170 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
| Jew*, 
until its third year, although it certainly contin¬ 
ues to increase in size and beauty for several 
years. Females have their full size and color¬ 
ing ?.t the end of four years. The weight of 
turkey hens averages about nine pounds when 
nine months old ; and the males differ more in 
their bulk and weight. At nine months old I have 
had them to weigh from sixteen to nineteen 
pounds. The cock turkey, from which I am 
breeding, turned the scales at 24£ pounds, at one 
year and ten months old. 
Springside. C. N. DEMENT. 
The Cattle Disease in Massachusetts. 
The prompt measures taken by the Legislature 
of Massachusetts, relative to the dangerous cat¬ 
tle disease, noted in our last, were not a whit too 
speedy or decisive. But a short time would have 
been sufficient to disseminate it beyond control: 
the examinations already made, show its pro¬ 
gress to have been even greater than was sus¬ 
pected. It will be well for the country if the 
thorough means used, shall prevent the furlher 
spread of what has proved a scourge of the cat¬ 
tle herds of Europe. The commissioners ap¬ 
pointed by the Legislature have examined the 
cattle in the towns of Belmont, North Brookfield, 
and New Braintree, and found that the infection 
had been taken by nearly or quite every animal 
exposed to it. Even where the creature appear¬ 
ed healthy externally, dissection showed the 
lungs diseased. In one or two cases there ap¬ 
peared a possibility of recovery, but usually it was 
plain that death must soon have resulted. One 
hundred and eight cattle had been slaughtered up 
to the date of May 3d, and more than two hun¬ 
dred more have been, condemned. The appro¬ 
priation ($ 1.0,000) made to remunerate the own¬ 
ers, having already been exceeded, the Massa¬ 
chusetts Society for promoting Agriculture sub¬ 
scribed $2,000 towards a guaranty fund to meet 
additional cost, and several public spirited gen¬ 
tlemen have contributed liberally to the same 
purpose, sufficient it is thought to meet the re¬ 
quired outlay. It is reasonably expected that 
the Legislature will make up this sum at its next 
session ; at one time it was proposed to call an 
extra session for the especial purpose. It is 
stated that the disease is now confined to the 
town of North Brookfield, and that by destroying 
the remaining infected herds, and using proper 
precautionary measures, it will be eradicated. 
-■ ■ -► -- 
For the American Agriculturist . 
Grooming a Horse. 
“ What do you give your horses to keep them 
in such fine condition ?” asked a young tarmer of 
his neighbor, whose team of bays W'as the pride 
of their owner, and the admiration of the vil¬ 
lage, “ Oats, carrots, and plenty of brush," was 
the reply. There is little need of insisting on the 
necessity of good food, and plenty of it, to have 
a horse remain vigorous. Every one knows that 
bone, and sinew, and muscle are manufactured 
from hay, oats, corn, etc., and that the raw mate¬ 
rial must be supplied to produce the strong limb, 
elastic step, and noble spirit, which make a fine 
horse the universal favorite he is. But the im¬ 
portant part which the skin bears in the animal 
economy, and the necessity of properly cleansing 
and keeping it in healthy condition, arc not fully 
appreciated. Rough staring coats, “grease” or 
•• scratches,” inflammations, and a whole cata¬ 
logue of diseases find their origin in neglect of 
proper grooming. 
The skin of the horse, like that of other ani¬ 
mals, not only affords protection to the parts 
within, but by the pores affords an outlet to a large 
part of the waste of the body. In out-door life, 
the natural state of the horse, this membrane be¬ 
comes thickened and tough, capable of resisting 
changes of temperature ; and by continual exer¬ 
cise, the pores are kept open, giving free exit to 
all the exhalations. But this alone will not 
give the smooth glossy coat which adds so great¬ 
ly to the animal’s beauty. Confining the horse to 
the stable, as is generally done for at least part 
of the year, renders his skin tender, especially 
when he is kept warmly blanketed. Expose him 
now to great change of temperature ; take him 
out and drive him until heated, return him to the 
stable, and let him stand uncared for over night, 
even for an hour, the sensitive skin is rapidly 
chilled by the evaporation of the sweat, the pores 
are suddenly closed, and often a cold, a rheumatic 
stiffness or other disorder results. Proper groom¬ 
ing prevents this, by toughening the skin, keep¬ 
ing it in healthy action, equalizing the circula¬ 
tion, removing obstruction from the pores, and 
what is of great importance, by rousing the ac¬ 
tion of the muscles at the surface, in some 
measure, compensates for the want of exercise 
consequent upon stable life. 
Currying and brushing should not be done in 
the stable; the dust and scurf will be scattered in 
the manger to mix with the horse feed, besides 
keeping the stable uncleanly. Take the animal 
into the open air, tie him securely, and handle 
him so gently that he will enjoy, rather than 
dread, the application of the comb and brush. A 
sharp currycomb, roughly scraped over the ten¬ 
der skin, is anything but pleasant, as the shrink¬ 
ing and resisting animal will soon show. Apply 
this instrument lightly, and depend mainly upon 
the free use of the brush. Begin at the head, and 
pass the comb lightly up and down, until the 
dandruff is all loosened, and remove it with the 
brush. Be particular around the edges of the 
fore-top, and the mane. It is a good plan to 
sponge off the head and ears, using hut little 
water, smoothing the hair down to its natural 
position. In going over the back, quarters, loins, 
etc., use the comb in one hand and the brush in 
the other, working lightly and quickly. Take 
much pains where the skin lies in folds, as at the 
union of the legs with the body—let every part 
be made thoroughly free from dust and dandruff. 
Finish by rubbing down vigorously with wisps of 
straw, until the hair “ shines like a bottle”—an 
extra smoothing touch may be put on with a 
woolen cloth. Do not fear all this trouble; it 
will be more than repaid in the extra looks and 
spirit of the horse. E. H. 
- • « - — --- 
Sheep Husbandry—I. 
One of the most delightful and profitable branch¬ 
es of husbandry is the care of sheep. Owing to 
the mixed husbandry which the circumstances 
of the country force upon most of our farmers, it 
is rarely made a specialty. With the exception 
of Texas, and some other parts of the South¬ 
west, where pasture lands are very cheap, it oc¬ 
cupies a subordinate place. In many of the old¬ 
er States, the flocks of sheep have been on the 
decline for the last thirty years, and many farm¬ 
ers do not keep them at all. In the age ofhome- 
sptin, sheep were a necessity, and had a place 
upon almost every farm. Farmers and their fam¬ 
ilies for the larger part of the year, were clad in 
cloth made from their wool, manufactured at 
home. It was a very important part of domestic 
industry, and the females of the household spent 
several months each season in carding, spinning, 
and weaving the wool of the flocks "With the 
introduction of woolen manufactories, and the 
cheapening of woolen fabrics, all this had passed 
away, and the spinning wheels and looms, whose 
music enlivened all the Winter, months, have 
been banished as useless lumber to the garret. 
We have been in a sort of transition state for 
the last thirty years, from the age of homespun 
to the age of manufactures The want of ade¬ 
quate protection on woolen fabrics, has rather 
discouraged our own manufacturers, and led to 
large importations. Farmers having no longer a 
use for’their wool at home, and no large demand 
for it at the factory, have diminished their flocks 
and put their capital into other branches of hus¬ 
bandry. 
Latterly, however, a new interest has been 
awakened in sheep, and there are clear indica¬ 
tions of a revival of wool-growing in the older 
States. Our manufactures are beginning to com¬ 
pete with the imported articles, and there is a 
larger demand for our fleeces. As the cities and 
villages increase in population, there is an in¬ 
creased demand also for mutton, and many make 
this a leading object in their selection of stock. 
The South Downs and their crosses are kept ex¬ 
clusively in some sections, and the butcher comes 
for fat lambs and wethers to the farmer's door, al¬ 
most every month in the year. On farms well 
adapted to sheep grazing, and in the vicinity of 
good markets, they are found to be highly profit¬ 
able. The increased interest taken in sheep, 
calls for a new discussion of this department of 
husbandry. 
SHEEP WASHING. 
Beginning with the business which is appro¬ 
priate to the season, we offer a few hints upon 
this topic. The object of the washing is to re¬ 
move the tilth which accumulates in the fleece 
during the Winter and Spring, and the gummy 
material or yolk which exudes from the skin, 
and is retained in the wool. The cleansed fleece 
properly folded, presents a more inviting appear¬ 
ance to the purchaser, and commands a better 
price for being in good condition. 
In this latitude and further north, the water is 
not usually warm enough for washing until the 
month of June. A certain degree of warmth is 
not only demanded for the comfort of the washer, 
who stands in the water, but for the proper cleans¬ 
ing of the wool. The yolk dissolves much more 
readily in warm water. The best time for wash¬ 
ing is just after a copious rain, to which the 
sheep have been exposed. The more common 
method is to select a clear swill running stream, 
three or four feet in depth, so that the sheep can 
not touch bottom and hinder the washer. If there 
is fall enough in the stream, it will expedite the 
washing to have two dams, tbo lower one fur¬ 
nishing a standing place for the washers, and the 
upper one furnishing a stream of water, and run¬ 
ning from a trough with a fall of two or three 
feet. If the sheep be held directly under this jet 
of water, it will cleanse the wool very rapidly. 
Prepare a pen at the edge of the stream, so 
that escape shall be impossible, and so large that 
it will accommodate all the flocks without giving 
them much room to run around when they are 
wanted for washing. It is a matter of a good 
deal of importance, that they should not be heated 
when they go into the water. Let them be driv¬ 
en slowly to the stream, and kept as quiet as pos¬ 
sible in the pen. Many of the colds which sheep 
contract at this season, are owing to the neglect 
of this precaution. In handing the sheep to the 
washers, catch them by the head and neck, never 
by the wool on the back. If the sheep are not 
too lieaiiy, they can be lifted in the arms : if ve*"» 
