponding bolts on the 
upright at the opposite end. In stretching 
the wires, pass them alternately on opposite 
sides of the center piece, and fasten in place 
by staples. This will, in a measure, pre¬ 
vent warping. By screwing down the bolts 
with a wrench the wires may be drawn as 
tightly as desired. The hinges are to be put 
on with bolts, and any sort of fastening may 
be used that is most convenient. Barbed or 
smooth wire may be used. This is a neat 
gate, and, being light, does not sag badly.” 
—The gate, complete, is shown in figure 1. 
Another form of gate in which wire is used 
is sent by J. S. Wilson, Whiteside Co., Ill. 
It is shown in fig. 2. The materials required 
are two uprights, four boards, and four pieces 
of wire of a length equal to the width of the 
gate. The position of the parts and the 
method of construction are clearly shown 
by the engraving, which is given above. 
Horse-Shoeing. 
BT D. D. SLADE, M. D., PROFESSOR OF AGRICULTURAL 
ZOOLOGY, HARVARD UNIVERSITY. 
The new asphalt pavement at my entrance 
door, softened by the sun’s rays, receives and 
retains the imprint of each horse’s feet as 
they come up, for my inspection, and I have 
been much surprised at the number which 
are shod, at this season of the year, with heavy 
calkins, and that too, when the animals are 
used solely for the saddle or for light draught. 
These impressions thus unintentionally left 
behind, have led to a certain amount of cogi¬ 
tation and have induced me to offer a few ob¬ 
servations, which, though laying no claim to 
originality, may bear perusal on account of 
the importance of the subject to the agricul¬ 
turist as well as to every owner of the horse. 
Horse-shoeing, in the estimation of many 
intelligent people, is invested by certain mys¬ 
terious principles, a knowledge of which 
they have neither the courage nor the dis¬ 
position to acquire. They are bewildered by 
the numerous theories and arguments which 
are advanced for this or that mode of proce¬ 
dure, until they give over the subject in 
despair, and leave it in the hands of those 
who know even less than themselves. This 
obscurity, however, vanishes, if, laying aside 
all theories, the matter is presented in a 
l simple and intelligent manner, based as it 
should be, upon Anatomy and Physiology. 
Let us consider, in the first place, whether 
shoeing is necessary in all cases, and if 
necessary, how it shall be done. In the un¬ 
domesticated condition of the horse, the 
equilibrium between the growth and wear of 
the hoof, which is but a horny appendage to 
the skin, is exactly maintained, but when 
subjected to labor upon hard and stony 
roads, this balance is destroyed, and the wear 
exceeds the growth. Hence arose the neces¬ 
sity of providing a defence against this ex¬ 
cessive wear, resulting in the application of 
a metallic rim to the edges of the ground 
surface of the hoof. Such was the origin of 
the art of the Farrier. Under certain cir¬ 
cumstances, however, as in strictly rural 
districts, upon soft and sandy roads, this ex¬ 
cess of wear does not occur, and I am per¬ 
suaded that in many cases shoeing might be 
entirely dispensed with, much to the relief 
of man and beast. Especially in the case of 
a young animal that has never been brought 
to the forge, the feet are eminently fitted by 
nature to a certain amount of hard usage, 
and we but blindly follow a custom when we 
subject him to the constant wearing of shoes. 
Even during the winter months, and upon 
slippery roads, the unshod horse will in most 
cases do his full share of labor, as any one 
can testify who has had experience. 
The preparation of the hoof for the shoe 
where this last is actually required, is of 
vastly more importance than the particular 
