i|l)ccp thisb;tnilni. 
H. S. RANDALL, LL. D,, EDITOR, 
Of Cortland Villags, Corti,and County, New York. 
SPARRED FLOORS FOR SHEEP 
HOUSES. 
A New Jersey correspondent writes: 
“ I have lately read a recommendation by 
Mr. Mechi, of a grated or sparred floor for a 
sheep house, that would hold the straw but 
let the dung and urine into a tight cellar be¬ 
neath—where they could be kept free from 
any waste until applied to the land. There 
must certainly be advantages in this arrange¬ 
ment; do any disadvantages occur to yon?” 
In our judgment, the plan is objectionable 
in almost all respects. We have not seen it 
tried; but, in the first, place, there cannot, 
we think, he. any reasonable doubt that it 
would be unhealthy to sheep to keep them 
for several months over a mass of ferment¬ 
ing manure, the constantlyevolvinggascs of 
which c add only escape bypassing through 
their midst, and which would, therefore, be 
constantly inhaled by them. 
By frequently sprinking the manure be¬ 
low the floor with gypsum, &c., the escape 
of the gases into the air would be greatly 
diminished; but if that manure remained 
unfrozen, as it doubtless would in a close 
cellar with a heavy coating of straw and a 
flock of sheep on the sparred floor above, 
such escape could not lie entirely prevented, 
and therefore the atmosphere would be im¬ 
pure. And we judge that the atmosphere 
of a room which, notwithstanding an inter¬ 
vening coating of straw would be more or 
less open throughout its lower surface to a 
damp cellar, must partake of the dampness 
of that cellar. Impure air and dampness in 
their winter quarters, are each dangerous, 
and when combined, peculiarly fatal condi¬ 
tions for sheep. With extra care, and in 
propitious seasons, sheep might escape then' 
effects for a time; but in those bad winters 
for these animals which not unfrcquently 
occur, iu which epizootics arc prevalent— 
“Dying winters” ns farmers term them— 
these sheep houses over reeking manure cel¬ 
lars would, we have no doubt, become dens 
of pestilence and death. 
Nor do we think they would even be the 
best and most economical arrangements for 
making and saving the greatest amount or 
value of available manure. To do this, a 
large amount of straw should he mixed with 
the dung and uriue; and this incorporation 
can he most conveniently and suitably made 
on the sheep house floor. The straw is there 
broken up by the sheep's feet, the urine ab¬ 
sorbed by it, and the dung mixed with it in 
the desired proportions by regulating the 
amount of straw used. The manure can be 
removed from the floor as often as necessary, 
and placed under cover if desired. If gyp¬ 
sum is freely used, and the rooms are high, 
spacious and well ventilated, the necessary 
removal of the manure is not frequent 
enough, in cold weather, to make it a serious 
item of expense; and it would not, we think, 
all things considered, exceed the expense of 
the other method. 
—-- 
ADVICE TO LONG-WOOL GROWERS. 
We take the following advice to Growers 
of Combing Wools from the Address from 
the Council of the Bradford Chamber of 
Commerce on Colonial and Foreign Wools, 
1869. Bradford is in Yorkshire, England, 
and is the headquarters of worsted manu¬ 
facture in the world: 
“It Is the desire of the Chamber to call 
the attention of all flock-musters to the fact 
that wool, to he fit for combing purposes, 
and to obtain the higher prices which such 
wool commands, must possess qualities 
which in most instances can be imparted to 
it by close attention to the suggestions con¬ 
tained in the annexed report. 
“Before, however, going into details, it 
may he useful to draw attention to a few 
general observations on the qualities of the 
staple, which all owners of sheep ought to 
aim at, so far as the nature of climate, soil, 
and other circumstances may permit. 
“ The wool most in request, and always 
fetching the highest price, has a staple from 
four to ten inches long, according to its fine¬ 
ness ; it ought to be, as far as possible, uni¬ 
form in quality throughout its whole length; 
bright and lustrous in appearance, or soft 
and kind to the touch; of good spinning 
qualities; and free from burrs or other vege¬ 
table fiber. 
“ Where possible, the breed of sheep should 
be improved by the introduction of careful¬ 
ly selected English rams. 
“ It is most desirable to obtain the whole 
natural length of the staple by only clip¬ 
ping the lambs or sheep once during the 
season’s growth. 
“ When the sheep cannot he pastured all 
the year round upon succulent grasses, a 
constant supply of artificial food will pre¬ 
vent the staple becoming tender. 
“ The two last-mentioned points are of the 
greatest importance; for insufficient food 
during one season, and frequent clipping, 
more than anything else, deteriorate the 
quality and depreciate the value of other¬ 
wise good and useful wool. 
“ The sheep should be well washed before 
they are clipped and the fleece properly 
docked or cleaned. 
“ It is also desirable that a proper classifi¬ 
cation of wool should be made in packing, 
and that the packing itself be thoroughly 
trustworthy and honest.” 
-»»■» ■ ■ ■ . 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
The Skin Wool Amendment -Correction*. 
In publishing the Skin Wool Amendment 
(July 30) we are made to say, “ All wool on 
the skin now pays 20 per cent, duty.” It 
should have read 30 per cent, fluty. On 
receiving the proof sheets we immediately 
telegraphed the proper correction. But, this 
doubtless miscarried, as the correction did 
not appear in the paper of July 30, or the 
succeeding one. 
Wc observe that some of our agricultural 
contemporaries aro publishing an erroneous 
copy of the Skin Wool Amendment. By 
the omission of two lines it is not made to 
appear that the duties on wool on the skin 
in elms one have been raised; and it is made 
to appear that the other wools in that class 
have hitherto paid but 30 cents duty. 
[The error above alluded to was corrected on the 
receipt of Or. RANDALL'S dispatch, but not until 
after a portion (perhaps one-eighth) of the edition 
had been printed.—O ffice Kns.] 
Cave or Tejrs. 
Many portions of the country are so 
parched by drouth that the pastures are 
dried up, and there is but a trifle of after 
feed in the meadows. This makes it a very 
bad period in such places for weaning lambs, 
which particularly require succulent feed 
for a period after being deprived of the ac¬ 
customed supply of milk. It should bo pro¬ 
vided for them if practicable; and if they 
are improved and valuable, it should be 
provided at considerable sacrifice. Grown 
sheep, which reach the winter thin, may be 
kept, up by careful treatment, but if a flock 
of tegs reach it iu that condition, there is but 
little hope for them. 
Wlmt C'oufltitncH Ben ii tv hi Do newllc 
Allium I*. 
The following admirable paragraph is 
from Mr. Sanson's recent work on sheep— 
the translation being by the Editor of the 
Bulletin. “ The notion of beauty in regard 
to domestic animals is not an affair of taste, 
which depends only upon the artistic senti¬ 
ment. It is something entirely supported by 
reasoning and proof, which results from a 
relation established between t he object and 
the end. It. is measured exactly by this 
relation, and is in consequence essentially 
economical. Here the beautiful and the 
good do not Ji.ave different, significations, 
and the good is the end which we propose 
for ourselves in raising animals. In tins 
sense the most beautiful animal is that which 
comes up to the best,—which is in a state to 
render the most service. The raisers of 
stock aro generally quite agreed at present, 
upon the conditions of beauty in their 
animals. They know that the handsomest 
sheep is the one which, for a given live 
weight, renders to the butcher the largest 
amount of net meat., after having furnished 
at the same time the heaviest, fleeces, and 
such as have the highest market value.” 
THE HOOFS OF SHEEP. 
For rainv-day work in the summer time, 
there is no better job to he attended to than 
getting up the sheep and clipping their hoofs 
into shape, if it was not done at shearing 
time. Asiieep’s foot needs pruning as much 
as a fruit orchard, and it, is a sign of had hus¬ 
bandry to see a flock of sheep with all sorts 
of hoofs, some turned up like the toe of ft 
skate, some flattened out like an overgrown 
clam shell, some turned iu like the dried-up 
rind of a pumpkin, and very few with the 
neat, shapely lonn which a sheep’s foot 
should wear. A frowsy, shelly, overgrown 
hoot'is always catching and holding tilth, so 
that the sheep is liable to catch foul humors 
in the foot winch may lead to serious results. 
Long, turned-up toes are a nuisance, often 
catching under roots, and giving the sheep 
a hobbling gait. All thoslnffl or overgrowth 
ot the hoof, which Is noL in contact willi the 
quick, is so much dead rubbish, and can be 
taken off without giving pain, just us long 
finger or toe nails can be taken off without 
giving pain. 
This is a good job for a rainy day, be¬ 
cause when the hoof is soaked, it will cut 
easier. At some ot the hardware stores are 
kept stout toe nippers for this purpose ; but 
where these cannot lie had, the flock master 
can do the job with chisels and knives. For 
long toes, set the foot on a hard block or on 
the burn floor ; set the chisel where the toe 
is to be cm off, taking care that the toe rests 
on the floor or Mm block just underneath the 
chisel; then a smart blow with a mallet will 
shorten the toe in a jiffy ; u few cuts more in 
the same way, will take off the corners and 
leave the sheep free of its hobbles. For a 
shelly hoof, whether turned in or out, set 
the Sheep on end, and with a stout, sharp 
knife, pare oft the flanges of the hoof close 
to Hie live sole. The work may be neatly 
finished by the use of a fine, sharp rasp, 
leaving the hoof in just such shape as de¬ 
sired, and free from cavities where filth can 
generate disease.— Ohio Farmer. 
icrrsiman. 
SWEENIE IN HORSES. 
F. C. Busu writes:—“ I have ahorse that, 
has had the sweenio some fifteen months. 
Will you or any of your readers give a cure 
iu the Rural? I think the sweenie is a 
common ailment among horses, and a good 
remedy would lie invaluable to your readers." 
Few veterinarians recognize any such disease 
as Sweunie. It is said to he the result, of in¬ 
jury in some remote part from the point 
supposed, as the knee or foot. The muscles 
become contracted for want of action ; when 
the animal regains the use of the limb the 
muscles again develop to their normal size. 
But we fiud there are people who believe 
there is such a disease, and here are some of 
the remedies furnished : 
1. Take a sharp knife, pinch up the skin 
on the sunken part, and cut a small hole just 
large enough to insert an open end of a 
goose quill, pul the mouth to the other end 
and blow in wind under the skin. After the 
wind is started there will be no trouble in 
blowing in any quantity. Then, with the 
hand, press the wind all around under the 
skin, until the hollow place is entirely full. 
The only trouble will he to have the skin 
clearly penetrated ; if that is done the blow¬ 
ing the air in is easy. After thus filling the 
shoulder up with wind, rub on some old 
grease or liniment; but you do nothing more 
hut give the animal rest. With this treat¬ 
ment I have sometimes had horses used as 
usual; but it is better, especially in cases of 
long standing, to give rest in addition. 
3. Take the yoke of one egg and a lump 
of salt the size of a hulled walnut; rub 
them together until they form a thick paste; 
apply with the hand, rubbing rapidly until 
the hand becomes hot from friction, or as 
long as you can stand it; then have ready 
a flat iron hot, place a cloth over the affected 
part and heat iu by passing the iron rapidly 
over it until the horse flinches. Apply this 
preparation three times, at intervals of two 
weeks. If not ft very obstinate case, the 
horse will lie entirely well in three months. 
Sweenie, however, is not an original disease, 
but the effect of a sprain or hurt in some 
part of the limb. 
3. To three eggs add three tablespoonfuls 
each of saltpeter, salt, gunpowder, butter, 
lard and (Wseed oil; the saltpeter, salt and 
gunpowder to be well pulverized before 
mixing. After being well mixed let it stand 
iu the sun for two days; then it is ready for 
use. Rub the parts affected willi this morn¬ 
ing and evening, and I think its virtues will 
he seen in from one to three months, accord¬ 
ing to the length of time that the horse has 
been afflicted. Turn the animal on pasture 
and do not work until well. 
4. Take oil of spike, oil of origanum, aqua 
ammonia, spirits of turpentine, sweet oil and 
alcohol, ol‘ each two ounces. Mix to form a 
liniment. This is to be applied freely to the 
shrunken parts, and well rubbed In, every 
other day. Four applications will generally 
cure it. 
5. Take in the following proportions : Oil 
of spike, one ounce; British oil, one ounce; 
sweet oil, three ounces; verdigris, one-half 
ounce; pulverize the verdigris very fine and 
mix ; rub twice a day. 
6. Take one-half pint of castor oil, one- 
ludf pint spirits turpentine, one-balf pint of 
best alcohol; dissolve in it all the camphor 
gum it will cut; mix all together with one 
tablespoonful of pulverized saltpeter; bathe 
twice a clay. 
--- 
NOT THOROUGH-BREDS FOR ME. 
Disgusted with the continual twaddle 
about thorough-bred horses and fast horses, 
I take the liberty, ns a farmer, of saying we 
do not need them. The business of the 
farm is not riding about; and larger and 
heavier homes do the work to better advan¬ 
tage. Now there is not., on an average, one 
out of twenty-five thousand of our people 
that know the meaning of the term ; neither 
do the contributors to newspapers know, or 
they would not show their stupidity by 
making the foolish remarks they do upon 
the subject. The class of horses named 
range from fourteen to fifteen hands In bight 
and from nine hundred and fifty to one 
thousand pounds in weight; and to produce 
this class of horses, every good point has 
been sacrificed to obtain speed. 
It is true that endurance has been sought, 
but not at sacrifice of speed. Endurance is 
good, but is not the kind we need, aud would 
be of no account al the tongue of a wagon 
over a rough road. We need teams that, 
cannot 1)0 pushed about with every jerk of 
a wagon oyer a rough road, but can control 
the wagon—a team that only needs to go 
once for a load—that can plow, sod or no 
sod, deep or shallow; in fact, a learn that 
can take ten bushels of wheat to mill for 
ourselves, two for a neighbor that has no 
team, and two pounds of butter to exchange 
for a quarter pound of tea at the store for 
the widow, and that, iu returning, can take 
from one to fifty of the school children, be¬ 
sides a few homo requirements from the 
grocery—for instance, a pound of tea, two 
pounds of sugar, one-balf pound of pepper, 
one pound of candies, an orange for a sick 
child, a letter from a friend and a Rural 
New-Yorker, without being afraid of 
trouble, and that can haul Mr. Stick-in-the- 
mud, his thorough-brads and their load out 
of the mire every time we find him in trou¬ 
ble, without feeling that we arc doing an in¬ 
justice to old Slow and Steady, who will 
scarcely notice the difference in the draft. 
We want a team that can haul a load of hay 
in the spring for their own use, without hav¬ 
ing to call on the neighbor who keeps thu 
little span of Canada ponies to haul it homo 
for us ; and can take thirty or forty of our 
friends when wo go to the berry patch with¬ 
out being afraid that the load will ruin the 
team; one that, if we sell our present home, 
can take wife ami children and household 
stuff, can be turned loose on the wiki prairie 
and will come when called without fear of 
being overdrawn and overdriven. 
We do not object to those keeping fast 
horses aud other extras who wish to do so 
and can afford it, us it is not. our business ; 
but we don't intend to take other people’s 
advice or ideas about what we need with¬ 
out better reasons than those given, having 
long been a scholar in the school of ad¬ 
versity. Clod llorrER. 
TREATMENT ^0F RINGBONE. 
A gentleman submits to Prof. Law the 
following statementIt was told me by a 
teamster, and was this: Fasten a bar of lead, 
bent to a ring, about the horse's pastern, so 
as to rest down on the ringbone, when the 
latter rapidly diminishes in size, and soon 
ceases to be painful or inconvenient to the 
horse. The ringbone will, however, soon 
begin to grow out again, if the lead is not 
kept on. The bars of lead, weighing half or 
three-quarters of a pound, and eight or ten 
inches long, to he found in almost every vil¬ 
lage store, aro of the right size. A hole mual 
be drilled, or cut out with a knife, near each 
end of the bar, and grooves cut on both aides 
from each hole to the ends of the lead, and 
llic ends of the grooves nicely rounded off 
where they lead into the holes. The bar 
should be just long enough, when bent in 
the form of a ring about the horse’s pastern, 
to fit a little loosely when it comes down to 
its place on the ringbone. The holes arc for 
reeving through twine (cotton is best) for the 
purpose of joining the ends Of the lead to¬ 
gether after it is put on the horse’s pastern 
and beat to ils proper shape. The twine 
should tic passed through from one hole to 
the other a. great many times, so us to fill the 
holes and grooves to prevent its parting, or 
being chafed off. The lead wilt stretch out 
too large, or he lost off in two or three weeks, 
hut it costs little to replace it. 
To which Prof. Law replies in the Tri¬ 
bune:—The above remarks deserve the at¬ 
tention of those having young and growing- 
horses, the subject of ringbones, in a chronic 
and comparatively inactive state. I have 
seen the remedy applied, with apparently 
good results. The improvement is duo to 
the pressure kept up by the ring of lead, 
which stimulates the absorbents and leads 
to the diminution of the tumor. The action is 
the same as the absorption and indentation of 
the. bone of the leg by the continued pres¬ 
sure of a tight garter, only the ringbone fol¬ 
lows the example of other diseased products 
in giving way more rapidly than the healthy 
bone. The steady decrease in the bulk of 
ringbones in young horses, when the ex¬ 
citing causes have been removed, was long 
since remarked by Solleysell; and the 
gentle, but persistent pressure of the leaden 
ring merely seconds this native tendency. 
But in recent ringbones, painful to the 
touch, and causing severe lameness, another 
system of treatment must first he adopted. 
A diet of bran mashes or other soft food 
must he given, a dose of physic administered, 
and wel bandages kept on the diseased let- 
lock till the extreme tenderness on pressure 
has disappeared. Then may the pressure be 
applied with safety. This is not the only 
instance of the advantageous use of pressure 
for the removal of mobid enlargements in 
the horse. In certain kinds of wimlgalls, 
thorough-pins, and bog spavins, it proves 
still more successful than in ringbones. 
—-—- - 
NOTES FOR HORSEMEN. 
Horse Distemper or Catarrh. 
“A Subscriber” writes that be has a 
horse that coughed last spring and “ ran at. 
the nose " some, but his wind appeared good. 
He turned him in the pasture, and the cough 
ceased until lately, when it baa become worse 
than ever. The throat and glands of the 
neck are swelled. He now keeps him in a 
stable and feeds fresh grass. Jennings 
recommends that “if the symptoms are 
slight, one of the following powders given 
night and morning will be all that is re¬ 
quired Of suit peter, two ounces; of pul¬ 
verized Jamaica ginger, one ounce; mixed 
and divided into eight powders. It there is 
swelling under the jaws, poulLico the. throat 
with flaxseed meal; if much discharge from 
the uoslrils, steam them well with boiling 
water poured upon bran. If the inflamma¬ 
tion exhibits any tendency to extend down 
the windpipe, apply a blister all along the 
the neck over the windpipe from the throat 
to the breast, giving one of the following 
balls night and morning:—Of nitrate of 
potaasa aud pulverized gentian root, each 
one ounce; Jamaica ginger and caraway 
seeds, each half an ounce; mix with mo¬ 
lasses and divide into six balls. If the dis¬ 
charge from the nose continues, the animal 
losing flesh and the appetite being impaired, 
give one of the following powders in the 
feed night and morning; Sulphate of cop¬ 
per, one ounce; pulverized gentian root, one 
and a-half ounces; pulverized ginger, six 
drachms; mix and divide into eight pow¬ 
ders. Good, wholesome food only should be 
given.” 
J* ? h Coif* 
In the Rural New-Yorker, June 18 th, 
page 394, N. J., of Sknneateies, asks tor a 
remedy for bis eoll. The trouble will not 
injure the cold if attended to. He should 
not be worked—at least, not heavy work, 
lie is stilled, but may be cured. For rem¬ 
edy take origanum, four ounces; acamonia, 
(? Eds.) four ounces; sweet oil, four ounces; 
camphor gum, two ounces, and bathe the 
stifle joint fredv three times a day. This 
has cured several horses within my knowl¬ 
edge.— g. w. c. 
be Aphtrhm. 
INQUIRIES ANSWERED. 
BY HERBERT A. BURCH. 
About Virgin Qimmmin Flying. 
In the Rural New-Yorker of July 16th, 
Amos Jones asks “if a virgin queen will 
fly earlier from a hive full of bees than from 
a nucleus of only a quart.” A virgin queen 
man leave a full colony of bees sooner for 
impregnation than from a nucleus; but the 
difference of time will not exceed three days. 
Do Boon Mix Honey. 
Mr. Benson inquires “ if bees mix (lie 
honey gathered from different varieties of 
flowers, (if they simply gather it,) or do they 
gather from only one kind of a blossom at a 
lime.” Bees never work upon more than 
one species of flowers at a time. 1 have 
watched them white at, work, where blos¬ 
soms of different flowers were near each 
other, and have never seen a bee make a 
mistake in this respect. 
Kind of Iioncy run* to Dm-. 
Mrs. S. F. P. asks:—“ Are glass caps, or 
caps half glass, Ihc best, form in w hich to 
send honey to market? Are they not too 
easily broken and insecure?” Iloney in 
boxes, with glass on four sides, brings the 
highest price in market. There is hut lii.ilo 
danger of breaking, if they are properly 
packed before shipment, ll properly han¬ 
dled by railway employees, there is no 
danger of loss. They should be made so as 
to hold five or six pounds. 
Do Boe* Gather or Make Honey? 
Hamilton Benson asks “if bees gather 
or make honey from flowers.” Bees never 
ma/ce honey at all. They simply gather it. 
If we feed a swarm Of bees a poor quality of 
molasses, we shall find it in the combs un¬ 
changed. If we feed abetter quality of mo¬ 
lasses, the result will be the same. What¬ 
ever we feed our bees they will store in the 
comha unchanged, Honey gathered in warm, 
damp weather will, after being stored in the 
hive, become thicker by evaporation. 
I.ininu (lives. 
Erastus Major writes:—“ I have seen it 
recommended to line hives with flannel or 
some similar substance. I should like some 
one having experience to fell why they 
should be so lined, if they should. What is 
the best method of ventilating hives?” The 
only object in lining hives would be to make 
them cooler in summer and warmer in win¬ 
ter. Some bee keepers make their hives 
double, leaving a dead air space all around. 
But a hive of single thickness, if shaded 
from the direct rays of the sun and properly 
ventilated, la sufficient for all practical pur¬ 
poses. The best method of ventilation is to 
make openings through the bottom board 
aud cover with wire cloth. 
Where to I’m Honey Boxen. 
“Bee Keeper,” of Concord, O., wishes to 
know “ how it will answer to place honey 
boxes at the side instead of the top of the 
hive.” If you wish to secure the most sur¬ 
plus honey, leave your boxes on the top of 
the hive. The natural instinct of the bee is 
to store honey in the highest place in the 
hive. The warm air below will enter the 
boxes when they are on top, which induces 
the Ijocs to commence in them early in the 
season. When boxes are placed on the side 
of the hive, you need not expect more than 
one half the surplus which von would ob¬ 
tain by placing them on the lop. Fre¬ 
quently when they aro placed on the side 
they will not store honey in them at all. 
South liuveu, Miuh., 1870. 
