42 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Acknowledgments .—The Rock apple and a sample of 
a handsome seedling apple, from Mr. Verplanck, of Ball- 
ston. The Rock apple is the Carthouse, or Gilpin, of 
Coxe, excellent as a table apple late in the spring. Mr. 
V. says he has kept them till September. The tree is 
hardy, of handsome growth, and a great bearer. Grafts 
of a Siberian apple, a cross of the old Siberian, which 
keeps till midwinter, beautiful, large and fine from J. A. 
Thompson, of Catskill, an amateur pomologist. A peck 
of Timothy seed from Wm. Bristol, of Utica, perfectly 
pure, without the admixture of a single foreign seed.— 
The seed was raised by Asher Wilmot, of Paris, Onei¬ 
da county, who raised some thirty bushels of like qua¬ 
lity. Mr.Wilmot, in harvesting the crop, carefully takes 
off the heads of the grass, avoiding all foul seeds, from 
a strip, then cuts down the stubble, and proceeds to 
gather the heads from a second strip, and so on. Mr. 
W. deserves much credit for his care, and we hope to 
see his example imitated. A package of Cedo Nulli 
peas, a new and valuable variety, from G. C.Thorburn, 
of New-York. 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
Diseases of Sheep and Remedies. 
Weybridge. Vt. March, 1839. 
J. Buel —Sir—In the following communication, I 
have endeavored to give some directions relating to the 
management of sheep, and the most common diseases, 
which are within my own experience, which, if publish¬ 
ed, I hope may be useful to wool-giowers, who are un¬ 
acquainted with their treatment and nature. 
A healthy sheep will soon recover from those simple 
complaints, such as wounds, bruises and fractures, by a 
very little attention, if applied at the commencement; 
but by neglect a wound may soon degenerate into an 
ulcer. A broken bone sometimes may knit, the animal 
will suffer great pain, and probably have a crooked 
limb after. 
Fresh wounds will suddenly heal, if closed by a stitch 
or common sticking plaster; small wounds at times 
need nothing, or a little tar is sufficient. 
A fracture should be bound up neatly, with one or 
two splints, in flannel or other cloth, smeared with tar. 
Care should be taken that the splints do not press the 
tender part. 
Sheep are infested with several kinds of vermin, the 
common tick, maggot, &c; young and lean sheep are 
most exposed to these complaints. 
Those flocks are not troubled with ticks, where the 
lambs are regularly immersed in a decoction of tobacco, 
say from four to five pounds to the hundred, about ten 
days after the sheep are shorn. Several pinches of 
Scotch snuff deposited in the wool, in and about the 
neck and sides, is a good remedy in cold weather. 
Maggots originate from fly-blows upon the wounds; 
these are avoided by dressing with tar, and destroyed 
by an application of honey, when spirits of turpentine 
would prove ineffectual. 
To cure colds, and running at the nose, a dose of tar, 
is sufficient, in the months of June and July; if applied 
at and above the nose, it will prevent the grub in the 
head and invigorate the health. 
Nothing can be more safe or better to soften the hide, 
prevent or cure the scab, than a strong decoction of to¬ 
bacco, applied to the parts infected. If the scab has be¬ 
come in a manner confirmed, it should be removed by a 
currycomb or otherwise; then after immersing them 
in a vat of liquor, lay them on an inclined table, which 
will conduct all the liquor that may be pressed from the 
wool into the vat again. 
Sheep are frequently exposed to cold rains, or burn¬ 
ing sun, immediately after shearing, which will materi¬ 
ally injure and sometimes destroy a number in a flock. 
Take train oil, or other cheap oil will answer, and with 
a brush lay a strip the whole length of the back and 
neck, which preserves them in a measure, from the pelt¬ 
ing storms, a scald back, and destroys ticks and other 
vermin, adds to the weight, and encourages the growth 
of wool. By the addition of a little sulphur, it will pre¬ 
vent the scab and keep off flies, which annoy them dur¬ 
ing the summer. 
The stretches is a common and very fatal complaint. 
Wethers of three years old and over, are more apt to be 
its victims. When attacked they stand bracing on all 
fours, like the legs of a stool, and refuse to eat. The 
cause originates from air being pent up just forward of 
and below the hip. My treatment for this, is to give 
the animal a gill of hogs fat, and draw it about sudden¬ 
ly for sometime. 
The foot-rot is an infectious disorder, which locates 
between the hoof, and unless immediate attention is 
rendered, it operates under the horns of the hoof; it is 
more easily cured in the winter or when the infection 
freezes. If thoroughly seated, it cannot be entirely era¬ 
dicated from the flock in warm weather, unless they are 
permitted to run in a fresh pasture, where there is no 
exposure after the treatment, which is this: first, the 
foot must be pared, if infected, and all the ulcerous mat¬ 
ter removed; then apply with a swab, zig or water 
strongly saturated with finely pulverized blue vitriol; 
when thoroughly done the rot will be removed, and the 
foot will be healed in four or five days. It is very im¬ 
portant, that the diseased animals should be separated 
from the flock. Fine woolled sheep, and those that have 
Ions hoofs are more subject to the rot, and more trouble¬ 
some to cure. It spreads by innoculation only, and rages 
worse in low, wet grounds. It is important that they 
should be examined every week until cured, which will 
require three or four thorough examinations, where the 
ulceration is confirmed. 
By using a trough, the description of which you have 
in the cut below, the foot can be examined with ease, 
and it is a great saving in time and labor. 
[Fig. No. 7.] 
Fig. No. 7 represents a trough, which will conveni¬ 
ently hold two sheep, with their feet uppermost—the 
frame simply consists of a plank about six feet in length, 
in which four legs are fastened eighteen inches long; 
six arms are extended from the upper side of the frame, 
which supports the side boards A, A, six feet long and 
thirteen inches wide, and forms a trough about one foot 
in width at the top, and four inches at the bottom; this 
trough should stand one end near the door of another 
dry yard, where the sheep must remain an hour or so. 
after the application of the vitriol, which should be ap¬ 
plied between the toes of every foot. By the assistance 
of this apparatus, three men can go over from three to 
four hundred sheep in one day. With respect, yours, 
S. W. JEWETT. 
Method of raising Water. 
Kingsbury, February 1st, 1839. 
Hon. J. Buel —Sir—In the April number of the Cul¬ 
tivator, Mr. Curtis, of Vermont, inquires as to the cheap¬ 
est method of raising water to the height of 100 feet or 
upwards. Nothing addsmore to the comforts of a farm 
house, or to the cleanliness and health of it inmates, 
than the luxurious flowing of a pure stream of water at 
the door. I have often, while riding past, observed the 
want af this necessary element around the houses and 
yards of our farmers, while the perennial fountain was 
flowing in the richest profusion, within a short distance, 
but unfortunately on a lower level, and as often have I 
wished to see some cheap and efficient engine at work, 
making the babbling idle brook turn itself to some good 
account, and pour the necessary share, at the door, a li¬ 
bation to neatness, temperance, industry and economy. 
In Gregory’s Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, an en¬ 
gine is described, under the head of Hydraulics, which, 
by its simplicity, promises better than any thing else I 
have seen. For the purpose of calling attention to that 
article, and for the benefit of those who may wish to 
see it, and have not that work at hand, I have made the 
following rough drawing, which you may publish or 
not, as you shall deer- expedient. This engine was in¬ 
vented bjr a Mr. Sargent, who received a silver medal, 
from the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts. It 
had been in operation, with complete success, for some 
years, when the article was written for the Dictionary. 
A gentleman’s hall, it seems, was situated on an ascent 
of sixty-one feet perpendicular height, and the engine 
supplied the hall with water from a small stream which 
ran at the foot of the hill, 140 yards distance. 
[Fig. No. 8.] 
A. is a forcing pump, of cast-iron. Bore three inches 
in diameter. B. weight attached to the piston rod ; this 
weight is so heavy that when drawn up, and left to de¬ 
scend, it forces the water in the pump up the ascent, 
through the pipe C, which is one inch in diameter. E, 
is a lever, the fulcrum of which is at F. A perpendicu¬ 
lar fall must be had in the stream, of about four feet, 
below the level on which the pump stands. To the 
edge of this descent the water is brought in the trough 
G, after supplying the pump, and flows into the bucket 
D. When this bucket has acquired a sufficient weight 
of water to raise the piston, with its weight B, it imme¬ 
diately descends until it strikes the pin H, which lifts a 
valve or clapper in the bottom of the bucket and lets the 
water out. The bucket, relieved of its load, is brought 
by the descending power of the weight B, to the position 
shown in the cut, the lever turning on the pin F. It 
will be seen that this engine will operate with a very 
small supply of water; for whenever the bucket is fill¬ 
ed and emptied, there must be a stroke of the piston. 
The end of the lever to which the bucket is fastened 
should be elevated as much above the level of its ful¬ 
crum as the botton of the bucket is above the pin H, 
so that when the bucket begins to descend, it will ac¬ 
quire additional velocity by the virtual lengthening 
of the lever, and will strike the pin with force sufficient 
to lift the valve. The pump has a solid piston; also a 
valve in its bottom opening inward, and another open¬ 
ing outward, in the pipe C. Yours, 
_ L. B. ARMST RONG. 
Butter making—Ruta Baga—Value of apples for 
Hogs. 
Milton, Ulster Co. 2d mo. 1839. 
Respected Friend, J. Buel —Through the columns 
of the Cultivator is a very convenient and extensive way 
of asking questions, and giving such information as we 
may have observed, that we think would be beneficial 
to mankind. 
I would ask of the readers of the Cultivator, some¬ 
thing relating to butter making. Although it has been 
treated pretty largely upon through the Cultivator, there 
are some things come under my observation, that are un¬ 
accountable to me, and to others I have conversed with on 
the subject. The latter part of sixth month last, in the 
warmest or hottest part of the month, we were unable 
to obtain more than about one pound of butter from five 
cows in a day; the milk would curdle before it was 
sour ; the cream would rise but little and would be ro¬ 
py, and in pouring out of a pitcher, would string like 
molasses or soft soap; we used every remedy we then 
thought of, to remedy the evil; every attention was 
paid to the cows, in giving them salt and good running 
water; they run in a fine growth of clover, and gave a 
bountiful quantity of milk. From three of the same 
cows, we made one and a half pounds of butter per day, 
before the hot weather commenced. I have never observ¬ 
ed but once before in twenty years, milk appearing in 
the way it did at the time mentioned. I inquired of 
some of my neighbors, if theirs was similarly affected ; 
they said not, but complained they made but little but¬ 
ter. My wife, since then, has suggested the idea of 
milking three times a day, when the weather is very 
warm. Eevery attention was paid to the milk things. 
Since taking the Cultivator, some in this neighbor¬ 
hood have been induced to undertake the raising of the 
ruta baga, and generally are well satisfied, except one 
or two, who have tried them, and because they will not 
answer in the room of all other fodder for stock, consi¬ 
der them not worth their attention. I have used them 
for milk cows, and find when they are fed on good 
sound roots, and not those that have been frozen or a 
little defected, that the butter does not have that un¬ 
pleasant taste, or but very little, so that those that have 
not been in the practice of eating butter made whilst 
feeding cows on turnips, to which we would refer, think¬ 
ing we had becom accustomed to eating, and could not 
perceive it, say they did not perceive any unpleasant 
taste. We perceived it when we first began to feed 
them, as we perceive an unpleasant flavor when cows 
are turned in the clover, in spring of the year; I at¬ 
tributed that to feeding them some of the tops that got 
a little spoiled, before feeding in the fall. 
As there hasbeen much published in the Cultivator as 
to the worth of apples in fatting hogs, my experiments 
may hardly be worth filling the columns of the Cultiva¬ 
tor with ; if not, thee is at liberty to lay them aside. In 
the fall of 1836, I put up eight shoats in the pen to fat, 
weighing them at the time, which was 1 05 pounds the 
average weight, and calculated what they were then 
worth, or what I could sell them for alive at that time. 
I then kept an account of the apples, potatoes and bran; 
but used principally apples, and boiled them and mixed 
the bran with them as Itook them out of thekettle. I be¬ 
gan before the apples were fit to make cider of; I valued 
the apples at twelve and a half cents per bushel, and the 
small potatoes at eighteen cents, and the bran what it was 
worth at the mill, and added the expense of the wood for 
cooking; when killed, they were worth $1.50 a piece 
more than what they ate, valuing them at ten cents per 
pound, what such pork was then selling for, having the 
rough fat for my trouble, and notreckoned in the weight 
when killed. By this it would appear that apples are 
worth one shilling per bushel for fatting hogs, when 
pork is worth ten cents per pound. 
J. SHERMAN. 
Experiments with Reached Ashes. 
Fast-Kart ford, Conn. Feb. 1839. 
Friend Buel —As your motto is for the “ improve¬ 
ment of the soil and the mind,” permit me through the 
medium of your widely circulated and valuable journal, 
to give publicity to a discovery in the preparation of 
leached ashes, or soap boiler’s waste, so asto make them 
equally valuable, and perhaps more so, to the farmers of 
our vast interior, as to the cultivators on Long-Island, 
where they are bought up at an expense of 35 to 50 
cents a bushel, and considered a profitable investment 
at that. The vast quantities bought annually in this 
country, (where they are considered of little value, and 
of none on clayey land,) and shipped to Long-Island, in¬ 
duced me to think that the saline matter in the soil and 
atmosphere, was more the cause of their wonderful effect 
upon vegetation, than any inherent quality in it. To 
give theory the test of experience, I mixed ashes with 
common salt, but the salt was too coarse and too long 
in dissolving, to combine chemically;—the next was to 
sow the salt and the ashes afterwards : this did better; 
