THE CULTIVATOR. 
169 
1850. 
Thus, on dissection, we discover—1st. The perios¬ 
teum thicker than natural; 2d. Cartilage immedi¬ 
ately below the periosteum; and, 3d. Ossific mat¬ 
ter deposited within the cartilage, extending from 
the shell of the bone nearly to the internal surface 
of the periosteum, still leaving on the surface of the 
swelling a thin portion of cartilage unossified. 
Consequently, when ringbone has been formed in 
this manner, the shell of the original bone becomes 
absorbed, and cancelli are deposited in its stead. In 
the latter stages of ringbone, (provided the natural 
process has not been interrupted by the firing-iron, 
&c.) the outer surface acquires a shell resembling 
that of the bone itself. A ringbone is composed of 
a cartilage for its basis, and an earthy salt or phos¬ 
phate of lime. This fact may be easily demonstra¬ 
ted by steeping the bone in acid, for by this means, 
it is deprived of the phosphate of lime, and the car¬ 
tilaginous structure remains of the same form and 
magnitude as the diseased deposits. 
So long as a ringbone is confined to either of the 
pastern bones, it is of little consideration; for it 
does not occasion much inconvenience to the animal ; 
but should it show itself near one of the joints, it sel¬ 
dom fails to produce lameness,which is often of a per¬ 
manent nature. When this disease invades ligamen¬ 
tous structure, lameness generally accompanies it, 
probably on account of the tenderness of the parts. 
Ringbones, splints, spavins, and other bony depo- 
sites, though of great size and quick growth, are 
often unattended with lameness. I never knew of 
any “ bladder ” to be found in the situation alluded^ 
to by your correspondent. There are in the region 
of tendons small bursae, or sacs, formed of a tendi¬ 
nous expansion, and lined by a membrane similar in 
its texture to the synovial membrane of a joint; which 
like it, secretes and contains a fluid resembling the 
white ol an egg; this fluid facilitates motion be¬ 
tween parts moveable on each other, by preventing 
friction; how this ‘‘bladder” can “feed ringbone,” 
I cannot conceive; for windgalls, which are nothing 
more or less than enlarged bursae (situated at the 
lower part of the canon, or shank-bone,) exist for 
years without any enlargement of the bone. “Mr. 
Cole recommends the extraction of the bladder.” I 
had the pleasure of a visit from that gentleman this 
morning, and he stated that the article referred to 
was compiled from a work on that subject, without 
any personal knowledge of his own ; I showed him 
several specimens of bony deposits, and he feels 
satisfied that my definition is correct. 
Various remedies have from time to time been re¬ 
sorted to for the cure of ringbone, and without suc¬ 
cess. I know of nothing that tends so much to pro¬ 
duce absorption and diminish lameness, as counter 
irritants. The removal of ringbone by an opera¬ 
tion, has been performed, yet such an operation re¬ 
quires much skill, and where there is no lameness, 
and the only object is to get rid of an eyesore, it 
had better not be attempted. G. H. Dadd, V. S. 
Spaying Cows. 
Eds. Cultivator. —As there are many inquiries 
relative to the best time for spaying cows, I would 
answer, not less than twenty days after calving, and 
any time from the first of April to the middle of 
June; and heifers at any time excepting in the ex¬ 
treme hot weather in summer, and at any age from 
three days up to twenty years, when intended for 
beef. Any further inquiries, either by letter or 
through The Cultivator on the subject, will be 
promptly answered. William C. Carter. East 
Bloomfield , March 2, 1850. 
©l)e Pair^i. 
Bairy=8teamer. 
The above cut represents Farmer’s Dairy Steam* 
er, an apparatus for heating milk in the manufac¬ 
ture of cheese.* It consists of a boiler for the gene¬ 
ration of steam, attached to a stove or furnace. A 
pipe is attached to the boiler for conveying the steam 
to the vessel where the milk is heated. The milk is 
contained in a tin vessel, and this vessel is placed in 
a wooden vat of such dimensions as to leave a space 
of two inches at the bottom, sides and ends. This 
space is filled with water. When the milk is heat¬ 
ed, for the application of rennet, the steam-pipe is 
let into the water, and the steam let on and contin¬ 
ued till the milk is warmed to the required degree, 
which should be ascertained by plunging a thermo¬ 
meter into it. Dairymen are not exactly agreed as 
to the degree of heat to which milk should be raised; 
but none recommend less than 82° or more than 
90°. 
The use of an apparatus similar to the above, has 
been adopted in some of the largest dairies in this 
state, and is much approved. Mr. A. L. Fish, of 
Litchfield, Herkimer county, has highly recommend¬ 
ed this mode of heating milk. See Cultivator for 
1848, p. 153, and for 1849, pp. 154, 183. 
One great advantage of this process is, that the 
heat is equally diffused through the whole mass, 
without any portion of it being exposed to an exces¬ 
sive degree. Mr. Fish observes—“ The more wa¬ 
ter there is in the larger vessel, the more uniform 
heat is conveyed to the milk.” The size of the tin 
vat for containing the milk has been given as fol¬ 
lows:—For a dairy of 30 cows, 2| feet wide, 6 feet 
long, and 19 inches deep. The night milk is strain¬ 
ed into the tin vat, which is surrounded with cold 
water, in order to keep it properly cool till next 
morning, when the morning milk is added, and the 
water heated by steam for “running up” the curd. 
A branch of the steam-pipe is connected with a 
tub or vat for heating water for washing utensils, 
&c., used in the dauy. 
‘Premium Butter. 
The statements of the competitors who received 
the highest premiums on butter, at the last exhibi¬ 
tion of the N. Y. State Ag. Society, furnish, per¬ 
haps, as good information as we can give, in answer 
to several inquiries concerning the best mode of but¬ 
ter-making. We have therefore prepared the fol- 
*For particulars in regard to this steamer, address G. Farmer, 
Herkimer, Herkimer county, N. Y. 
