itnbrii. 
WOOL AND MUTTON IN AMEEIOA 
Paper Read Tie fore the .V. r. Agricultural Society, 
IPinter Session, Albany, Feb. 8. 1371. by the Son, 
J. R. Dodge, Dipartmmt of Agriculture. 
[Concluded from p;?jte 155. last No.] 
5. Another means of rendering wool g-rowlng 
profitable is effectual riddance from that un- 
iiGGOSsary evil, that relic of Wijrnirioy, taut in¬ 
signia of human worthlessness, lac tUpredal inns 
of the dog tribe. It is a drawback upon this 
tote rest too serious to be tolerated. T have the 
positive assurance, from tunny localities, that 
sheep have practically been banished that dogs 
may be bred. The number of sheep in Massa¬ 
chusetts was reduced one-half between 1840 and 
1800; mid the reduction in ten years mure was 
nearly at the same rate, when the sheep num¬ 
bered 113,000. and the dogs, with recognized own¬ 
ers. fully 100.000. The nuisance was then par¬ 
tially abated, the dogs were taxed, and Uncles in¬ 
creased, These losses nrc constant and severe. 
A farmer lu Ohio loses 60 tine sheep in :i single 
night; one In Tennessee gives up to a single 
outline sacrifice 35 superior South-Downs, in¬ 
cluding two run s, worth $100 each ; a county in 
Indiana submits to a lax. levied by tings, on tho 
fall value of 1,000 sheep. The Secretary ot your 
own Society estimated tho loss of New York in 
18<S2at 80,000 fuiltmils, worth $175.1100. Tho Statu 
of Ohio bus averaged for .on yours nu annual 
loss of 35,715 sheep, and the maiming oi 33,871; 
and for five years tho annual damage by killing 
and injuring was $111,548. And this includes 
only the ascertained loss, which most fail to ex¬ 
press the full amount, of actual injury. I have 
obtained an actual enumeration of 130.4:27 killed 
in a single year in 539 counties, beside nearly as 
many more maimed and mutilated; and there 
Is llttlo doubt Unit n full half million have been 
killed per annum, and a sufficient number in¬ 
jured to increase the loss to two per cent.of t lie 
entire investment of this species of farm slock. 
AVlth what a Bowl of indignation would tho 
wanton seizure of one-third of the income from 
any six per pant, investment be met on the part, 
of the owners of dogs! 
Finally, where can our wool be profitably 
grown? I answer, first, as an essential part of 
furrn rotation find n necessary adjunct uf high 
culture, throughout the Eastern, Middle, and 
Ohio Valley States, but as secondary to the pro¬ 
duction of mutton, except in poor soils or rough 
or mouuliiinnus regions. 
But there are millions of acres-it would not 
be an over-statement to say 1UO.UOO.OOO— in tlie 
mountains Of the Soulh. in the pine lamia of the 
Southern const. Hut plains of the SfOothwtwt, the 
mountain valleys and grassy slopes of the Itocky 
Mountain system, including largo portions "f 
nil tbit Territories of the Pacific .Suiter, lu which 
tho Merino may flourish with uridNpntcd sway. 
The public lands of the United t?tales lift terri¬ 
tory exclusive of the original Hiirreon and of 
S oxas—originally comprised 1,804.098,'UKI tunes, 
f Ibis there remained unsold and mmppro- 
prltttod, on tho 30t.li of Juno last, 1,387,'733,200 
acres. In the Territory of Colorado, where 
parks, clad in ovor-durlng verdure, arc the won¬ 
der of the Western world, there arc 0:2,5715,071 
acres unappropriated; in Wyoming, where herds 
of two or three thousand of herbivorous crea¬ 
tures Imve flourished aud fattened for ages, 
there arc 69,104.788 mires—and in Notv Mexico, 
whence thousands of Sheep have been annually 
driven to Southern Mexico, purchased at twen¬ 
ty-five Cents per head from breeder* who grew 
rich at that rate of compensation, there are 
70,704,558 acres, unappropriated. Tins belt is 
undoubtedly tho pasture land of America, jtnr 
cxedlr.iu'A, tho home of the buff.tin, the elk, the 
nntotope, and tho big horn sheep, whose bones 
lie blanching in profusion over Its vast extent. 
Then there are 48,740,957 acres Unappropriated in 
Utah.68,855,890 in Arizona.4l.:£fit,l‘i;i in Washing¬ 
ton. 86,836,819 in Moutmia, 53,425.753 in Idaho, 
90i7iJ0,&24 in Dakota, and 44,154.JM0 in the Indian 
Territory. Here are ('•35,000,1100 nitres of uiHold 
public lands In IhuTVrrltorfos, without counting 
869,000,000 in Alaska. Thaextont orgrazing laud 
in this vast area can, with dillleult.y, be oitimat¬ 
ed; but it oanw im Illustrated by a single exam- 
pln of one of the four prominent parks of Colo¬ 
rado-San Luis, comprising an area twice as 
largo as that of the state <>i New Hampshire. 
Its plains arc dotted witli timber, butnremostly 
covered with nutritious grosses, upon which 
stock subsists without shelter throughout, the 
year; aud upon tliu slopes of t lie mountains are 
donao forests of pine, spruce, cedar, oak and 
oiliergroivtlns interspersed with broad, natural 
meadows of luxurious grasses. 
The main vnlloy of the North Platte, 200 miles 
In length mid ton lu width, is covered with a 
dauso growth of grass, yielding an Immense 
quantity of liny. The trlbmnrloM or that. Stream 
— the Blue Water, Cold Wutur, Hill Creek, Mud¬ 
dy, Willard, Sweetwater, ami others on the 
north, and the Ash, Cherry, Carter, Cottonwood, 
La Prole, Deer Creek, Medicine itow. Hock 
Creek, tho North and South aud Middle Forks, 
and many others on the south, furnish drainage 
and irrigation Cor a territory 800 miles in length, 
with a width at somepoiiitsr.f 300 miles an area 
greater thau that ol' the Middle Stales, The 
growing neasoii is pi'iietreftlly perpetual spring, 
the tender herbage following up the constantly 
receding snow line, through the summer, furii- 
ishl ig to the (looks succulent piisturugu till the 
snow 1 upp to again, whon the grass of the val¬ 
leys, undisturbed during lltu inter mouths of 
summer, yield-? rich pasturage nf uncut Imy lu 
which herds and Hocks, by thutisauUs, luxuriate 
during ihe 'viui 'i monitis. 
l’exus, vlduli already produces the cheapest 
bc;d and tin; cheapest wool, is almost a solitude, 
AAlth lTg.iW9,0 f K) ires, scarcely 3.000.000 tire im¬ 
proved l ind and rlic remainder lies waste, its 
lic.i gr.maoi going ro decay, u low million* of 
Cal tie nud -Hcep prov ing sufficient only to util¬ 
ize small and isolated patches. 
But there ii One other section, broad In its ex¬ 
tent, ami easy ol access,superior in the quality 
of ipgrafcSO* to any heretofore mentioned, with 
a oJimuta tntld ami OQuuble, in which the very 
finest and best samples uf woo , in t ,„. cj ui , 
States have boon grown. I refer to the Allu- 
ghiny Mountains, tlio chosen habitat uf tho 
blue grass and white clover, whose valleys and 
elopcsiltld sail.mils lire alike fresh with verdure 
Scaroc-ly loss Itmiwn to the country at large than 
tho riistncwsosnl lim Rocky Mount ibi* tin* lands 
but littleJhlgboriu price, this mHou should pro¬ 
duce large quantities of the finest M ml best 
Merino wool m the United States; and the pro¬ 
duction of million, in View ol proximity to 
m&rlBetS aud abundance and quality of subsist, 
onou supplies, could certainly be" undertaken 
with equal advantage. 
In closing, I would say' to wool growers, thank 
God anti t nitty courage; instead of faint-hearted- 
lioss Tlida is abUuiIautociinsioii for hi^u t«uaoijr» 
ageittcm. You cun only thrive in comimition- 
ship with tho manufacturers; and Imv* no 
occasion, and [ pray you muy never have, either 
to gu abroad for woolmis or for a market for 
your wool. i.Viutrnst the pros!ration of inaiiu- 
laoumiig at the close of rho war of Great 
Unt iln, when the bars of tho customs wore lot 
dawn, and the invasion of woolens proved fur 
more a calamity than the Invasion of red coats 
lor the three previous years, with t lie condition 
ot thq business of mtuiuljictlir ng to-<luv. Co- 
foro tint war, in 1810, (lie Value of woolen utan- 
bS 0 £tHTmf ftUtl ><•"' >^'twaa 
uni *,1 i,Q0S, Ui-tore the recent war, in 1861, 
after it. it. 1868. it was 
of TT i7 C V'af 1Ulld 1,1 'lie produci uf wool 
courogigoent? ^ I# UuU ' U mm 3 * " f dis * 
Bo a- a E nlim , consumption or coatings, as 
innmifomi !, lldI nt her cloths, tire of"h.,i„c 
mnnut.iciun , our under-clothing utid hunierv 
to the amount of $40,000,000, is ncllrlv nll nro- 
toTm-u home ; ot a quality decidedly superior 
to foreign makes; our ingrain and three-nl\ r 
carpets are incomparably better nod stronger 
than those of English manufacture, which arc 
of material so poor ami weak that they cannot 
be woven on power looms; nearly half the 
Brussels carpels required are made in this coun¬ 
try, and now the princely Ax minster, superior 
to the French and olicancr. Inis actually com¬ 
pelled a reduction of a dollar or two per yard. 
In fancy oaosimeres astonishing strides have 
been made, great advances in certain styles of 
ladies' dress goods, ami m successful beginning 
has heen made with worsteds. 
Wool growers should demand the continuance 
of the present tariff. When Free Traders tell 
you tltal Protection has ruined your business, 
remind them of the period ol' the war. when 
tlm premium on gold was the highest tariff ever 
laid; wool was$l per pound, and the entire Im¬ 
portations of woolens (notwithstanding the un¬ 
precedented necessities nf the count ry I for four 
years, fell short of tlm value of $88, 000,000, while 
tho importations of the Inst five years have ag¬ 
gregated $204,(X10,000. Under that tariff the 
business vvus prosperous, and manufacturing 
made such strides ns almost to render us inde¬ 
pendent of foreign manufactures, Remind 
them, also, that .von obtained more per pound, 
in gold, in 1870, than you received for wool in 
I860. 
The present tendency of manufacturing sug¬ 
gests tlm importance Ilf enlarging the supplies 
of combing wool. The Canadas' imports in I860 
averaged 27.4 per pound declared home vhIuc, 
and In 1870, 33 cents, while tho grade Merino 
wool from the Argentina Republic declined 
from 12 in I860 to 11 cents In 1870. The price of 
Importations from England, containing n large 
proportion of wool that may bo combed, also 
advanced in the same time from 18.1 to 18.9 per 
pound. If England, with a climate wild agricul¬ 
tural conditions suited to the production iff but 
one kind of wool, bus made the peculiar fabrics 
popular and fashionable, we should have with 
climates and olrouuiRtanees adapted to n far 
greater variety of fibers, be able so to mold pub¬ 
lic tastes and customs ns to make a market for 
whatever wools arc most naturally and profita¬ 
bly grown, even if we should be induced there¬ 
by to forego cloths of the finest Saxon or car¬ 
pets of l lie coarsest Turkish. 
You should adapt your business to tho chang¬ 
ing exigencies of rite times aud tho progress of 
tho country, milking fat mutton mid tine lambs 
the loading considerations in populous regions, 
where the demand Is imperative for more food 
fir rho people and improved culture for the soil, 
and leaving the production of wool alone main¬ 
ly to the pastoral regions of the far West, where 
8,(M 10,000 to 10,000,000 shoep are now profitably 
kept, in plnce of scarcely 2,000,000 in tin* Territo¬ 
ries mid Pact tie States tu i860- The region west 
of the Mississippi now yields nearly as much 
wool ns the whole country produced in I860, and 
is capable of producing enough Tor the supply 
of our population tor many years to come with¬ 
out the importation id' a single pound. 
Then contrive to improve your flocks, increase 
I heir yield of wool, give thorn hotter care, pro¬ 
tect ttinm against diseases, persistently and Iti- 
tulligcutly follow i our business without dis¬ 
couragement or fear, and ynu will Ibid that any 
Pivsoiit cloud will show n silver lining, prophetic 
of a glorious future nf prosperity l'or yourself, 
for agriculture, and for tho country. 
Rgmmiks.—T his journal, ns well as our works 
on 6heep husbandry, will bear witness that, we 
subscribe to many of the general fuels and con¬ 
clusions contained in the above communication 
ol Mr. Dodge. But, to his answer to the ques¬ 
tion, “ Where can our wools bo profitably 
grown ? ” we m e disposed to add some addition¬ 
al qualifications. While we concur to a con¬ 
siderable extent in tho view that Its production 
Is an “essential part of farm rotation and n 
necessary adjunct of htyjh culture throughout 
the Custom, Middle, and Ohio Valley States," 
we can by no means concede that It is every¬ 
where “secondary to the production of mut¬ 
ton, except in poor soils or rough or uiountnlu- 
cas regions." Ho moot mean, of course, to 
limit the application of this remark to the 
StatOB last, mentioned ; but oven thou we cannot 
agree with him. In Innumerable places within 
the vast area of those States there are lamjs 
neither poor, rough nor mountainous, which, 
taking ciroiitnsfanoee us they exist, and as they 
are likely to exist for a long period to conic, are 
bettor fitted to make wool than mutton the 
Raiding objoct of production. 
Take tbe case of Mr. SniAON of Wisconsin, 
mentioned In Mr. Haves' address, published tty 
us week before last. He keeps fifteen hundred 
sheep. Their manure enables him to produce 
eight or!ten more bushels ot wheat to the acre 
than is yielded by the uvertigo wheat lands of 
the State, on which sheep tiro not kept. Yet lie 
prefers the Merino to the mutton sheep for this 
purpose. Why? Because tbe Merino Is far 
more cheaply tended and requires loss skilled 
labor for its management. Because it will herd 
far better in large numbers. Because it will 
produce os much manure in proportion to Hie 
consumption of food. Because it (when of 
prime quality) will produce more wool and more 
value nf wool., in proportion to consumption, 
even now, when accidental and temporary cir¬ 
cumstances are giving such an advantage to 
long wools in our markets. Mr. Stilsox believes 
that these advantages more thun overbalance 
the superior valuo of tho mutton of tlm English 
sheep. He does not live in the Suites mentioned 
by Mr. Dodge, but his reasoning Is ns applicable 
in many of those States as in Wisconsin. 
And If Mr. SrrLsox with extensive nrittion, 
and with us high culture and as systematic rota¬ 
tion as is common among the best class of farm¬ 
ers in the West, Cuds Merinos most profitable, 
what shall we say of tho wants of another class 
of Western furmctS, who make no pretensions 
to high culture or systematic rotation, who till 
but small proportions of their lands-and who 
simply keep sheep, or some other stock, to util¬ 
ize pasturages which otherwise would run to 
waste? Merinos can bo wintered on bay cut 
from these grass lands. Mutton-sheep sufficient 
to stock tho land iu summer, would, to lie ren¬ 
dered profit able, require more extra feed in 
winter than would bo raised on the farm. 
There are great ranges of grazing lauds in the 
Middle and Eastern States, which produce good 
crops of grass aud Imy, but which cannot he 
profitably tilled. These should, of course, be 
slocked with animals which cun obtain their 
whole subsistence from grass and hay. They 
are, therefore, obviously bettor adapted to the 
Merino than the million shoep. 
Mr. Dodge speaks of a Merino mania. Lot us 
beware, then, not to attempt, to got up a mutton 
shoep omnia! A very large extension of the 
production of mutton and long wool Is evident¬ 
ly demanded, and wo vejolnc that it is rapidly 
going on. But let us not imagine that the inci¬ 
dental circumstances which now so strongly 
favor it, and which so unfavorably affect the 
Merino, are always to continue. Mr. Dodge is 
not much out of the way in what we take to be 
his true meaning—that the mutton sheep is 
more profitable tlian the Merino in a system of 
high culture—a culture, say, ns systematic and 
perfect as that of England. But we fancy it 
will require very many years—more than any 
person now born will see—to find the high cul¬ 
ture of England throughout a number of the 
States mentioned by Mr. Dodge. In the mean 
time, let us not pass sentence of banishment 
from those States on the Merino—whose time of 
prosperity muy come again. At all events, If 
so banished, it will be by the competition of tho 
foreign Merino, opened by an overthrow of the 
wool tariff-not by the rivalry of the mutton 
sheep. 
We have rather touched on the above subject 
than attempted to discuss it, because we would 
not tire our readers with the repetition of our 
often expressed views. 
- +++- - 
0VEETHR0W OF THE WOOL TARIFF 
ATTEMPTED. 
The New York Economist (Feb. 25,) 
says; 
“A Committee of Woolen Manufacturers and 
Commission Merchants, consisting of Mr. Hunt,of 
t lie firm of Hunt, Tlllluglmst ,V Co : Mr. Spalding, of 
the firm iff Spalding. Hunt & Co., of Hus >:tty : and 
Mr. ICdward Harm, the celebnitod N.-w Ungland 
Manufacturer. im» imen In Washington Ibis week, 
urging the passage of a bill reducing Mat duties on 
foreign 'V 'l.lsto u uniform rale of three cents per 
pound. A tail to this otlecU. introduced by Mr. Aspor, 
is nmv before Die ComnilUee ot Ways Hint Means, 
No conclusion has ret been reached But It Is prob¬ 
able that the desired result will be obtuiated, if not 
In the present Congress, then in tlm next, which 
meets a week hence." 
As wools begin to rise again, that branch 
of the manufacturers who dissent from tbe 
National Association of Wool Manufacturers 
and oppose all protection on wool, and their 
allies among the commission merchants are 
taking practical steps to procure the repeal 
of the wool and woolen tariff of 1807. That 
their prospects of success are as great as is 
claimed by the Economist, we by no means 
believe. But it would be unwise on the part 
of the growers, and of the manufacturers 
friendly to the existing tariff, to pay no at¬ 
tention to the above movements of its enemies. 
It would ficom, indeed, impossible that Con¬ 
gress could be induced to sanction a reduc¬ 
tion of duties on wool Which every man of 
common sense at all familiar with growing 
it, well knows would promptly destroy that 
industry, root aud branch—would almost 
entirely sacrifice the millions of dollars worth 
of property invested in it—would most 
seriously injure the convertible husbandry 
of the country, and the best means of pre¬ 
venting the deterioration of our soils—would 
prevent the utilization of immense regions of 
natural pasturage South and West, and 
would deprive our people, not only of the 
most important home grown material for 
clothing, but of a chief article of subsistence 
which cannot, be Imported from other 
countries. But the past furnishes frequent 
examples of the. most destructive tariff legis¬ 
lation—sometimes as sudden as destructive 
—and if we fold our hands and go to sleep 
over the efforts of the free traders in wool, 
at least some injurious change in the present 
law, some “compromise” between utility 
and visionary theory, may be made. A 
feeling of too great security always danger¬ 
ous in such cases. 
advise the wool growers of every 
Congressional district to communicate at 
once with their representatives, and protest 
against lowering tho duties on wool. One 
letter from a constituent will generally weigh 
more with a member of Congress than pages 
of newspaper arguments. If the movement 
of Messrs Hunt, Harris & Co., Is continued 
and seems to acquire any formidable propor¬ 
tions, we advise the most energetic action in 
the way of remonstrances, resolutions and 
memorials from all the wool grower’s associa¬ 
tions in the United States. 
-♦ » » 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
Destruction of tbe lCamhouillct Flock. 
This celebrated flock of Merinos, belong¬ 
ing to the French Government, and kept 
about thirty miles south of Paris, is reported 
to have been utterly destroyed by the Ger¬ 
man troops, who killed the sheep Ibr food. 
The Skiu Wool Amemlnicnt. 
ITow large and how rapidly increasing a 
leak in the wool tariff was slopped by the 
skin-wool amendment, which went into 
effect Jan. 1, will be seen from the following 
table: 
Imports of Sheepskins with TV'iol on Into New York. 
1870. 1860. 
From Buenos Ayrfs.25,861 bales, 6,123 bales. 
" (’ape Good Hope. 1,800 " 1,428 “ 
“ Europe. 4,116 “ 1,290 “ 
“ Sundry. 102 “ 
31,429 bales. 8,841 bulea. 
To Get Ticks oil of Sheep. 
I. Randall asks how lie shall get ticks 
off of sheep. At this season of the year 
common mercurial ointment, mixed with 
seven parts of lard, is an effectual remedy. 
It is rubbed on the skin in furrows made by 
opening the wool, and should l>e most freely 
applied to the parts which are especially 
frequented by insects—the neck and brisket. 
Half an ounce of it may thus be used with 
entire safety on a common sized Merino 
latub, having the ordinary access to shelter 
in any but exceedingly tempestuous or 
changeable weal her: and this would be 
more than sufficient for the purpose. 
Colic or Stretches. 
Mrs. C. Colt asks for a remedy. An 
ounce of epsotn salts dissolved in warm 
water, with a drachm of ginger and a tea¬ 
spoonful of the essence of peppermint, should 
be administered to a sheep, and half us much 
to a lamb. Some use a decoction of boncsot or 
I’.iOi'oiigbwor:; ethers employ castor oil, and 
if the caae Is obstinate, a dose of aloes. The 
cause of this disease is constipation, and 
pregnant ewes confined too long to dry feed 
is often the cause of its appearance. It can 
be prevented by giving green food daily for 
once or twice a week. 
f)0rsma:n. 
NOTES FOR HORSEMEN. 
To Break Hornes of Pulling; the Halter. 
Thomas S. Mitchell, M. D., Hamilton, 
Ga., sends tbe Rural New-Yorker tbe 
accompanying sketch, and says:—“ Have a 
stout, new rope—cne that is not easily 
broken: knot it around the animal’s neck 
with a knot that will not slip, (I prefer the 
Texan’s knot,) then give the rope a 1 hitch’ 
around the under jaw just behind the lower 
tusks. Give about eight leet play of rope 
from bis mouth to Lite tree. Give the rope 
two turns around tbe tree; take a keen 
whip and whip him in tho face until ho pulls 
on I lie rope, you letting it slip n little in 
your hand. When lie gets quiet, draw him 
up a second time, and a little closer. Whip 
him again in the face. Repeat this until he 
is satisfied that lie cannot get, off. Alter 
four or five trials he will have learned the 
lesson. If the operation is properly man¬ 
aged, after the third to the filth trial to get 
away, lie will stand and allow you to whip 
him in the face aud never move his feet, and 
will never pull on the bridle again. This is 
reliable. I have used it often with success.” 
A Troubled Colt. 
Henry Palmer, Rexford Flats, N. Y., 
asks in the Rural New-Yorker of Janu¬ 
ary 28, if any person can tell him the cause 
why his colt acls in such a strange way. 
“When turned out in the yard, lie whirls 
round and round, and biles his side and 
flank.” To which the Editor replies he can¬ 
not give the cause—“the action of the colt 
evidently indicates internal pain." 
Palmer did not say that his colt was a 
stallion, hut suppose he is, there is noth¬ 
ing really the matter. The colt began 
Itis freaks by frying to catch bis tail, as he 
wanted something to sport or play with. In 
reaching back for his tail, his flank was as 
far hack us he could reach with his mouth; 
the touching or nipping the flank tickled 
him, which made I»is hind k-gs involuntary 
spring round, which gives the circular mo¬ 
tion. The colt lots become fond of this tick¬ 
ling operation, aud it lias become a fixed or 
settled habit with, him; ho prefers that to 
any other exercise. There are many ways 
in which he may bo prevented from his fa¬ 
vorite play I should think a girth with side 
lines, would keep him straight. Close blinds 
might answer; or a playful horse might have 
the desired effect, if the two were turned out 
together.—J. B. D., Topeka, Kansas. 
Lines Three Abreast. 
Alyan Seymour furnishes the Rural 
New-Yorker with the accompanying 
sketch of liis mode of adjusting lines for 
three horses abreast in plowing. He would 
put the slowest horse iu the middle and fas¬ 
ten the linos, «, u, to the liame rings of the 
middle horse. 
Why Fits Aluro Does Not Lie Down. 
A. B. T., Attica, O., asks some one to tell 
him why his mare never lies down. He 
has owned her two years, and never knew 
her to lie down but twice in more than that 
time, We once had a gelding which we 
owned three years, and never knew him to 
lie down in that time; nor could we discover 
any good reason why he did not. He was 
healthy and well, and was given different 
sorts of beds to tempt linn. 
“Curb Spavin.” 
In the Rural New-Yorker of Feb. 95th 
I notice a cure for curb spavin. Will the 
writer of that article please locate a curb 
spavin? We claim that a curb and spavin 
are two distinct diseases, and have no sym¬ 
pathy or connection with each other. The 
curb is an enlargement at the back of the 
hock three or four inches below its point, 
and is eilber a strain of the ring-like liga¬ 
ments which bind tbe tendons in I licit - place 
or the sheath of the tendons. Wc read in 
the books of only two kinds of spavins— 
first, bag or blood spavin, which appears on 
the front and inside the joint; second, the 
bone spavin, which also appears at the flout 
inner and lower part of the joint, and Is an 
affection of the Itock joint; consequently 
there would, in our opinion, be quite ns 
much propriety in designating a ring-bone 
as ring-bone spavin, Allow me to give my 
G'tivo for Curb, 
or any strains on man or beast. Take three 
quarts of alcohol, two ounces oil of umber, 
two ounces oil of origanum, one ounce oil of 
peppermint, one ounce gum camphor, two 
ounces oil of spike, two beef galls; lake ltalf 
the quantity at a time, (will be sufficient,) 
put the ingredients into a jug, and shake 
well before using.— Frank i, in Bowen. 
Floors of Horae Stalls. 
Samuel G. Brennan asks whether tho 
floor of a horse stall should be level, or in¬ 
cline from the lore feet backward. If there 
is any inclination, it should he very slight 
indeed. We have known horses to get into 
the bad habit of banging buck in the stall, 
where there was considerable pitch to the 
floor, in order to get their hind feet in a 
natural position. 
If horses are bedded properly, the floor 
may bo level; a horse will, as it rule, wear a 
level floor less than he will an inclined one. 
RonH'dy fot* Colic. 
I write to correct a mistake in my pre¬ 
scription for colic, &e., in horses. It is only 
four drachms of gunpowder, (z. iv.) not four 
ounces. Please make the correction by pub¬ 
lishing the entire prescription again :—Lau¬ 
danum, one-half ounce; chloroform, one- 
quarter ounce; gunpowder, one-half ounce.; 
whisky, one-half pint; water, one half pint, 
—Thos. 8. Mitchell, Hamilton, Ga. 
atm 
^comrnrg. 
ECONOMICAL NOTES. 
8ap Spile. 
Geo. A. Abbott, Dexter, Me., sends tbe 
Rural New-Yorker a sample of a sap spile 
invented by ldmself, which is not paumied, 
and which he thinks superior 
to any in use. He Iiuh used 
them three years; they cost 
but two cents each, and can 
he made at any pipe filling 
establishment, This spile is 
made of lead pipe, half-inch 
bore, and is an inch and a- 
balf long, with a screw thread 
cut on one end, and a notch, 
as shown in the engraving. 
Mr. Abbott says: — “A tin 
bucket can be used, by having 
a loop loft in the wire of tho pail when it is 
made, or a hole punched in the side of tho 
pail, large enough to slip over the spile and 
into the groove. For a wooden bucket, nail 
on an iron oar, with a hole large enough to 
slip on to the. spiles. 
“ To screw the spile into the tree, I take a 
three-cornered suw-flle, large enough to fill 
the bole in the Rpile, but not long enough to 
stick through, and have it fitted to the brace; 
then grind the teeth off the file, so that the 
comers are sharp, and you have a tool Hint 
will turn them in or out. Have the hole in 
the tree a little smaller tlum the end of the 
spile; put the spile on to the end of I he tool, 
and screw it just through the hark into the 
wood, and it. will hold all that may he re¬ 
quired of it. They thaw out early iu the 
morning, and the sap will not blow out of 
the bucket. The inclosed spile Las been 
used two years.” 
Night Soil. 
James Voice asks the Rural New- 
Yorker if night, soil is a lasting manure, 
and how much, how and when it should be 
applied to one-fourth of an acre of land ; 
also, our opinion of it as a fertilizer com¬ 
pared with horse manuro. There is no bet¬ 
ter manure than night soil. It should be 
mixed thoroughly with three or four times 
its bulk of muck, or charcoal dust, or in die 
absence of either, good loam or coal ashes 
will answer. Mixed with some such absorb¬ 
ent, it will have lost its offensive odor and 
become as portable as any manure. If it is 
to be used to assist garden crops, apply niter 
spading or plowing the land in the spring, 
and mix it thoroughly with (lie surface soil; 
if to corn, apply in Hie hill before planting; 
cover the manure with soil before dropping 
the corn on it. 
Roller umt Sueder, 
Allow me to nsk if there is a field roller 
made of wood, two sections, about four feet 
each in length and diameter, with a plaster 
sower attached behind, and a grass seed at- 
taclinicnl itt front of the sections? If there 
is one made, who is it manufactured by, and 
the price?— E. M. Hathaway. 
We once saw a similar machine to that 
described above, in the West. We do not 
know who manufactured it, nor the price. 
