392 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
America! ^jrtailtnrist. 
New-York, Wednesday, March 1, 1854. 
We direct attention to the advertisement, 
“Assistant Editor Wanted.” The situation 
advertised is without doubt a good one. 
SPECIAL NOTICE TO ALL SUBSCRIBERS. 
We find that by using such good paper, our 
volume of 832 pages will be quite large to bind, 
and especially large for those who wish to stitch 
their paper together with an index, without be¬ 
ing at the expense of binding. To obviate this, 
we have concluded to be at the expense and 
trouble of making out an extra index with No. 
26, so as to form a complete volume of the first 
26 numbers. The index for the next 26 num¬ 
bers will be given at the end of the year, or with 
No. 52. This arrangement will make it conve¬ 
nient for all, as the 52 numbers can be stitched 
or bound in two volumes with an index for each, 
or in one volume with the double index at the 
close. 
We hope all will preserve their numbers, for 
there are many single articles each of which will 
be worth the price of the volume, for future ref¬ 
erence. When the paper arrives from the post- 
office, a good plan is to see that it is properly 
folded, and then pin or sew it through the mid¬ 
dle and cut open the leaves. It is very easy to 
stitch 26 numbers together. To do this, arrange 
them in regular order, and with an awl punch 
several holes about one-fourtli of an inch from 
the back, and through these run a strong thread 
two or three times with a darning-needle, and 
the work is done. We have scores of volumes 
of papers, pamphlets, and addresses, thus pre¬ 
pared, which serve all the purposes of a bound 
volume, and occupy less room in storing and 
carrying. We would, however, prefer to see 
volumes of agricultural papers neatly bound and 
laid upon the book-shelves or tables of farmers. 
They are much better and more appropriate or¬ 
naments, than gilded volumes of trashy maga¬ 
zines or novels. 
ONE WORD MORE.—We thank our friends 
for the liberal aid they have afforded us in ex¬ 
tending the circulation of the Agriculturist. 
Our list has increased beyond our expectation, 
and we are daily encouraged to labor with the 
utmost diligence, to make our paper worthy of 
the confidence and admiration of our largely in¬ 
creasing list of readers. Our reliance for the 
continuance and increase of our list is upon 
those who are already readers. As stated above, 
we now divide the year so as to give either one 
or two complete volumes of the 52 numbers. 
The next number closes the first volume or half 
of the year. We respectfully request all our 
present subscribers to make a little exertion at 
this time, and each send us on at least one new 
name. If you cannot get your neighbors to 
send on for a year, ask them to try the paper 
for six months, as in that time they will get a 
complete volume of 416 pages with index for $1, 
or less if clubs are formed. Where clubs al¬ 
ready exist new names may be added at.the 
same rate, and these names may be at differ¬ 
ent post-offices. Seethe last page / for terms, 
special notices to subscribers, &c. 
To Correspondents. —We have several com¬ 
munications on hand which we will look over 
as soon as we have time, and some of them will 
be published. It is no trifling labor to prepare 
for the printer many communications which we 
receive. Some are written so closely that there 
is not room to put in corrections, without re¬ 
writing the whole. We cheerfully prepare ar¬ 
ticles, unless there is manifest want of care on 
the part of the writer. If he does as well as he 
can, we make all needful changes and correc¬ 
tions. 
As most writers doubtless wish to improve 
their own style, we suggest to them to keep an 
exact copy of their communications, and then 
compare this copy with the printed sheet. They 
may often learn something in this way. 
We have received a long piece of rhyme on a 
dark subject, which we should be happy to pub¬ 
lish, both to oblige the writer and because we 
suppose we sympathize with his views; but all 
rhyme is not poetry, and if it were, this is too 
long for our columns. The prose article accom¬ 
panying it will be published in due time. 
We are not anxious to receive original poetry. 
We have little space for rhyme, and we have 
good selections enough to last us a year at least. 
Good poetry, however, will not be rejected; but 
we advise all who attempt to write in verse to 
remember, that good rhyme does not constitute 
good poetry ; on the contrary, some of the best 
poetry we have ever seen does not “ rhyme" at 
all, while some of the best rhyme contains not a 
single poetic sentiment. 
Our Book Table is loaded with reports, ad¬ 
dresses, &c., which will be duly noticed, when 
we have examined them closely enough to give 
judicious criticisms. 
STRING HALT AND BLOOD SPAVIN. 
A correspondent in Alleghany county asks 
for remedies for the above diseases. 
String Halt. —Notwithstanding all that has 
been said and written on this subject, we have 
never met with a remedy; and we doubt very 
much whether it is in the power of veterinary 
practice to cure it. The only thing, then, is to 
treat the horse thus afflicted kindly, and have 
patience with him when he first starts; for, 
after traveling a little distance and getting 
warm, the nerves seem to be relaxed, and ordi¬ 
narily he does not then mind it. 
So far as our experience goes, we have found 
string halt seemingly unaccompanied with pain; 
it is not, therefore, to be so much regarded as 
some other diseases. Nor where it exists in a 
moderate degree, do we think it affects either 
the strength or speed of the horse. A little 
care only is necessary that he does not get cold 
in his limbs, as this aggravates the disease. 
We have also found that it was less apparent in 
warm weather, particularly when the horse was 
running in pasture. 
It is often asked what is the cause of string 
halt ? Professor Spooner seems to be of opin¬ 
ion that it is a morbid affection of the sciatic 
(hip) nerve; for he asserts that he had never 
dissected a single case in which he had not 
found disease of this nerve, which mainly con¬ 
tributes to supply the hind extremities with 
sensation, and the power of voluntary motion. 
Others think that string halt comes in conse¬ 
quence of the muscles of the thigh being injuri¬ 
ously affected; but we have never heard of a 
case of dissection in which it was shown that 
string halt had produced any change in the 
muscles; we are therefore inclined to agree 
with Professor Spooner, that it arises from some 
injury to the hip nerves. Owners of horses af¬ 
fected with string halt, who would consult their 
own interest and avoid tormenting the poor an¬ 
imals, will refuse all the quack nostrums offered 
to alleviate this hitherto incurable disease. 
Blood Spavin. — The best remedy for this is 
blistering with Spanish flies till it disappears. 
It is very liable to come on again, however, if 
the horse be hard used; he must consequently 
be rode or driven gently, and not allowed to 
take any very hard pulls. 
Bog or Bone Spavin. — This should be fired 
carefully, in the month of Mayor June, and the 
horse then turned out to pasture, at least two or 
three months. May or June is better than 
later on account of little disturbance from flics. 
Four years ago we had two badly spavined 
horses thus treated, and it so effectually cured 
them, that the spavins have not again returned; 
neither have they shown the slighest stiffness 
in the hock, though they have been hard worked 
ever since. 
- - - 
MORE ABOUT SCHOOLS. 
If the agriculture of our country has one 
stronger limb on its body than another, it is to 
be found in the diffusion of knowledge among 
the masses ; and this can only be done by pub¬ 
lic schools and laws, compelling children to at¬ 
tend them. Such schools always have had and 
probably always will have their opposers. This 
opposition may arise from different motives. 
There are to be found educated men who are 
desirous of keeping the common people (I don’t 
like this term “ common,” but to make myself 
the better understood am obliged to use it,) in 
ignorance, that their own knowledge, which is 
power, may be used to greater advantage. An¬ 
other class are opposed on the ground of taxa¬ 
tion. This has been abundantly manifested 
lately in our own State, by a test question sub¬ 
mitted at our polls. Still another class are op¬ 
posed, because say they these Godless schools, 
with the Bible for a text-book, are the greatest 
barrier in the way of extending our holy reli¬ 
gion, and soon making it to becoipe the religion 
of this immense country. In treating this sub¬ 
ject it may not appear irrelevant here to relate 
an anecdote or two. 
I well remember in the days of old Federal¬ 
ism vs. Democracy, when the elder Adams and 
Thomas Jefferson were candidates for the Pres¬ 
idency, the writer of this article was holding a 
conversation with a Virginian upon the merits 
and fitness of the two men, he said, “ No man 
from the State of Massachusetts is fit for Presi¬ 
dent of these United States—you are all aristo¬ 
crats, while we in Virginia are democrats of the 
first water.” “Stop a little bit,” I replied, 
“while we examime this subject. Have you 
any public schools in Virginia?” “ None,” said 
he. “ How then are the poor children educa¬ 
ted ?” “ We don’t care to have them educated,” 
said he. I then stated to him that in Massa¬ 
chusetts a man worth a million, without a child, 
paid a tax on his whole property — or so much 
of it as could be found — to support the ten 
children of the poor man at school who was not 
