Sept « 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
or Warlaby contingent, bave spread the fame 
of the Booth blood far aud wide. 
A worthy rival of the Booths was Thomas 
Bates, crotchety, kind-hearted, acrimonious, 
and an extremely skillful breeder. Haring 
started Short-horn breeding in 1800, at the age 
of 25, he devoted an ample fortune, fine abili 
ties and the rest of a long life to the produc¬ 
tion of a herd of such transcendent merit as to 
insure his lasting fame. At his death, in 1849, 
no Short-horn herd on the globe excelled his, 
judging from the prizes, prices aud renown 
since won by the tribes he established. Of these 
the first in order of time, in his affectionate 
care and in world-wide celebrity, comes the 
Duchess, closely followed by its near relative 
the Oxford, while the Waterloo, Bed Rose, 
Wild Eyes and Foggathorpe tribes have all 
deservedly won high reputation. 
What these famous breeders, aud a multi¬ 
tude of others hardly less renowned, have ef¬ 
fected by way of improvement in the course 
of a century can be readily seen by comparing 
the splendid Short-horns of to-dav with the 
coarse Short-horns before the Codings’ time, 
as above described. 
What a magnificent bead is that of the 
heifer, Golden Thistle, on our first page, the 
property of W. A. Harris, Liuwood, Kansas, 
which was bred by A. Cruikshauk, Aberdeen- 
liire, Scotland. 
STOCK JOTTINGS. 
Points of Devons. —There has been con¬ 
siderable discontent in Eugland the past sea¬ 
son at the conflicting and bewildering deci¬ 
sions of judges in making awards of prizes 
among Devon cattle, aud it is proposed to de¬ 
fine more clearly the points of Devons. 
In this country there is no breed whose char¬ 
acteristic points are so clearly marked as 
those of the Devons; but in England there are 
the Devon-Devons aud the Somerset Devons. 
The former are the more symmetrical; the 
latter the larger; the former the more suit¬ 
able for hilly districts and medium soils; 
and the latter for more level aud rich 
districts. Hence differences of opinion : one 
man wants size; another, symmetry. The 
favorite Devons, however, are a medium-sized 
breed, and many object to any attempt to en¬ 
large the size by breeding or in any other way, 
as certain to entail loss of caste, and spoil the 
kit. The list of prizes for Devons is being 
somewhat contracted by English agricultural • 
societies. _ 
Devons Slighjed. —There is some indigna¬ 
tion among breeders of Devon cattle at the 
slight notice taken of their favorites in reports 
of exhibits at fairs, and it is especially eftarg- 
ed that Short-horn and Aberdeen-Angus, 
men are trying to belittle the solid reds. 
Doesn’t the fault, if there is one, lie chiefly 
with the Devon men! They have probably 
the best established of all breeds; when have 
they ever tried to “ boom” them, or even to 
call a just amount of attention to their merits i 
They should hardly expect others to take up 
the part of tbeir business they themselves 
neglect. 
Ergot and Abortion.— Ergot on rye, grain 
or grass, is a fruitful cause of abortion in 
cows. This is now generally regarded as a 
malformation of the grain or grass, due to 
a parasitic fungus attached to it from its 
earliest development. It is a protuberance 
which grows out in a curved form, resembling 
a cock’s spur, from among the grains of the 
grass tribe, as wheat, barley, and especially 
rye. In the latter it is known as spurred rye. 
The spur-like protuberance should lx- readily 
recognizable. The ashen hue of the earlier 
stages gives place, later on, to a dark-purplish 
color. It attacks only the flowering branches 
or panicles of the grasses, and it is useless to 
look for it on the stems or leaves. The sides 
of streams and ditches, hedgerows, anil other 
places where uncut grasses are allowed to 
flourish, should be regarded with suspicion, 
and, on the discovery of ergot, in-calf cows 
should be kept away from the spot till the er- 
goted grasses bave been gathered and burnt. 
Abortion once commenced in a herd of cows 
may extend merely by sympathy; aud the 
loss aud inconvenience are so great as to ren¬ 
der trivial any trouble involved in keeping a 
sharp lookout for ergot, provided those in 
charge of cows know where to look for the 
pest, and how to recognize it. 
Aberdeen-Angus Cattle.— At the annual 
meeting of the Polled Cattle Society .held the 
other day at Aberdeen, Scotlaud, it was an¬ 
nounced that Vol. X. of the Herd Book had 
been issued February 15, and that Vol. XL 
would close January 1. For this 1870 entries 
had been alr<3ady received, ISO of them being 
from America—about two-thirds fewer than 
usual. Of the 12(1 animals from this country 
seeking entry 117 were bred on this side of the 
water. Vol. I of the American Aberdeen- 
Angus Herd Book was published in July, and 
hence there is some doubt about the advisabil¬ 
ity of permitting American entries in the 
Scotch Herd Book henceforth. The matter is 
under advisement. Hitherto these cattle have 
lieen known in Scotland as polled Aberdeen or 
Angus; it was decided henceforth to call them 
Aberdeen-Angus, a name adopted here nearly 
two years ago. 
REMOVING OBSTRUCTION IN COW’S THROAT. 
I notice a device in a late Rural for re¬ 
moving an obstruction from a cow’s throat. I 
find that ‘‘gagging” the animal is almost, if 
not quite, a sure cure. In fact, I have never 
known it to fail. My method is to take a 
piece of a round stick, the size of a fork-handle 
about a foot long, and place it through the 
anima l’s mouth so that the ends stick out at 
either side. Press it firmly back in the mouth 
as far as possible. Tie a string to each end of 
the stick, and up over the head, or around the 
horns, to keep it in position, aud leave the ani¬ 
mal for a short time. The obstruction will 
pass away without further trouble. 
New Beilin, N. Y. J. s. B. 
Ijoricman. 
GENERAL CARE OF THE FEET OF THE 
HORSE. 
DR. F. L. KILBORN. 
Importance of sound feet; great care essen¬ 
tial; evils of bad shoeing; brittle <lnd con¬ 
tracted hoofs; hoof ointments; bruises, 
pricks, strains, etc.; importance of rest. 
The foot is one of the most important and 
complicated members of the horse economy; 
moreover, it is a member more liable to injury 
and disease than any other part of the animal. 
And yet, how many of the readers of the 
Rural are there that ever give auy special 
attention to the condition and care of their 
horses’ feet? Many appear to believe that the 
only attention the feet of a horse require is to 
be re-shod whenever a shoe becomes loosened 
or lost, whether it is in one or six mouths. 
While bad shoeing is undoubtedly the most 
prolific cause of diseases of the feet, due largely 
to the deplorable condition of our present fai¬ 
rier system, still there are many other matters 
in the care of the feet that every farmer can 
and ought to look after. Through this care¬ 
lessness and inattention, and 1 may say ignor¬ 
ance, especially on the part of the average far¬ 
rier, more horses are either blemished, perma¬ 
nently injured, or ruined than by any other 
method. An occasional systematic inspection 
of the feet aud limbs should be made, to see 
that they are being kept in the proper healthy 
condition. This will enable the owner to dis¬ 
cover any slight injury or disease in the earlier 
stages when treatment is comparatively simple, 
and recovery much more certain. It will also 
cultivate a habit of observation that will be 
invaluable to every horse-owner. 
Whether at work or standing idle, all dirt 
aud manure collecting in the shoe should be 
daily removed, preferably at evening, with a 
blunt-pointed iron instrument. If allowed to 
remain it dries, retains or increases the heat 
of the foot, and tends to drying aud brittle¬ 
ness of the sole. During the Winter there is 
very little danger from drying and contrac¬ 
tion, but during the heat and droughts of 
Bummer the danger is greatly increased. 
Horses that are constantly kept on dry roads 
or paved streets or dry stables are quite liable 
to suffer from over-drying. Simple contrac¬ 
tion, however, must not be confounded with 
the contraction which so frequently results 
from various diseases of tho foot. The former 
occurs only occasionally; but tho latter verj 
frequently. One ol’ the most common causes 
of contraction from drying is the prevailing 
custom of farriers to mutilate the hoof by ex¬ 
cessive rasping and paring. In their opinion, 
an auimal is not properly shod unless a large 
part of the surface horn—the great safeguard 
against excessive drying—is removed. The 
progress of contraction can very readily be 
seen by observing the heels aud frog. As con¬ 
traction goes on, the heels approach each 
other—‘‘turn in”—and the frog In comes dry, 
hard and diminished in size. An excellent 
method is to keep accurate measurements of 
the feet, taken when they are in good condi¬ 
tion. These ca n be used as a ready means of 
comparison, and will indicate thu degree of 
contraction at any time. 
Wetting the feet frequently, especially when 
heated, while answering a very good purpose 
in many oases, is a questionable practice. 
Better to allow the hcffse to stand lor several 
hours daily for a few days in a puddle of 
clay or a water-bath just deep enough to 
cover the hoofs. Turning the horse on a web 
pasture for several days, pasturing at night, 
or even for a few hours in the morning where 
there are heavy dews, are all beneficial; It 
must not be forgotten that after such soaking 
or moistening, the hoofs are, for a time, even 
more susceptible to drying influences than 
before; so that to counteract this tendency, a 
suitable hoof-u'utment should be repeatedly 
applied after the soaking. These hoof-oint¬ 
ments can very frequently be employed to ad¬ 
vantage to prevent excessive drying, not only 
after soaking, but whenever the hoof is dry¬ 
ing from other causes, aud especially after the 
hoof has been unduly rasped by the farrier. 
An excellent simple ointment for this purpose 
is a mixture of equal parts of tho best pine 
tar aud vaseline, to lx applied daily as long as 
required. A horse should not be allowed to 
stand on or near heating manure, in urine, or 
on any decomposing substances. It injures 
the quality of the hoof, rendering it dry and 
brittle. 
In recent bruises, pricks, strains, or other 
injuries to the feet where inflammation is 
liable to result, cold water is one of the best of 
applications to keep down the inflammation. 
Loosely fasten a piece of old blanket or sack¬ 
ing about the injured foot, and keep it satu¬ 
rated with cold water until the inflammation 
is reduced. In very severe cases, or in those 
not promptly attended to, a warm poultice 
may be more soothing. 
Rest is an all-important part of the treat¬ 
ment. If this is neglected, and the animals 
kept at work, or if it is not promptly and 
properly treated, structural changes may soon 
occur, which will render tho case very diffi¬ 
cult to cure, or perhaps altogether incurable. 
Too much importance cannot be given to the 
early, proper care of all injuries and diseases 
of the feet. Rest, without treatment, is 
usually better than treatment without rest, 
but to secure tho best results the two must be 
combined. 
In the case of strains or sprains, the animal 
should be allowed to rest for several days, or 
in severe cases for several weeks, after an 
apparent complete recovery, otherwise a re¬ 
turn of the lameness in an aggravated form 
frequently results. In all cases of wounds 
that are discharging, a free opening should be 
made for the discharge of the pus ; the cavity 
should lie thoroughly swabbed out with some 
astringent anti-septic wash, (as sulphate of 
copper or zinc, carbolic acid, etc., one dram in 
a pint of water), and dressed with tar. Per¬ 
fect cleanliness should be observed; all wounds 
should be carefully cleaned und the 
foot bandaged, when necessary, to re¬ 
tain the dressing and keep out the 
dirt. Daring the enforced rest the 
animal should be kept on a restricted laxative 
diet; when again put to work, it should be 
gradual, until there is no danger of a recur¬ 
rence of the injury. 
Wild Mustangs in New* England. — 
A number of wild Western cowboys are 
traveling through New England just now, 
selling mustangs to the farmers and all others 
who will buy them. They are reported to 
have operated to a considerable c xtcut in other 
parts of the country also. They advertise 
ahead of their arrival; and on entering a 
town, with long strings of prancing, cavort¬ 
ing, mane and tail-tossing mustangs, turn 
them loose on the fair ground or some other 
large inclosure, and hunt them down on 
trained horses, lassoing and capturing them, 
to the huge delight and admiration of the as¬ 
sembled neighborhood. The fire, vigor aud 
speed of the ponies; the wild gestures, long, 
free-flowing locks and bedizened garb of the 
riders, and the excitement of tho entire scene, 
predispose the farmers to bid good prices for 
the mustangs when they‘are put up at auction 
at the close of the performance. The “steeds of 
the prairie’ are thought to be tougher, hardier 
and gamer than the native horses, and many 
a quiet farmer, doctor and deacon is induced 
to invest in one. In nine cases out of ten, 
after a short time he wishes he hadn't. Most 
of the auimals have never been broken. None 
of them lias learned to prefer oats to grass, 
or even Canada thistles. All of them have 
strong objections to barns, which many of 
them soon emphasize with their heels. Al¬ 
though not very high, a fall from one of them 
either bucking or swerving or stopping sud¬ 
denly when dashing along at full Speed, hurts 
quite severely, as is evidenced by numerous 
bruises and contusions and some broken limbs. 
The enthusiasm for them soon, dies out where- 
ever they are well known, and the opinion is 
becoming general that, however well adapted 
they may be to the “Wild West,” they are 
much less valuable for Eastern use than the 
native stock. 
Sljcqj ijusbamin). 
Notes from the Western Netc York Farm. 
WINTERING LAMBS. 
THE old way. does it pay? 
At least 900 out of every 1,000 lambs win¬ 
tered, are either raised on the farm or bought 
in the Fall and either turned into the barn¬ 
yard or an (open field in which is a stack of 
hay and there compelled to run through the 
Winter, with little or no water except what 
they* may get from some hole cut through the 
ice or by eating snow, and with no protection 
except the fence or the lee side of the hay or 
straw stack; or perhaps in the most favor¬ 
able instances they may have an open shed to 
run under, and this is always the coldest aud 
most windy place on the farm. They are us¬ 
ually* given two feeds of hay daily aud allowed 
to pull what straw* they can from the stack, 
and n portion is usually scattered about the 
yard each day. The hay given them is seldom 
pure clover cut in proper time; but is usually 
a mixture of Timothy, June Grass, Red Top, 
and clover often much over-ripe when cut. 
Bo treated we Hud them in Bpring gaunt 
and feeble. What little growth they may* 
have gained in frame has been at the cost of 
the flesh. The majority* are badly infested 
with ticks aud in many flocks a large percent¬ 
age have yielded their pelts to ornament the 
fences and their emaciated carcasses to feed the 
hungry swine. Is it any* wonder that the 
owners in disgust assert that there is no money 
in lamb raising, and that, lambs are the very 
worst stock a man ever did try to winter? 
THK BALANCE: WHERE IS IT? 
Even under tho most favorable conditions, 
the balance umst.be small, aud without esti¬ 
mating the value of the manure for use on 
the farm, it must appear on the wrong side 
of the accouut. Suppose a lot of lambs are 
taken, weighing 60 pounds in the Fall; such 
lambs are richly worth four cents per pound. 
To carry them through the Winter without 
Joss in number or weight would require at 
least three per cent, of their live weight in 
good clover hay daily, besides what straw* 
they might get. This would amount to 825 
pounds each. At this rate the account against 
the lambs will be, for cost price, 82.40; for 825 
pounds of hay* at 88.00 per tou, $1.40; for in¬ 
terest for six months on cost price, .07, mak¬ 
ing an aggregate, of $8.87 each. For this wo 
have, after shearing, a yearling sheep worth 
three cents per pound, aud if it has gained iu 
weight as much as the weight of fleece taken 
off, it would be worth $1.80. The seven 
pounds of wool would have sold for 25 cents 
per pound, or $1.75 for the fleece. The man¬ 
ure well cared for and used, is worth half as 
much as the hay, or .70. This makes a total 
of $4.25, and shows a balance in favor of the 
sheep of 88 cents; but when exposed as it would 
be where Jambs were so wintered, the manure 
would lost? by* washing and evaporation at 
least half its value. Deduct this aud the 
profit vanishes. 
On looking this estimate over earefully* it 
will be seen that if any error has been made 
or any over-valuation allowed, it has been 
rather for than against the lambs, so that this 
method has nothing to recommend it, even 
where the conditions arc all most favorable; 
aud where ordinary mixed meadow hay is 
substituted for the clover, or where a less 
quantity is given, the case will show mueh 
worse. They will absolutely fall away in 
flesh, and more or less will starve to death. 
Every observant man must bear testimony 
to the truthfulness of this presentation of the 
case, and must admit that there is not only* no 
profit, but that there is an absolute loss in the 
wintering of lambs as it is ordinarily done. 
It would be fur better for the farmer to sell his 
lambs in the Fall, as there is always a good 
demand for them then. What deceives people is 
the fact that they look at the result of keeping 
them during the whole year, and think that 
the value of the yearling and its fleece is so 
much to be credited to tho flock, when they 
should consider the value of the lamb in the 
Fall, and compare that and the cost of food 
with its Spring value after shearing. Iu tho 
next “Notes” I will endeavor to show that 
there is a better way, and what that bet¬ 
ter way is. _ 
It is now high time that lambs were taken 
from the owes. What they get iu the way of 
milk does not compensate for the annoyance 
they are to the ewes, and it only spoils their 
appetite for grass. They should be put into 
good, fresh feed and where they cannot hoar 
the bloutings of the mothers. They should 
have plenty of fresh water und must be fed 
daily an allowance of a mixture of bran aud 
corn, equal parts. This will keep them grow¬ 
ing nicely and bring them into winter-quar¬ 
ters strong and fat. 
At last, on the Kith of August, over 65 days’ 
continuous drought was broken by a fine rain, 
and again on the 24th. We have had enough 
to wet down us deep as the plow runs. These 
will greatly benefit late corn and potatoes, 
and enable the farmers to properly fit the bar¬ 
ley and oat grounds for seeding, which Could 
not have been done bad the dry weather con¬ 
tinued. 
It is wonderful how quickly the grass starts 
