38 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
usual, I found a number of dead swarms of bees; my curiosity was 
again excited; I raised one of the hives and viewing it closely I found 
the comb neat and clean, and a large supply of dead bees lying princi¬ 
pally on the bottom of the hive, with a sufficient quantity of honey to 
have supplied their wants a whole year. On removing those found 
dead, from their several shelves, I happened to place a lighted candle 
near the mouth of a hive of dead bees, and then raising it gently, in 
order to look in, my light was immediately put out, which contributed 
to my understanding, that the evil effects had been produced from what 
we sometimes call stagnated air. This experiment, although accident¬ 
ally performed, served to lender it certain that more air was necessary 
in order for the safety of others. Since the circumstance occurred just 
related, I have had excellent luck; and do believe that bees may be 
wintered apparently with light losses. Since in autumn, it becomes na¬ 
tural for bees to be more quarrelsome, especially as soon as the flow¬ 
ers are decayed, it is my practice to watch them closely, and immedi¬ 
ately after I discover an assault, to move the hive liable to be conquer¬ 
ed, into a dark cellar, which invariably produces the desired effect of 
forming between the two parties, a principle of reconciliation. I prac¬ 
tise this course until at length it becomes necessary to carry them all in 
from the cold weather. Placing them on a shelf, one deep, I am very 
careful to open a communication for them at the top and bottom of the 
hives, so as to have a free circulation of air, and I am happy to say, 
that from this course, I have experienced as yet a favorable result. I 
have lost but two swarms out of forty, that had sufficient quantity of 
honey, and I do not anticipate the loss of any more this season. 
I submit these few brief remarks to your consideration, and relying 
confidently that they will be disposed of according to your better judg¬ 
ment. Respectfully yours, C. C. GRAY. 
CURE FOR THE SCAB IN SHEEP. 
Mr. Buel —Sir—In a late Cultivator, you mention the disease to 
which sheep are subject, and many thirigs considered beneficial to many 
disorders. Having suffered much from the scab in my small flock, four 
years ago this winter, I thought it might be useful to some of your 
readers to state my experience in contending with this destructive com¬ 
plaint, and the result. The first of September, I had 200 merino sheep, 
in good flesh, but thought symptoms of the scab were discoverable in 
two or three. I went a journey to Ohio, and returned the 3d of No¬ 
vember. When I came home, about 40 of my flock were in a situation 
sickening to behold. Knowing it was the scao, and being experiment¬ 
ally ignorant of the proper remedy, I resorted to books and the various 
recipes generally used. Among the rest, I tried the mercurial oint¬ 
ment, recommended by Sir Joseph Banks, without the desired effect. 
The disorder increased and baffled all my exertions. The sheep began 
to die, and at shearing time, more than 100 were dead—after I had 
taken unwearied pains, and spent much time, and several dollars in 
money for medicine, and had lost more than half of my flock, I felt 
almost ready to abandon the wool-growing business. All my remaining 
sheep appeared more or less under the influence of the disagreeable 
disorder. But having heard of tobacco, and this being almost the only 
remedy prescribed and not tried, I made use of it, and with perfect 
effect. The modus operandi was this. I bought fifteen or eighteen 
pounds of cheap, shilling tobacco, cut it to pieces to get the strength 
easily out, put it into a large kettle and boiled it as long as I thought 
necessary. 1 then took a forty gallon cask, with one head out, sawed 
the end so as to nail a wide board on the edge of the cask, and the other 
end of the board was fastened to the yard fence, enough higher 
than the cask to have the liquor run back into the cask. The 
tobacco liquor put into the cask hot; as soon as cool enough not to 
injure the sheep, pul into the liquor about a gill of spirits of turpentine; 
this should be repeated about once to every twelve or fifteen sheep; ll 
all put in at once, a few of the first put in>o the cask will catch the 
whole of the turpentine. Take the sheep by the forelegs, and put him 
in tail foremost, as you would a pig to scald, the liquor coming, as you 
crowd him down, up to his head and ears; turn him round in the cask, 
to have the liquor touch the sheep all over. I had many of mine ducked 
head under, then pulled them up on the board, and held them to drain 
a few minutes, and let them go. Having served them all in this way, 
I turned them, to pasture, and have not lost a sheep since, unless by 
accident. If done effectually, it kills all the ticks. In shearing, the 
next year, we discovered only two ticks. The lambs were dipped as 
well as the old ones. The sheep were all fat the next fall, fit for mut¬ 
ton I fully believe this mode of treatment will prevent the disorder, 
make the sheep more healthy, the wool better, and by the improve¬ 
ment of the flock, pay the expense and trouble many times over. Some 
think the scab cannot be cured, when the fleece is on in cold weather; 
others mention the expense. For my part, I believe the cure can be 
effected in moderate weather, in winter, though I never tried it. It 
will, in this case, be necessary to use a much greater quantity of to¬ 
bacco ; but what is the expense to the value of the sheep ? If the com¬ 
plaint comes on in the early part of winter, the wool is poor, and the 
sheep will die before the next summer, if not cured- And furthermore, 
one infected one will ruin the whole flock. I think farmers are too 
backward generally, in communicating the result of their own experi¬ 
ments, which they are willing to vouch for, even under oath. Particu¬ 
larly should the mode of using medicine, be communicated in detail, in 
a plain, intelligible manner. The sheep is so useful and necessary an 
animal, that every man who owns or has the care of them, ought to be 
attentive to their comfort in sickness and in health. If they are kept 
well, they increase rapidly ; if neglected, they are often the victims of 
wild animals, as also of various diseases. The men who have been 
regularly bred to the profession of shepherds in this country, are scarce, 
and although there are some who are truly deserving the name of good 
shepherds, they are not easily obtained. Our flocks generally being 
small, will not enable our common farmers to keep a man exclusively 
to attend to his sheep, with profit. Every farmer, therefore, for his 
own interest, as well as for the benefit of his country, ought to keep 
sheep, and to be able to prescribe for them when sick. 
Most respectfully yours, URI TRACY. 
THE CONSTRUCTION OF BARNS AND THE WINTER MA¬ 
NAGEMENT OF STOCK. 
Mr. Editor —Having had access to a few numbers of the Cultivator, 
and feeling a deep interest in the subjects there treated of, I have con¬ 
cluded to become one of your subscribers. 
I shall shortly be under the necessity of building a barn, or barns; 
and wishing to build on the best possible principle, that is, so as to se¬ 
cure the most value of manure, and keep the largest amount of stock 
in proportion to the quantity of fodder consumed, I have formed a plan 
in my own mind, and venture to state it to you for publication, if you 
think proper ; by this means, ’hoping to have some improvement made 
upon it, or a. better one drawn by some person or persons, more expe¬ 
rienced than myself, and communicated through the medium of your 
paper, that others, as well as myself, may derive benefit thereby. I 
have been led to conclude, that the usual method of building, is a very 
bad one. 1st. In this cold section of the country, our domestic animals 
suffer extremely, a considerable part of the winter; many are lost in 
consequence, and much more food is required to carry them safely 
through, than would be if they were kept comfortably warm. 2d. The 
manure is exposed to drenching rains, and the urine is totally lost, and 
I firmly believe, that one-half of this valuable article, upon which de¬ 
pends the success of the farmer, is wholly lost. 3. The lower timbers 
soon decay, and the barn suffers much injury in consequence thereof. 
4th. The profits of fowls are in a great measure lost, or are destroyed 
by depredators, which readily find shelter under them. The plan I have 
formed may be applied to a large or small farm. 
I should prefer to build on ground descending to the south, say five 
feet in forty, dig the cellar and stone the east, north and west sides of 
sufficient depth, seven, or eight feet; turning the south end of the west 
wall with a right angle, continuing so far as to form a wall for the north 
side of the cellar for the second barn, the remainder to be built of tim¬ 
bers, raised sufficiently from the ground, so as to secure them from de¬ 
cay, supported by stones and lime; (this may be supplied by a shed if 
circumstances require;) the floors of both barns being on a level, all 
double, so as to secure the chaff from falling upon the cattle or sheep 
■below, entering each with the produce, upon the two sides united, which 
frees us from passing through the yard, which is often unpleasant.— 
The whole space under the second, having the east side open, or nearly 
so, to shelter -attle summer and winter, and so constructed as to feed 
upon three sides from above, without descending below. In the cellar 
of the first barn, which is, say forty feet square, I would erect stalls 
upon the east and west sides, heading towards the walls, built similar 
to those built for horses, in width twelve or fourteen feet, leaving a space 
between the two of twelve or sixteen feet to receive the manure, the 
floors to be laid so tight that the urine cannot pass through, but con¬ 
ducted to such a place, that it may be readily thrown with the manure. 
Let the cattle be tied with a rope or small chain, much after the man¬ 
ner of tying horses, and fed from above into suitable cribs or racks, 
which spaces should be left open for ventilation. 
These stalls may be used for horses, or cattle, or readily converted 
into pens for calves; cows or sheep when dropping their young in cold 
weather. The walls should be so constructed as to exclude frost to any 
considerable extent, but to receive sufficient light and air, that it may 
be well ventilated. In the north end of one row of stalls, let there be 
a place sufficiently large for the fowls, where they may be ke kept dry 
and warm, and with proper attention, they will supply us with an abun¬ 
dance of eggs through the winter. Let the cattle have free access to 
water without leaving the yard. Let the barns be so placed, that the 
ends of the roofs come towards the yard, that the water therefrom may 
be carried from it. Sheds may be erected on the south and east, either 
temporary, or permanent, as circumstances admit. The yard to be the 
lowest in the middle, so as to receive all the liquor it contains, and the 
earth so prepared that it shall not penetrate it. I think we may safely 
estimate the manure made from this plan, worth double of that made 
from the same quantity of fodder in the usual manner of spending it, 
