4oo 
THE RURAL NEW-VORICER. 
JUNE 2i 
increase enormously. A single louse may, in a few weeks, 
become parent to millions. Unless, then, we can destroy 
them, or some foe does it for us, they become an alarming 
pest. This was well shown all through the country last 
year in the case of the wheat lice. They increased so 
rapidly that the grain was fairly covered. It was seriously 
injured; but soon a tiny friend attacked the lice; and 
very soon they were nearly all vanquished, and from one- 
half to four-fifths of a crop was secured from what a few 
days earlier promised to be entirely ruined and a few weeks 
earlier promised to be a most bountiful harvest. 
A few days since, our roses in the greenhouse of the 
college were attacked by the rose plant louse, an enemy 
which we have never had any trouble with before. As is 
the custom in such cases, the lice increased rapidly, and 
we were about to resort to the usual method to exter¬ 
minate them when it was discovered that they were 
rapidly diminishing in numbers. They would shorten up, 
turn black and die. Soon, from a hole at the hinder end 
of each dead louse, came a minute parasite. This hole 
was guarded by a lid, much as is seen on the queen bee cell 
when the queen bee emerges. These parasites are very 
minute and bid fair to do as good execution as did the 
grain lice parasites a year ago. Of course we did not fum¬ 
igate with tobacco. We prefer these parasites, as far 
neater and just as efficient. We have also noticed the 
Syrphus fly maggots feeding on the lice. The tiny par¬ 
asites are very active and can be seen laying their eggs in 
the lice at any time. Already they have nearly banished 
the pests. Soon we shall find it difficult to find any on the 
roses. We may well hope that the little friends may then 
visit the geraniums, pelargoniums, etc., until we shall be 
rid of the necessity of using the filthy tobacco smoke in 
this work of plant-louse extermination. A. J. COOK. 
THE SHOEING OF FARM HORSES AND MULES. 
PROF. R. R. DINWIDDIE. 
The shoeing of horses whose work lies on the hard pave¬ 
ment of cities is a subject which is often discussed and 
many opinions are ventilated thereon ; but the shoeing of 
farm horses and mules has not often been written on as a 
special subject. The conditions of life and work on the 
farm, however, are so different from what they are in the 
cities, that the subject of the care and shoeing of the feet 
under such circumstances demands a place and study of 
itself. Although it is a fact that the character of the work 
on the farm, the soft ground on which the horses have to 
tread, and the freedom from accidents ought to give farm 
horses almost an immunity from lameness, yet it is true 
that a considerable percentage of them are either lame or 
suffer from more or less deformity of the feet or limbs. 
Much of this may be unavoidable; but there is a wide 
margin which is due to improper treatment or neglect of 
the feet. There is no part of the horse which requires 
such close attention and so much care as the feet, and in 
many cases, on the farm, it would seem that there is no 
oart which receives so little. I will describe briefly what I 
oonsider to be the best form of shoeing in such cases first, 
treating of the animal which is free from lameness and 
whose feet and limbs are yet in a sound condition, and 
then of the animal already lame or blemished. 
The shoeing of horses is often spoken of as a “ necessary 
evil,” and perhaps we may justly look upon it as such. 
While less shoeing of the farm than of the city horse is 
required, the proper performance of an operation ought to 
receive due consideration. The nature of the soil will, of 
course, have some influence in determining the amount of 
shoeing necessary, stony ground approaching somewhat 
to the character of the city pavement, being harder on the 
feet and on the shoes. Colts until they are put to work re¬ 
quire no shoes; but their feet must be occasionally at¬ 
tended to in order to prevent deformity arising from irreg¬ 
ular wear. It sometimes happens that when pastured on 
soft ground the wear of the ground surface of the hoof is 
disproportional to the growth, and this occurs chiefly at 
the heels where the natural slope of the wall is more 
nearly perpendicular, and a tendency to contraction is 
thereby induced. If neglected, this is likely to lead to 
permanent contraction or deformity of the hoof. The 
remedy consists in removing the excess of growth at the 
heels with a knife and restoring the hoof to its proper pro¬ 
portions. The opposite condition does not often occur in 
unshod colts, the growth at the toe by its direction in ref¬ 
erence to the ground tending rather to spread outwards 
and lead to vertical cracks or fissures. To prevent the ex¬ 
tension of these to the soft tissues above, it is necessary to 
trim off this superabundance occasionally either with the 
knife or a chisel. These abnormal conditions are most 
common in the fore feet. Colts object to having their feet 
and limbs handled, and therefore their education should 
be begun early so that their timidity in this respect may 
be gradually overcome. When the colt is put to work on 
the farm it is customary to leave the feet unshod for some 
time, and, I believe, unless the ground is hard and stony, 
that this practice has advantages. It enables the colt to 
acquire command over his limbs while at work, and to 
obtain a steady gait before being cumbered with shoes to 
which he is unaccustomed. After a little experience in 
work, the fore feet should be shod while the hind feet in 
ordinary soil may be left bare during the summer. 1 have 
never seen any evil results from this except when the colt 
was used on graveled roads. In this case shoeing all 
around is imperative. 
As for the kind of shoe to be worn, I have no 
hesitation in pronouncing in favor of the flat shoe 
without calks on heel or toe, concave on the ground 
surface and flat on the surface which contracts the sole, 
as shown at Figures 137 and 138. Whatever difference of 
opinion there may be about the use of this kind of shoe in 
city work, there is no room for doubt as to its advantages 
when worn by the farm horse. Toe and heel pieces on 
shoes are intended to give the animal a better hold on the 
ground when pulling heavy weights on paved streets, and 
they do this only at the expense of interfering with 
natural conditions, and are a common cause of lameness 
arising from sprained tendons and ligaments. The flat 
shoe supports the sole when pressed down by the weight 
of the body at each step; being thin at the heels, it allows 
the frog to come in contact with the ground, and thus 
diminishes concussion and slipping whilst the latter is also 
to a great extent avoided owing to the concave under sur¬ 
face of the shoe. Shoes more or less similar to this form 
are now worn by horses on some of our street car lines 
where slipping is of frequent occurrence. 
There is no reason why the old, clumsy and badly fitting 
shoe with raised heels and toes should be used on farm 
horses, except it may be that the country shoer is ignorant 
of any method except that which has come down to him 
HORSE-SHOE. Fig. 137. 
from his forefathers. This, then, is all the shoeing which, 
in my experience, is necessary for farm work on ordinary 
soil. If much work on mud roads is to be performed, 
shoes should also be put on the hind feet. Here there is 
less objection to the use of shoes with moderate calks, 
although little can be said in their favor. Foot lameness 
in perhaps five cases out of six is found in the fore feet; 
but improper shoeing is also an important factor in deter¬ 
mining lameness from injury to the tendons, ligaments or 
articulations of the limbs. 
One error of very frequent occurrence is leaving the 
shoes on too long. The hoof in its normal condition is 
constantly growing by addition to its surface, contracting 
the soft tissues. In the natural, unshod condition there is 
a corresponding amount of wear which is absent when the 
feet are protected by shoes. As a consequence, we find 
that when shoes are worn too long, not only does the hoof 
acquire an abnormal length, but the interference with its 
symmetrical growth may lead to accumulation of horn at 
the heels, and on account of pressure on the sensitive 
structures above lameness from corns, circumscribed in¬ 
flammation or contracted heels may result. 
The shoes should not be left on until they wear out or 
fall off, as is so often the custom with regard to farm 
horses; but they should be readjusted and the feet brought 
to their proper proportions at least once in every five or 
six weeks. The feet should be regularly cleaned out with 
the hook as a part of the horse’s daily grooming. Var¬ 
nishes and greasy applications to the wall are quite un¬ 
called for and undesirable on the healthy hoof, as they 
interfere with free perspiration through the horny cuticle. 
HINTS ABOUT FARM HOUSES. 
Floors and Interior Wood-work. 
Any farmer’s family who have never enjoyed the comfort 
of hard-wood floors should by all means endeavor to secure 
them. There Is no question about the unhealthfulness of 
carpets; the Buffalo Moth will do lots of good if he force 
people to banish dirty rags from their floors. People do 
not realize what beautiful floors can be made from our 
native woods by selecting those of different colors, and 
arranging them in artistic forms. Oak, birch, maple, ash 
and even beech are used, and probably other woods. 
Birch makes a most excellent kitchen floor, as I have 
HORSE-SHOE. Fig. 138. 
proved. The large red birch is the kind I used. If desired, 
soft and hard wood can be laid alternately, the former be¬ 
ing white, the latter red. For a room which is square or 
nearly so, the usual method of commencing on one side 
and laying across, can be departed from by laying around 
the sides and then towards the center. The boards are 
sawed three or four inches wide, matched, i. e., tongued 
and grooved, and nailed, if the wood is thoroughly 
seasoned, with steel nails, driven into the tongues so that 
no nail-heads show. I used the red or heart wood, and it 
makes a very fine-looking floor. It does not show the dirt 
like white woods. 
All such floors should be oiled as soon as laid with 
raw linseed oil, and when the floor is washed the first 
two or three times, it should be gone over with an oiled 
cloth. The more it is rubbed the better it will look. 
Birch quickly absorbs moisture from the air, hence net 
only does it need to be thoroughly seasoned, but it should 
be laid in a dry, hot time or it will shrink. It is better 
not to plane and match it until just before it is used. For 
warmth it is better to lay a light floor lining, put in the 
mop boards, and then lay the floor inside the mop-boards. 
For mop or base-boards, door and window frames, 
panels, etc , nothing is handsomer than black ash. It 
must be old dead wood or it will be too tough to work to 
any advantage. It must be filled before it is oiled. A fill¬ 
ing can be made of common yellow spruce, one part; 
plaster-of-Paris, two parts ; whiting, three parts mixed 
with raw oil to the consistency of paint. A small quantity 
of Pratt’s dryer is to be added, and it is applied with a 
brush, the room being quite warm. Let it remain a 
quarter of an hour or so, then wipe off with cloths, and go 
over with raw linseed oil. When this is dry, it can be 
finished with shellac. Either finishing nails or steel nails 
are to be used. They should be settled into the wood an 
eighth of an inch or so and the cavity filled with putty 
made of the same material as the filling. This should be 
done before the shellac is put on. 
Ventilation. 
I was repairing an old farm house which was built in the 
days of fire-places and brick ovens. These took up so much 
room that I decided to take them down. The only benefit 
we received from them was in the way of ventilation, not 
that the fire-places were used for fires, but the wooden 
coverings allowed a draft from the rooms. I determined 
not to have the rooms closed up tightly as most rooms in 
farm houses are, so I set about devising other means of 
ventilation. It was impracticable to build a chimney from 
the bottom of the cellar; so I used inside partitions for 
flues. The studding was 2x4, set so that the space for each 
flue was 4 x 18. One flue connected with the kitchen, one 
with the cellar, another with the parlor. I found there 
were two theories of ventilation: one told us that our 
flues should open into the room at the top; the other, at the 
bottom. 
I decided to have two openings, one at the bottom and 
one at the top. The three flues entered a space between 
the ceiling of the kitchen and the chamber floor, which 
was tightly boxed around, and from this space a wooden 
box or flue built against the chimney and of which the 
chimney formed one side, conveyed the bad air through 
the roof. Above the roof zinc took the place of wood, the 
flue being carried nearly as high as the chimney. The zinc 
was bent in at the top so as to contract the opening. This 
increased the draft. The flue was made so as to exclude 
the cold air except at the openings into the rooms and cel¬ 
lar. It was made tight next to the chimney by fastening 
the two side boards in their places and plastering the crev¬ 
ices with mortar on the inside before the wide board oppo¬ 
site the chimney was nailed on. The lower parts of the 
openings at the bottom of the rooms are flush with the 
floor and nearly as large as the space in the partition. The 
upper openings are of the same size, and can be closed by a 
transom. 
Well, the ventilators work nicely. When it is cold the 
transoms are closed, the cold air is drawn from the floor 
up and out and away. The air of the kitchen always 
smells sweet and pure. The children play on the floor and 
do not get cold; they have not had a cold this winter. We 
lose no heat, and enough fresh air comes in around the 
doors and windows to furnish a good supply. If the room 
gets too warn, we open the transom and let the heated air 
into the flue. No matter how cold the air is when it 
enters the flue from the bottom of the room, it gets warm 
in its passage up beside the warm chimuey, so that even if 
the wind blows, there is a good draft. It is of no use to 
build ventilating flues in outside walls. They should al¬ 
ways be in the warmest place, whether built in dwellings, 
stables or poultry houses. j. w. newton. 
FRUIT NOTES. 
Our strawberry season is just about closed, and I am 
glad that even under very unfavorable weather conditions 
I can report that the Parker Earle fully sustains all the 
R. N.-Y. has said in its favor. An unusually mild winter 
caused the plants to bloom and set fruit almost continu¬ 
ously from December 1 until February 28, when they were 
cut to the ground by the untimely freeze. The excessive 
rains during all of March aud April have caused this to be 
one of the most unfavorable berry seasons ever known 
here. Many varieties succumbed entirely, and have pro¬ 
duced nothing. The Parker Earle more than holds its 
position, and is, beyond all doubt, a valuable variety. 
Denison, Texas. jas. NIMON. 
Strawberries. —The strawberry crop here promises to 
be large, and prices are low at the starting. Whether we 
shall make a profit or loss is now the question. The Cres¬ 
cent has paid best here; but I think that Warfield’s No. 2 
will take its place. Bubach is too soft and unshapely ; 
still there is a place for it. Cloud seems worthless here, 
being too small and unproductive. Two, three or four 
quite small berries are stuck together, forming a medium¬ 
sized berry, and this is the Cloud. Jessie is usually injured 
by spring frosts, and is not productive enough to hold its 
own against the sharp competition. Sucker State is a 
large, smooth berry, and does fairly well. 
Failures. —Among the failures for this locality I reluc¬ 
tantly place the Simon Plum. It is unhealthy and unpro¬ 
ductive. | It is productive and very vigorous at the Rural 
Grounds.— Eds.] The Marianna Plum is also a failure, so 
far as fruit is concerned ; but the tree grows finely, aud 
will make, I hope, the best sort of a stock on which to 
work other varieties. The blight is again at work on the 
Bessemienka and other Russian pears, and I see no reason 
for hoping that they will be successful here. This throws 
