14 
THE CULTIVATOR. .J a n. 
to acknowledge the great law of God and of nature—- 
that of labor. Excessive labor, whether physical or 
mental, is injurious; but rational labor is a blessing, 
and not a curse. That some men do not labor enough, 
and that others labor too much, is the fault of a cor¬ 
rupt state of society, not of their calling or occupa¬ 
tion. 
There is one thing against which I would caution 
my fellow farmers, and especially, my fellow practical 
farmers, and that is, never to suffer their minds to run 
wild while they are bestowing such care on their farms. 
Depend upon it, science and agriculture must go hand 
in hand. Science will aid you much, and save you 
from much of that unremitting physical exertion of 
which you sometimes complain. Free yourselves from 
those prejudices against book-farming which many of 
you have read, and ponder well what you read, and 
it will not be long before your calling, which has been 
too much neglected from your own indifference, will 
rise to its true height. H. C. W. Putnam Valley , N. 
Y., Nov. 30, 1848. 
®)e Ik'tcrinarg ^Department. 
Ticks on Sheep. 
Ticks are a great annoyance to sheep. The itch¬ 
ing they produce causes the sheep to rub themselves 
against fences and other objects, and to scratch and 
bite themselves with their teeth, in doing which they 
pull out their wool, and mat and injure that which is 
left on the body. The best course to prevent the in¬ 
crease of ticks, is to wash the lambs in a decoction of 
tobacco, three or four days after the sheep have been 
shorn. The ticks, being deprived of protection on the 
sheep, resort to the lambs, where they find suficient 
covering in the young wool. 
But if, from the want of proper precautions, the 
flock is found affected with these vermin in winter, or 
while the wool is long, the best mode of destroying 
them is by fumigation. Take a canister, of copper or 
sheet-iron, made at one end to fit the pipe of a bellows, 
and having at the other end a small pipe for the es¬ 
cape of the smoke. Fill the cannister with tobacco, 
put in a coal of fire, and fasten the canister to the bel- 
low T s-pipe, around which there should be some damp 
tow to make it fit tight. The wool should be opened 
in lines or furrows around the body, from six to eight 
inches apart. As the wool is opened the pipe or canis¬ 
ter should be applied close to the skin, the wool imme¬ 
diately closed around, and slightly compressed at the 
surface with the hands, and at the same time a puff 
given with the bellows. This will keep the smoke 
close to the body. The work may be done very expe¬ 
ditiously, and with due attention, nearly every tick 
will be killed. 
HoofLail in Cattle. 
This disease, sometimes called “ foul in the foot,” is 
most common in open winters, or when cattle are 
obliged to travel or stand much in mud. It is knowm 
by lameness, soreness between the claws of the foot, 
with inflammation, and in advanced stages, discharge 
of fetid matter, which issues from between the hoof 
and the foot. A separation of the hoof after a while 
takes place, and if the disease is not checked the hoof 
sometimes comes off. Though the disease, like foot-rot 
in sheep, is believed sometimes to originate sponstane- 
ously, there is good reason to believe that it is con- 
tageous; and on this account, an animal, as soon as it 
is affected, should be kept by itself. The best remedy, 
if used when the disease first manifests itself, is blue 
vitriol, or sulphate of copper. First wash the foot in j 
strong soap-suds, and then apply the solution of vitriol 
to the affected part, twice a day. If the disease is of 
long standing, the hoof should be pared away from the 
upper edge, the offensive matter taken out as thoroughly 
as possible, and an ointment of corrosive sublimate and 
lard applied. The animal should be kept from wet, 
and if the foot is much sore, it should be protected by 
a bandage of strong cloth. 
Diseases of Swine. 
Itch or Mange. —Swine often suffer greatly from 
this disease. In its w T orst stages, the skin becomes al¬ 
most an entire sore, and the animal is distressingly 
irritated by the inveterate itching. It constantly rubs 
itself, becomes poor, and if not relieved, dies. An 
ointment of lard and sulphur, if thoroughly applied all 
over the body, and rubbed in, will generally cure the 
complaint. It is well to give sulphur with the food 
also. 
Quincy or Sore-Throat.— Cole, in the “ Veterina¬ 
rian,” directs to give for this disease ,—- u Half a pint 
of molasses, a table-spoonful of each of hog’s lard and 
sulphur, and a tea-spoonful of cayenne or black pep¬ 
per. Melt, and mix all together, and when just cool 
enough, pour down the throat, unless you can make 
him eat it in light food.” 
Diseases of the Horse. 
Broken Wind is a disease with which horses are 
affected. The air-cells of the lungs become ruptured, 
from various causes, and respiration is labored and ir¬ 
regular. 11 The cure of a broken-winded horse,” says 
Youatt, “ no one ever-witnessed, yet much may be done 
by way of palliation. The food of the animal should 
consist of much nutriment condensed into a small com¬ 
pass ; the quantity of oats should be increased and that 
of hay diminished; the bowels should be gently relaxed 
by the frequent use of mashes; the water should be 
given sparingly through the day, although at night the 
thirst of the animal should be fully satisfied; and ex¬ 
ercise should never be taken -when the stomach is full. 
It will scarcely be believed how much relief these sim¬ 
ple measures will afford the broken-winded horse, and 
of how much exertion he may be gradually rendered 
capable. Carrots are very useful to the broken-winded 
horse, not only as containing much nutriment and con¬ 
siderable moisture, so that less w r atermay be required, 
but from some property they possess rendering them 
useful in every chest affection. A broken-winded horse 
turned out to grass, will never improve, on account of 
the almost constant distention of the stomach.” 
Neurotomy. —S. A. Barker, of McConnellsville, 
Ohio, says that u the operation of Neurotomy, as de¬ 
scribed in Skinner’s Youatt, has in every instance, in 
this part of the country, proved fatal. Thousands of 
dollars worth of horses, operated on, have been lost.” 
(The operation consists in cutting certain nerves from 
the foot of lame horses, and though producing at the 
time apparent relief, results ultimately in the destruc¬ 
tion of the foot.) S. A. B. states, 11 in June, the hoofs 
of some of the horses operated on, literally rotted off, 
while the animal, insensible to pain, continued to stamp 
the lacerated and denuded stumps on the ground, to 
drive away the flies, which bit it above the point 
operated on.” 
Strained Shoulders in Horses. —The following 
is a good embrocation for strains: Spirits of turpentine, 
half a pint; oil of origanum, half an ounce; olive oil, 
a pint and a half; cantharides, one ounce. Mix to¬ 
gether ; keep it in a bottle; shake it often; apply it to 
the affected part, and rub it in, morning and night. 
