1854 . 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Ill 
deep, which would bring the top of the hill just about 
even with the average level of the field, 
5. For the first hoeing, the harrow, or cultivator, 
might be run through both ways, and the plants should 
be weeded, but not hilled, or at most but very little. 
Let the whole surface of the field be left very nearly 
level. 
6. For the second hoeing, which should be very soon 
after the first, before the tops begin to leave, a similar 
course might be followed, except that broad, but rather 
low hills should be formed. 
An acre so planted would have 4,840 hills, which 
would give, at only one quart to the hill, 151 bushels, 
worth, at 50 cents the bushel, $75,50; at 40 cents, 
$60,40; at 30 cents, $45,30; at 20 cents, $30,20; in 
which last case, it would hardly he a paying crop, but 
would give a profit, less or more, in each of the other 
cases. —=«*—- 
Bone-Sickness in Cows. 
Amherst, (Mass.1 February 4,1854. 
L. Tucker, Esq. —In the Country Gentleman of the 
2d instant, I perceive an inquiry by A. T. Tuttle, of 
Enfield, to which I deem it important that a correct 
answer should be given, both for the gratification of 
that gentleman, and also as affording information im¬ 
portant to all dairy farmers on old lands. 
It appears that Mr. T.’s cows have a morbid, sickly 
appetite for old bones; that those most affected with 
the disease, gradually lose their flesh and become poor; 
that, although they eat well, they appear dumpish, 
stiff in the joints, weak across the backs, so much so 
that they can hardly move. Mr. T. has graphically 
described the symptoms of a disease to which milch 
cows, on old, worn out pastures, are always liable ; but 
he has failed to give information respecting his land— 
whether it is old, or recently cleared, and if old, wheth¬ 
er it has been long used for dairy purposes, all of which 
is important to an intelligent answer to his inquiries. 
In the absence of positive information, I shall pre¬ 
sume that his lands have been long used for dairy pur¬ 
poses. Indeed the single fact that his cows are thus 
affected affords strong, presumptive evidence that his 
lands, - both mowing and pastures, but more especially 
the latter, are dairy-worn. If so, the bone-sickness of 
his cows is easily explained. The remedy also may 
be easily pointed out; and although its application 
may he somewhat expensive, yet the expense incurred 
will afford a paying investment. The cause of the dis¬ 
ease, its cure as now existing, and the 'prevention of 
recurrence, are the points claiming our attention. 
It should be borne in mind, that the cow creates no¬ 
thing. It is true also that the grass creates nothing. 
Certain inorganic substances exist in the soil, among 
which are phosphate of lime , potash ., soda , common 
salt , gypsum , &c. The grass cannot create these sub¬ 
stances for itself. It can only draw them from the 
soil. If they exist abundantly in the soil, as in most 
newly cleared lands, those sweet, nutricious grasses, 
most valued by the farmer, will grow luxuriantly ; but 
if the soil do not contain them, except in very minute 
portions, as in old dairy farms, then those nutricious 
grasses will die out, and meagre, innutricious grasses 
will take their place. But it so happens, that the 
same substances which are essential to the sweet, nu¬ 
tricious grasses, constitute the essentials of milk. Of 
phosphate of l ime, for instance, two ounces are requir¬ 
ed for the elaboration of each pail of milk in the mys¬ 
terious organism of the cow; and several pounds are 
carried off in the bones of every calf sold from the 
farm. In process of time, this substance, which never 
exists but in small quantities, is exhausted. When no 
longer found in the soil, it cannot be in the grasses 
growing from that soil. But the cow cannot elaborate 
milk without it. Still there is in the organism of the 
cow an effort of nature to elaborate milk. The little 
phosphate contained in her food_ is all abstracted from 
her system in the composition of milk. None is left 
for that steady and constant renovation of her hones, 
which nature requires. Her hones are deprived of 
what is necessary to keep them in a sound, healthy, 
constantly renovated state. In other words, her bones 
are not fed with food convenient-for them. Phosphate 
of lime is the proper food for bones, but this cow’s 
bones have been cheated out of that bone-growing and 
hone renovating substance. She has the bone-sickness. 
The cause of this disease is explained in the Progres¬ 
sive Farmer, page 144, published by C. M. Saxton, 
152 Fulton-st., New-York. Never was a disease more 
appropriately named. It is called bone-sickness for 
two reasons: 1st, because it is really a disease of the 
bones, these organs having fallen into an abnormal, 
sickly state; and 2dly, because it is manifested by an 
unnatural, and, in some cases, an almost rabid craving 
for bones, so that the cows afflicted with it, as Mr. T. 
says, will run for a bone, as if a dog were after them. 
So much for the cause. 
For the cure, the best prescription is, to remove the 
cows to a good pasture, in which are plenty of clover 
and other sweet grasses, if it be summer; and to feed 
them, if it be winter, on good, well cured hay from 
richly manured land. Such food will supply the ne¬ 
cessities of the milk-giving animal, and will be likely 
to restore health. If a change of pasture could not be 
had, it would be well to soil the eows on grass cut from 
well manured mowing. It would also be well to give 
them, as Mr. T. says he did, bone dust, ashes and salt. 
The latter, of course, should always he within the 
reach of cows. The two former would tend to mitigate, 
and might cure the disease. If th^,,three were placed 
separately, the instinct of the animals would be the 
best possible guide, which to take and which to reject; 
for I suppose that no animal would eat bone-dust, or 
ashes, or salt even, unless led to it by a real want of 
its nature. 
Now for the prevention. This has been already in¬ 
timated ; for what would cure, would in this case be 
likely to prevent a recurrence of the disease. I be¬ 
lieve cows never have the hone-sickness, if fed on rich, 
sweet pasturage, or on hay from well manured mow 
lands. But what shall be done with our ©Id'pastures 
