1898 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
293 
BELGIAN HARES A NEW INDUSTRY. 
The Belgian hares, unlike our wild 
rabbits, are perfectly content in close 
quarters, and are quick growing and very 
prolific. Given a hutch, three feet wide 
and six feet long, with a space of two feet 
at one end inclosed, and a doe hare will 
be as happy as in her native hills, and 
rear from six to eight litters of young, 
each averaging about six at a litter, 
yearly. For food, they like oats, clover 
hay, bran, and a feed of carrots, turnips, 
cabbage or weeds once a day. They are 
like sheep in relishing almost any sort 
of weed, the more acrid the better, and 
they seem to thrive on this kind of diet. 
The young come into the world devoid 
of any appearance of hair, and blind, 
but grow rapidly, and get their growth 
at about six months old. Unlike the 
common wild rabbits, their meat is white 
and of much better flavor. While the 
wild rabbits, so plentiful in the markets 
last Winter, were selling at almost any 
price, there has been a good sale of Bel¬ 
gian hares at about 10 cents per pound 
dead weight. The average weight is 
from six to eight pounds, but a full- 
grown one, very fat, sometimes weighs 
as much as 12 pounds, or more. 
They cross readily with our common 
wild rabbits, but the cross is not nearly 
of as good quality, and should not be 
sold, as they injure the sale of purebred 
ones. Some fancy imported ones bring 
long prices ; a pair were shown at the 
Toronto Exhibition last Fall that cost 
£15 in England. They seem entirely free 
from all disease except an occasional at¬ 
tack of scours, and a full feed of ash 
leaves or limbs from which they will eat 
the bark, cures this. In an hour’s time 
each day, a man can take care of and 
feed 100 breeding does. If one doe raise 
36 in one year, and these when full 
grown weigh no more than six pounds 
each, it would show 216 pounds of meat 
production, which at only five cents per 
pound, would be $10.80. As the cost of 
feed and care would not exceed one-half 
of this, it would show a very satisfactory 
profit, even for the keeping of a sheep. 
But as 100 breeding doe hares can be 
kept on less space than one sheep, who 
shall say that the Belgian hare industry 
is not, by far, a better business than 
sheep, swine or poultry raising ? w. j. 
AILING ANIMALS. 
ANSWERS BY DR. F. L. KILBORNE. 
Heifer Fails to Breed. 
I have a fine Jersey heifer that will not breed, 
though she has taken the bull 20 times. What 
shall I do with her ? R. M. a. 
North Carolina. 
Do not allow the heifer to take the bull again 
until after going to grass. If she is being 
grained, take the grain away. Give her plenty 
of ont-of-door exercise for the next month, and 
after being on grass for two or three weeks, let 
her take the bull. If she then fail to breed, have 
an examination made by a qualified veterinary 
surgeon to ascertain whether the neck of the 
womb is not closed. 
Winter Exercise for Idle Horses. 
Which way should a farmer winter horses that 
he has no use for—keep them in the barn, or turn 
them out? If turned out, how often must they 
be turned out to keep them from running and 
straining themselves? I had a valuable horse 
lame himself by running when let out of the 
stable. Will a farm team stand work as well if 
kept in the barn all Winter ? ^ j. b. 
Grundy County, Ill. 
Horses that are idle during the Winter should 
have some regular exercise. A very convenient 
method is to give each horse the run of a large 
box-stall, when they will require but little outside 
exercise. A half hour three or four times a week 
will then suffice to keep them in condition. More 
exercise would keep them in better condition to 
work at any time if needed. For young or spir¬ 
ited horses that are likely to injure themselves 
by running, I would suggest a small yard, not to 
exceed four to six rods square, with a high fence, 
in which to exercise. Turn the horses into the 
yard, one at a time, for an hour or two on pleas¬ 
ant days. They can take sufficient exercise in 
this yard, and the limited area will give them 
little room in which to run, so that the danger of 
injury is reduced to a minimum. No plan can be 
devised that will be devoid of all danger. Horses 
occasionally seriously injure or sprain themselves 
by slipping or kicking in the stable. When 
horses have been idle during the Winter, they 
should be put to work gradually, s j as to become 
hardened to the work, the same as a man who 
has been idle for several weeks or months. 
Chronic Laminitis in a Horse. 
My horse has a ringbone in the front foot which 
has been blistered. The hoof seems to be spongy, 
i. e., it has the appearance of not being solid. 
The front part of the wall of the hoof is rough, 
and there is a series of ridges from top to bottom 
on a space about an inch wide. He limps slightly 
when on a trot, but does not show it when walk¬ 
ing. Can I do anything for it ? v. h. m. 
Belvidere, Ill. 
The condition you describe indicates chronic 
laminitis, or inflammation in the foot. Rub the 
coronet once a week with ammonia liniment suf¬ 
ficient to blister mildly. Dress the hoof wall and 
sole daily with hot tar. As soon as the horse can 
be turned to grass, place in a soft, damp pasture 
for a run of two or three months. Continue to 
blister the coronet occasionally, and the tar 
dressing at least twice a week. The treatment 
will improve the growth and condition of the 
hoof. A cure cannot be expected. 
Horse Out of Condition. 
My 15-year-old horsd Seems to be in poor condi¬ 
tion. He eats heartily, but his ribs show all 
the time. He drinks about one-half as much as 
his mate, and his water is very thick and stringy, 
and in color, a light to a dark yellow and very 
scanty. He is a good work horse, and as tough 
as a pine knot. Feed, corn and corn fodder. 
Whorley, Tenn. l. a. h. 
A mixed ration will be more desirable than the 
exclusive diet of corn fodder and corn. I would 
advise substituting either ground oats, wheat 
bran or gluten meal for one-half of the corn. Give 
one of the following powders in the feed night 
and morning: Phosphate of iron, four ounces; 
nitrate of potash, eight ounces; sulphate of 
soda and powdered gentian, of each 16 ounces; 
mix and make into 32 powders. Rub the loins 
daily with ammonia liniment until well blistered. 
Repeat the blistering two or three times at inter¬ 
vals of about three weeks. 
Anasarcous Swelling in the Legs of a Mare. 
Last year, I wrote to you about a mare that I 
have. The answer is found on page 252 of April 
10,1897. She foaled on June 5. The swelling in 
her legs went away the very day the colt came, 
but in the course of a few weeks, it came grad¬ 
ually back again. She is laid up now in the 
same manner as last year, but is not with foal. 
After I wrote you last year about her, her leg 
broke and ran, sometimes yellowish matter for 
a week or ten days. I called in a veterinarian, 
but he didn’t seem to know what .ailed her. Her 
lameness this time came on suddenly in the 
afternoon. She had been worked lightly the day 
before. Previously, she was troubled with the 
scratches more or less all Winter (nearly every 
Winter for five or six years back). If I can get 
her into condition, I wish to breed her again this 
Summer. Do you think her condition will injure 
her for breeding ? Her last year’s colt is all 
right so far ? w. f. r. 
Peshtigo, Wis. 
The swellings appear to be more of an anasar¬ 
cous than of a dropsical nature, evidently due to 
the condition of the mare’s blood. Give one of 
the following powders in the feed twice daily: 
Dry sulphate of iron, four ounces; quinine, two 
ounces; mix and make into 82 powders. If the 
swellings are present, or whenever they appear, 
give one-half ounce chlorate of potash in the 
drinking water (or feed if preferable), twice 
daily. Bathe the swellings several times daily 
with water as hot as the hand can bear. Unless 
the bowels are already loose, give one pint of 
raw linseed oil once daily until the bowels are 
moved. Then keep them moving freely by feed¬ 
ing some succulent food or occasional bran 
mashes. If the above treatment afford little or 
no relief, try a course of the iodide of potash as 
directed on page 398 of The R. N.-Y. of June 12, 
1897. Pregnancy will be liable to increase the 
tendency to a recurrence of the swellings; other¬ 
wise, the mare can be safely bred again if she 
make a good recovery so as to be in condition. 
Horse Out of Condition. 
■ I got a 10-year-old horse from Brooklyn last 
Fall, which was very poor in flesh, is still very 
thin, and is not aide to do a whole day’s work. 
We feed him all the corn, bran and clover hay 
we dare; he always has a good appetite, and 
seems to feel well, but soon tires out. He has 
never had any medicine. What shall I do with 
him ? «. H. k. 
Middletown, Del. 
I would replace the corn, in part at least, by 
oats, or preferably, by ground feed, or one part 
each, by weight, of corn meal and wheat bran, 
and two parts of ground oats; one-eighth part oil 
meal could be added to advantage. If the horse 
does not masticate his feed well, have the teeth 
examined by a qualified veterinary surgeon, and 
dressed if required. Give one of the following 
powders in the feed twice daily: Powdered uux 
vomica and dry sulphate of iron, of each, six 
ounces; gentian and ginger, of each, one pound; 
mix and make into 32 powders. If there is con¬ 
stipation, give one pint raw linseed oil daily 
until the bowels are relaxed. A bran mash at 
night, two or three times a week, will then assist 
in keeping the bowels open. 
Excessive Nervousness in a Young Horse. 
_ My horse, for several weeks, Fall and Spring, 
will, when being driven, shake her head and jump 
about as though something were biting her head, 
or as though her head or ear were paining her. 
There seem to be no flies, and she does not do 
this at all in the stall, neither does she act this 
way except in the Fall or Spring. She is a nervous 
beast, young and of high life. Can you explain, 
and suggest a remedy ? w. c. 
Lansing, Mich 
Personal observation would be necessary in 
this case, to enable me to form a definite opinion 
as to the cause of the trouble. It may be due 
either to habit, to plethora (being too fat or over¬ 
fed, with lack of exercise), or to compression of 
the jugular vein from wearing a bame collar 
that is too small, or a breast collar too high. 
The habit will have to be corrected by handling 
and training. If the mare is fat, give one ounce 
each of aloes and ginger to open the bowels. 
Then feed more sparingly, giving some succulent 
food, or a bran mash occasionally to keep the 
bowels moving freely. Attention should be given 
to the collar, to make sure that it is properly 
fitted, and that there is no undue pressure on the 
jugular vein. 
Indigestion in a Horse. 
Will you give me a prescription for a horse 
that has chronic colic ? He had it last Fall about 
once a week, but was free last Winter until now. 
He is looking and feeling well, gets a light feed 
of hay, 10 quarts of corn and oats, two quarts of 
wheat bran, and a bran mash once or twice a 
week, with a little saltpeter added once a week. 
He has, also, had oil meal and sweet-apple pom¬ 
ace. Bowels are loose. He has exercise every day. 
Age, 13 years; teeth in good shape last Fall. I 
judge the cause to be indigestion, but cannot tell 
how to better the feed. Colic does not come from 
injudicious feeding or watering, but is of the 
spasmodic type. f. w. v. 
Milton, N. Y. 
The history and symptoms indicate indigestion, 
but I cannot form a definite opinion as to the 
cause. Possibly the horse bolts or swallows his 
grain without sufficient mastication. In that 
case, place three or four cobblestones or lumps 
of rock salt the size of the double-fist in the feed- 
box, thus compelling the horse to pick his grain 
from among the rocks, and eat more slowly. 
Watering the horse soon after eating his grain 
frequently causes colic. It is always much 
safer to water before feeding. There appears to 
be nothing in your ration or feeding that ought 
to cause,the indigestion. Possibly the corn could 
be replaced by oats or ground oats to advantage. 
Try a course of the following powders: Bicar¬ 
bonate of soda, powdered gentian, and ginger, of 
each eight ounces; powdered mix vomica, two 
ounces; mix, and give a heaping tablespoonful 
in feed three times daily. 
PURITAN DAMES. 
We hear a great 
deal these days of 
our puritan fore¬ 
fathers, but little 
concerning the 
wives and moth¬ 
ers who landed at 
Plymouth Rock 
and founded that 
colony which was 
destined to play 
such a large part 
in our history. 
In 1621 Elder 
Cushman wrote 
from Plymouth 
that he “would 
not advise any 
one to come here 
who were not con¬ 
tent to spend their 
time, labors and 
endeavors for the 
benefit of those 
who shall come 
after, quitely con- 
tenting them¬ 
selves with such 
hardships and difficul¬ 
ties as shall fall upon them.” 
What self-renunciation and heroic purpose 
was this! They drowned witches to be sure, 
but that was no part of their puritanism. It 
is to the puritan women we owe so much for 
that spirit in our people which gives them 
the fortitude to endure hardship and stake 
life and fortune for their convictions. 
The American women of to-day have the 
spirit of their puritan mothers, but their 
constitutions are not rugged or able to en¬ 
dure half the hardships of these New Eng¬ 
land ancestors. Very often they are run¬ 
down with weaknesses and irregularities 
peculiar to their sex, and the constant drain 
upon their vitality makes them chronic in¬ 
valids. Many women hesitate to go to 
their family physician, because they dread 
the local examinations so generally insisted 
upon by practitioners. 
Such women should write Dr. R. V. 
Pierce, chief consulting physician of .the 
Invalids’ Hotel and Surgical Institute, 
Buffalo, N. Y., giving a full description of 
their symptoms, history, etc., so that he 
can give them the best possible medical 
advice. If Dr. Pierce’s Favorite Prescrip¬ 
tion seems to suit the case the Doctor will 
say so. If not, then he will give medical 
advice which will put such women on the 
rapid road to recovery and health. 
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