82 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
March 
but there have been' many successful crosses of Norman 
or Canadian mares to thorough-bred stallions. 
In breeding from Morgan stallions, I believe it 
is generally admitted, that mares with a cross of 
Canadian blood should be avoided, at least this is the 
experience of Mr. Thurston, the former owner of the 
Black Hawk Morgan, he having observed that colts 
got by Black Hawk on mares tinctured with Canadian 
blood ,]are generally inferiorjto those got on other mares. 
A clear indication that the stock has gone far enough 
in that direction. 
It may be objected to my articles, that I having been 
striving to turn everything back to thorough-bred* fam¬ 
ilies,—whereas it has been advised by better authority, 
that “ the best course for improving our horses” is to 
direct our efforts more exclusively to the various fami¬ 
lies of grade and native stock that have been long ap¬ 
proved in our country, and breed each kind within itself, 
until its peculiar characteristics are fully and perma¬ 
nently developed, with a view I suppose of gratifying 
our national vanity, by establishing breeds of our own, 
such as we can claim to be distinctively American, or 
forsooth Republican. But I am quite sure that such a 
course would not be recommended for breeding sheep 
or cattle—it would not be politic, inasmuch as there 
are many very wealthy, influential and philanthropic 
men in our country, engaged in breeding English stock. 
Neither would it be popular inasmuch as it has been well 
settled than in all attempts to improve-sheep or cattle, 
none but thorough-bred males should be employed. Be¬ 
sides it is well known that it cost Bakewell the labor 
of a lifetime and a large fortune to establish a single 
breed of sheep—and the Messrs. Colling much the 
same, simply to improve a breed of cattle. But if such 
a course is not advisable in breeding cattle, of which 
we have native breeds, thought by many to be supe¬ 
rior in some respects, to the English—why should 
it be adopted in breeding horses of which we have 
no native families worth perpetuating. Most of 
the horses, we have ever had that were of any value, 
were derived from foreign sources, and most of those 
that remain are but degenerate descendants of import¬ 
ed thorough-breds. To breed these within themselves 
therefore, with a view “ to insure uniformity of charac¬ 
ter,” would be only to breed them farther down in their 
course of degeneration, and instead of insuring “unifor¬ 
mity of character,” would be only insuring uniformity 
of defects and making them, in the end, utterly worth¬ 
less. It is impossible to breed them up, or towards 
their former standard,, without going back to the place 
where they began to degenerate—or in other words, 
without returning to the thorough-bred families from 
which they sprung. 
I have also through the entire course of these arti¬ 
cles, advocated the breeding of horses separately, with 
reference to different departments of service. I have 
done so, because I think every breeder should have a 
definite object in view. If he breeds for a combina¬ 
tion of characteristics, he will in all probability become 
confused, and get only an unworthy mongrel. 
If we aim to breed elegant carriage and saddle and 
trotting horses, we will, no doubt, produce a sufficient 
number of hackneys or “horses of all work,” in spite 
of ourselves. But if we aim only at producing hack¬ 
neys or “ horses of all work,” there is danger that the 
result of our labors will be but a ^multiplication of in¬ 
different or worthless animals, already too numerous in 
our country. 
I had intended to make some remarks on draught 
horses, but this article has become so long, that I am 
sure your readers will gladly excuse me. 
Syracuse. Feb. 1848. John Barber Burnet. 
* By thoroughbreds we generally mean, the English race horse, 
the Barb, the Arabian, and their lineal descendants. 
Diseases of Animals, &c. 
Scours in Swine, 
It is frequently remarked that it is useless to at¬ 
tempt to cure sick hogs, and to the prevalence of this 
opinion is to be attributed in a great degree no doubt, 
that want of effort which results in the loss of so many 
of these valuable domestic animals. In June last, I 
observed that one of my hogs manifested an indisposi¬ 
tion to eat. I paid not much attention to him for a few 
days, when again noticing him, I saw that he had failed 
in flesh considerably. He was then put in a pen by 
himself, and I soon found that he had the scours very 
badly. His appetite decreased to such a degree, that 
a. gill of corn was more than he would eat in a day, 
while the complaint continued to increase. I tried dif¬ 
ferent remedies without effect, when, as a last resort, 
I had recourse to the Cultivator for information. 
Among various cures for this complaint in calves, (I 
saw none for swine) I noticed that calomel ha'd been 
given with good effect. I procured about 30 grains, 
which quantity was given in two doses in the course of 
a day. He soon manifested favorable symptoms, and 
showed a disposition for food. He was fed with sweet 
milk, boiled and thickened with flour, until cured. I 
would say in conclusion, that I think the information I 
got from the Cultivator, in this one case, saved me more 
than its cost for a dozen years at least; and as a testi¬ 
mony of the regard I have for your paper, I send you 
the price of eighteen Copies for the present year—most 
of which are for new subscribers. A. D. Princeton ? 
N. Jan. 12, 1848. 
66 Tail Sickness,” 
The tails of cattle sometimes increase in length to 
an inordinate degree. There is a popular belief that 
this elongation of the tail injuriously affects the ani¬ 
mal’s health. Youatt, Diek, and some other veterina¬ 
rians, ridicule the idea of any disease being brought on 
by this cause. They admit, however, that letting blood 
by cutting off the tail, may in some eases afford relief 
to animals suffering from diseases brought on in various 
ways j but they hold that the same benefit would follow 
from taking the same quantity of blood from any other 
part. We presume that the amputation of an inch of 
the tail, has but little effect in anyway, excepting that 
suggested by the writers referred to. Formerly it was 
the belief that the palsy in cattle was caused by “ tail 
sickness,” and superstitious people in some instances 
resorted to a charm to effect a cure. A piece of turf 
on which the animal had trodden was hung on a stake, 
accompanied by incantations, and a “ black cat” was 
made to pass three times around the cow’s body, “ over 
the back and under the belly.” If the cat struggled 
and scratched smartly, she generally got away by the 
time she had been round three times, and the necro¬ 
mancers were convinced that the bewitching devil had 
passed into her. 
Remedy for Winter-Kil*l. —A correspondent of 
the Ohio Cultivator, gives the following preventive 
of winter-killing in cattle, hogs, and sheep, many often 
dying during winter and early spring:— 
R.—Good shelter-um, q. s. {quantum sufficit .) 
Corn-meal-um, q. s. 
Clear water-um, q. s. 
The “ corn-meal-um ,> to be made into a poultice, and 
kept constantly applied to the mucous membrane of 
the stomach. [For the benefit of strictly professional 
men, the above may be given as follows;— 
R.—Refug. opt. q. s. 
Zea pulv. q. s. 
Aq. font. q. s.l 
