;8G1.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
midge and others of like species have done, im¬ 
mense injury will result to the rye crop, which 
has heretofore escaped in a great measure from 
harm by insects. We know at present of but 
one treatment that promises to stop its ravages, 
which is, to burn all the straw, including the 
stubble of infested fields, and thus destroy the 
insect in its Winter quarters. 
The Rot in Sheep. 
A western subscriber asks for information 
about this disease, which he thinks has affected 
some of his flock, though the symptoms de¬ 
scribed, may result from some other disease. We 
are not aware of the prevalence here, of the 
disease known as the Rot in Europe; there, par¬ 
ticularly in England, it is a terrible scourge. 
According to Youatt, a million sheep die annual¬ 
ly of this disorder in the British Islands. Spoon¬ 
er thus describes the symptoms: First, a want 
liveliness, with paleness of the membranes gen¬ 
erally, to which may be added a yellowness of 
the caruncle or fleshy excrescence at the corner 
of the eye. The sheep in- a few weeks begin to 
shrink, and become flaccid about the loins. By 
pressure about the hips at this time, a crackling 
is perceptible; the countenance looks pale, and 
upon parting the fleece, the skin is found to 
have changed its vermilion lint for a pale red, 
and the wool is easily separated from the pelt. 
As the disorder advances, the skin becomes dap¬ 
pled with yellow or black spots. To these 
symptoms succeed increased dullness, loss of 
condition, greater paleness of the mucous mem¬ 
branes, the eyelids becoming almost white, and 
afterward yellow. This yellowness extends to 
other parts of the body, and a watery fluid ap¬ 
pears under the skin, which becomes loose and 
flabby, the wool coming off readily. The ani¬ 
mal occasionally dies shortly after becoming af¬ 
fected, but more frequently the course of the 
disease extends to from three to six months, the 
sheep gradually pining away. 
One indication appears to always attend a fa¬ 
tal case of rot, viz: the presence of singular 
looking worms, named flukes, in the liver. 
These parasites are from three-quarters of an 
inch, to an inch and a quarter in length, and 
from one-third to half an inch in greatest 
breadth. There is a difference of opinion as to 
whether these worms are the cause or effect of 
the disease. Youatt says: “To a certain degree 
both; they aggravate the disease, and perpetuate 
a state of irritability and disorganization which 
must undermine the strength of the animal.” 
The rot in sheep is induced by wet seasons, or 
confining the animals on marshy pastures. The 
continued rains in England last year, were fol¬ 
lowed by disastrous increase of the disease, and 
investigations of its nature and the proper 
treatment, are occupying the attention of some 
of the leading scientific agriculturists there. The 
preventive as indicated by the above facts, is the 
proper selection of pasture grounds; and if the 
disease is induced by unfavorable seasons, then 
a mixed diet of hay, beans, or peas, with plenty 
of salt, must be resorted to. Although, as re¬ 
marked above, this disease does not appear to 
have prevailed to any extent in the United 
States, it may have been induced in localities 
subject to the causes described, and it is well to 
understand, and as far as possible guard against 
its approach. 
Meat for Hens. —It should be kept in mind, 
that animal food is at all times of the year a 
stimulus to hens to lay. When they have abun¬ 
dant range, they gather insects of various kinds; 
but even then, and especially when cut off by 
confinement, or by cold weather, from this 
source of animal food, it is well to give them 
waste offal from the kitchen, bits of fresh meat, 
etc. Scrap cake from the hog-killing and oil¬ 
pressing establishments, is a cheap source of sup¬ 
ply. Fresh bones, broken into small pieces, are 
greedily devoured, and much relished by hens 
at all times, and also promote their laying. 
These furnish the materials of which egg-shells 
are made, and without supplying something of 
the kind, it is as unreasonable to expect the 
hens to furnish their manufactures, as it was in 
old time to demand bricks to be made without 
straw. 
-- . - •—«<&*•— --- 
For the American Agriculturist. 
Hair Oil for Horses. 
Amid the thousand and one preparations for 
improving the growth of hair, and making it 
fine and smooth, we have long wondered that 
no receipt has been devised for improving horse 
hair. Why not? tell us why not, Dr. Youatt, 
and Dr. Dadd, or any others of the profession. 
But at length, an end has been put to our in¬ 
quiries : the horse is now to be provided for, as 
well as his rider. The oil has not, to our knowl¬ 
edge, found its way into the market, bottled and 
ready for use; but a receipt for making it has 
been published, so that every one can furnish 
himself with the invaluable article. Did we 
know to what man or journal to give the credit 
of this discovery, full acknowledgment should 
be made. Judging from the learned terms used, 
we think it must have originated at some great 
University. No common farrier could have 
conceived it. Well, here is the formula, free as 
air, just as we find it. The liorse-Latin in 
which it is couched will be easy to translate: 
R (take) 
Brushus et curricombus.ad libitum. 
Elbow greesus.quantum sufficius. 
Blanketisus .first ratus. 
Stablus (in Winter).wannus. 
Fodderus.never say diet-us but mealus et oatus. 
Exercisus.non compromisus. 
The effect will be : 
Coatus shinus. 
Appetitus, wolfitus. 
Muscularitus, two-forty-itus. Horse’s Friend. 
[The writer of the above can not have read 
the previous volumes of the Agriculturist. The 
recipe was published in Yol. XV, p. 248, and 
there credited to the American Veterinary 
Journal. It is good enough, however, to bear 
repeating, and we can warrant it to contain no 
injurious ingredients.— Ed.] 
----— « »o«——-—*■-- 
The Tables Turned—Sending Blooded 
Stock to England. 
It seems much like sending “ Coals to New¬ 
castle,” for our breeders to ship Short Horns to 
their original homes, but this is actually being 
done. Since the June Agriculturist went to press, 
six animals of the famous Thorndale Herd have 
been shipped from this City to leading English 
breeders, in fulfilment of engagements entered 
into by Samuel Thome, Esq., during his recent 
visit to Europe. The animals comprised four 
bulls, viz.: 2d, 3d, 4th, and 5th Duke of Thorn- 
dale, and Thane of Oxford, and the two heifers 
4th Lady of Oxford, and Hero of Thorndale. 
This is the beginning of what many think will 
grow into a regular trade, as it is well known 
that some of the finest English Short Horns 
have been bought by our own breeders at enor¬ 
mous prices, and such orders as the above are 
evidence that they have not depreciated here. 
305 
The combined herds of Messrs. Thorne and Mor¬ 
ris, now owned by the former, are acknowledged 
to be superior to anything else in this country, 
and not inferior to the finest herds of England ; 
but it is with regret that we announce the depart¬ 
ure of such fine animals as are now sent abroad. 
They ought to go west—not east. 
The World’s Fair of 1862. 
Immense Structure , Building fur the Great Indus¬ 
trial Exhibition of 18G2. 
We learn from the Gardener’s Chronicle, that 
the plan of this magnificent building is com¬ 
pleted. The structure itself is to be quite differ¬ 
ent from the one erected in 1851. It will be 
much larger and more imposing in its interior, 
while from without, its aspect will be of remark¬ 
able magnitude and grandeur. Externally the 
building will be 1,200 by 700 feet. The average 
liight is 100 feet, while the two iron and glass 
domes, 60 feet diameter at the base, will rise 
250 feet, and will be the largest domes ever 
built. The guarantee fund subscribed for the 
building and exhibition amounted to £250,000, 
($1,250,000,) up to March 15th. The time fixed 
upon for the exhibition is from the first of May 
until the 15th of October. It is located near the 
site of the former Crystal Palace, at Kensington, 
within the limits of the city of London. We 
hope that American industry and ingenuity will 
be largely represented, though our home troubles 
will greatly interfere with the interest that would 
otherwise be taken in the enterprise. 
•- i m -- 
Honor to a Royal Agriculturist. 
The Mark Lane Express of recent date says: 
“ Our readers will learn with real satisfaction 
that his Royal Highness, the Prince Consort, has 
consented to act as President of the Royal Agri¬ 
cultural Society for next year, when the Great 
Show will be held in the Regent’s Park. This 
is on either side no empty compliment, but a 
really auspicious omen for agriculture. The ad¬ 
vance of the art well merits such countenance, 
and the Prince’s own tastes point at once to him 
as the proper patron of such an occasion as the 
Show of 1862 promises to become. The 
world already knows of his Royal Highness’ 
success as an exhibitor of stock; but it is not 
every one who has had the delightful privilege 
of inspecting the Park Homesteads at Windsor, 
or of seeing and hearing how thorough an in¬ 
terest both her Majesty and her Consort take in 
the different phases of the Home, the Norfolk, 
and the Flemish Farms. With an enlightened 
and enlarged mind well fitted to his position, 
the Prince gives everything in any way worthy 
of his attention a fair trial. We see this alike 
in the breeds of stock he cultivates and the dif¬ 
ferent descriptions of machinery he employs. 
There are those first favorites, the little Devons 
at one farm, the Herefords at another, and the 
Short Horns at a third; with, moreover; an es¬ 
pecial place for the dairy. The day on which 
we had the pleasure of going round, there -was a 
.new grass-cutter on trial; while one of Smith’s 
steam-cultivators has been at work at Osborne, 
and another of Fowler’s at Windsor. Both the 
Queen and the Prince make it their care to see 
such inventions well tested, and the Royal pair 
are equally zealous in marking the improvement 
of the animals. The Prince is known to be a 
capital judge of farm stock, and there is not a 
beast on his domain but that he has the history 
and value of, at his command.” 
