‘LIBRARY UF CONGRESS. ON ee Chap. Copyrgh Ia Shelf S55 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. | ee A ae a om) : See t~ en peer SP Pon , /o res a. eo et ae = ee ad er .. NN NN Ay SS y Lz. (" A OK ¥ Soe = EES F x \ RR Sea O FA fy 4 ¥ oe 4 és a8 44 ae 44 24 ae 24 Ven SHOOK'S GUIDE SWINE, POULTRY. AND BPOCK BREEDERS. BEING A ae AREFULLY COMPILED SLURS OF THE ORIGIN, DEVELOPMENT AND PRESENT CONDITION OF THE SWINE. POULTRY, SHEEP. CATTLE AND HORSES OF AMERICA, AS WELL AS FULL INSTRUCTIONS FOR BREEDING, REARING AND MANAGEMENT OF THE SAME. TOGETHER WITH A VAST AMOUNT OF VALUABLE MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION FOR STOCKMEN, AND A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON HOG CHOLERA-SWINE FEVER. AND THE VARIOUS DISEASES OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS, AND THE PROPER TREATMENT FOR THE SAME, By J. B. SHOOK, CIRCLEVILLE, OHIO: ¥ UNION*HERALD BOOK AND JOB PRINTING HOUSE, 1885... f P 4 } een } \ Entered as a to a ef ia 1s oe in the yer oT ny | By J. B. SHOOK, ; In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, he Washington, 1 ; / Sg " S : ms . All Rights Reserved. my t 4 ‘ } NN m Le ) i e . ‘ ie bs D | | - = f Z / oii £ y ~4 | an a te se j i ee 4 bp | + cs ¥ act ¢ r é TO THE AMERICAN FARMERS AND STOCK BREEDERS, I RESPECTFULLY DEDICATE _ THIS WORK. Devoted to their Interest aud Service. PREFACE. eee The object of the author in offering this work to the public is to furnish to American stockmen a concise and reliable treatise on the breeding and rearing of domestic animals. : In this work, especial attention has been given to the diseases of swine and poultry, as the experience of the author has shown him that such diseases as Hog Cholera —Swine Fever, and the various diseases of Poultry and the proper treatment for the same, are less understood than ailments of other animals and their treatment. Believing that no disease exists for which nature has failed to supply the proper remedy, the author, many years since, began the study of these diseases, and the success which has attended his treatment of the same has fully confirmed his theory that domestication should not be allowed to change the physical condition of swine, and that artificial means should be employed to supply what nature requires. Intelligently acting upon this belief, the author has completely demolished many old theories, and a simple, practical and efficient course of treatment has superceded the ignorant methods formerly employed. The increasing demand for information concerning do- mestic animals, their diseases and treatment, renders a work of this kind indispensable as a book of reference. The opportunity which the author has had to gather in- formation by reading and observation, as well as his years Vii of practice in breeding and handling stock, and in treating their diseases, enable him to compile a work, which, in his judgment, will fully meet the requirements of the American stockmen. The author, in this work, has given to the public not only his own ideas, but has in many instances furnished the remedies used, as well as the modes of treatment practiced by some of the most learned veterinarians and scientists in the land. The ideas it contains are couched in plain, simple lan- guage, and all technical terms have been avoided, so far as possible, thus peculiarly adapting it to the wants of the farmer and stock breeder. It has been condensed into the smallest possible space, and the contents so arranged that any subject can be found at a glance, and the information wanted easily obtained. Ina work of this kind, more perhaps than anywhere else, applies the often quoted remark of Dr. Johnson: “Books that you may carry to the fire, and hold reading in your hand, are most useful after all. A man will often look at them, and be tempted to go on, when he would have been frightened at books ofa large size, and of a more erudite appearance.” For the protection of the public, as well as the reputa- tion of the author, this work will be sold by subscription, by responsible agents who deal directly with the pub- lishers, and who will be furnished with the proper cre- dentials. As none but men of character will be employed, persons buying can confidently rely upon the authentic- ity of the book published. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. HISTORY OF SWINE IN EARLY DAYS. ‘The first introduction of Swine into America.—Their characteristics—Mode of living, and their health.— How they became benefactors.—Their improvement and health——The germ theory. 6 CHAPTER II. IMPROVED SWINE. The first improvement of swine.—Names of the differ- ent breeds.—Magie, or Poland China.—Chester White. —Durock, or Jersey Red.—Berkshire.—Victoria.— Yorkshire.—Suffolk and aii —Their origin and characteristics. 9 The Chinese hog and his dec upon antes brace 17 What breed of hogs to use. : : 19 CHAPTER III. SWINE BREEDING. ‘swine breeding a science.—How to select the breeders.— Selecting Sows. 22 The boar. ; : ; - Ba How to judge pigs. ;, ; 25 Breeding time. ae One litter a year better than two. . ; 28 1X Exceptions to the general rule... 30 Fall pigs, and how to winter them. . ; 43 Make them comfortable._-Age of pigs best suited for clover. : 33 Old view not correct. ; 34 A case of cooking that pays. 30 CHAPTER IV. THE BOAR, BROOD SOWS, PIGS, AND HOW TO CARE FOR THEM. The boar and his care. 38 The brood sows.—When to ut then Up a este When and how to feed them. : 4I Notes worth mentioning. ; VRAD Teach the young pigs to eat. eas 43 Keep them from robbing each other. haa Treatment of suckling pigs... : , 46 Weaning time. . a 50 The time to castrate pigs. ag e the SOWS. ; 51 Care of pigs after being weaned. ope Good things repeated. _.. : me CHAPTER V. . FATTENING SWINE. The most profitable age to fatten swine.—Farmers A and B’s experince. : ' 56 Mixed husbandry. : , 59 Times have changed. . , 61 How and when to feed fat hogs, dod Sein fond 62 Neglect of farmers or feeders. i d vielt 64 ' -How much pork will a bushel of corn make? —.. 66 Feeding hogs for a special purpose. , 70 Professor Saborn’s experiments. —_ . CHAPTER VI. PURE BRED SWINE. Pedigreed swine. ; oe 74 A good time to buy pure wea. swine. : {28 Show pens.—That fine pig and its care. mre | Don’t go too much on the color. . Where to keep the young boar. ee 82 _ Breeding swine for breeding purposes. a This business demands a good profit. 84 When to breed the sows. ; : Ae Take care of the brood sows and pigs. ei Fitting swine for exhibition or sale. : oe CHAPTER VIL. SEL Oe OF SUBJECTS. Improved and enn stock. ; ae Fixing the characteristics of a breed of hog 93 An illustration how to form a breed. . 95 In and in-breeding. ; 97 Merit pedigree and color. . mes! 97 Roots, vegetables, grass etc., for swine. . . 99 Ringing hogs. : ; oe 106 Stock catcher. : . 2 t ; ta Our hogs as to trichine.. .. 27 ee IIO Trichinze.in perk, by Dr. Deters?” “22 ae How hogs are killed. ’ Phe (Se eee IIy - ———————— ee XI CHAPTER = VIT. BUTCHERING AND CURING THE MEAT. Preparing to Butcher . . : ; ee ye. Rack to hang hogs on fh A regular system of killing and es ning = hee ne Be Cutting up the hogs 124 Preparing the lard and sausage : neat he» Preparing and curing meats . 126 A dry salt and quick sugar cure. meron Brine for pork or beef . . 129 CHAPTERS. HOUSES AND TROUGHS FOR SWINE. Hog houses or pens are necessary Bs me 131 Building designs - P24, 197 and #40 A bath box for hogs : ) RES Movable pig house —. TN Seen, 142 Troughs for hogs ; . =, 146 CHAPTER X. PREVAILING CAUSES OF SWINE DISEASE. Cholera—Swine Fever---Its causes ; 148 Certain breeds cholera proof : SOTA Common errors in feeding 150 Wheat stubble pasture : ¥E5O Confinement, bad food and water : 152 Straw stacks, manure heaps and barns rakes Cholera—Swine fever in its infectious or con- tagious character ; , es Danger arising from streams or pools. 156 Danger in exposure of the dead hogs 1556 X11 Periods between ex posure and its attacks 157 CHAPTER XI. INVESTIGATIONS OF SWINE DISEASE BY THE GOVERNMENT. Investigations ie 159. Reattacks of cholera _. : 2 How cholera——swine fever ea ts the lungs. I6I When the death rates increase : 162 Intestine and lung worms. 163 Opponents of the germ theory i) Extracts by Prof. James Law 165 to 170 Theoretical and practical ideas. a CHAPTER XII. TREATISE ON DISEASED HOGS. Introduction BS 174 to 176 Choleras*Swine feyer 74 . Te Observe its causes 177 When medicine fails EIS Sort the hogs . or ; 179 Exercise and air . . 56g Grade the sick ; 181 When to feed . 262 How to prepare the feed : See Length of time it takes to cure sick hogs . . 184 As a preventative ; ; 185 When hogs are coughing . , . 186 For pigs or hogs with scours . 186 How-to drench’. hae ' Ser ic Hy, Injections : 188 External applications . : . 189 X11 Rheumatism liniment : ; gO Tonic powder, see recipe or EGE Treatment of sows with pig ; 192 Objections to pens . 193 Directions for medicine repeated Fa cae 194 Medicine for poultry reat 1 Caution as to drugs. : ; 195 Incurable cases. ! eh OS Why my treatment is a success 197 _ For further information see Special Notes. Practical explanation of hog cholera-swine fever 457-60 CHAP THR AP. LOCAL DISEASES AND THEIR TREATMENT—REMARKS. Local diseases—thumps 199 Pneumonia—lunyg fever . i ZOD Sore throat—diptheria é , 200 Kidney disease. ; : 201 Blind staggers—founder and itiauietn qi onOe Snuffles and Piles. . 21) 20% Intestine worms . ; ' 204. Sweating pigs and scours 204 Blood poison, scrofula : 205 Mange fvi205 Lice : : 206 Frosted hogs é gery Black teeth 208 Prevention is better than cure : 0 2 ZOO Hints as to feeding ' 5 210 Special notes as to myrformula 2 swine . ieee Remarks as to my treatment 212 XIV Offers for a cure for hog cholera: wine 214 My methods of disposing of my | treatment 214 ee 216 My propositions , 215 How my medicines are prepared : egy 2, CHAPTER XIV. PROFITABLE POULTRY RAISING. Poultry Raising i Pies 221 to 227 Light Brahmas nee eee Perea (ne old bige Tens —.. » 228 Plymouth Rocks :) 2a American Dominicks a 230 Poultry investments : eae Careful selections . : 232 Cull the flock : 233 Incubators : &) : 235 How to feed fowls 2:36 Nest for hens . 239 Poultry inthe garden . . ae Sunflower seed es Ss 242 Poultry houses : ~ a Eggs—how to preserve them 245 Eggs—their weight : > 366 Vermin—Lice ; 246 Ducks—their houses . ’ i 249 Geese—their treatment. : 251 Turkeys , , 2452 Diseased Poultry. 254 How to tell when sick ; 255 Cholera ; 255 Roup . ; 258 XV ‘ CHAPTER XV. TREATISE ON SHEEP HUSBANDRY. Sheep husbandry Ze" ; : 261 Why wool growers do not fail 262 Forage consumed by sheep ; : 265 Information as to breeding : » ae Coupling season... 267 Selecting a ram : : : 268 Ewes—when to breed ea 268. Lambs—their care. , 269 Castration—methods 269 Weaning Lambs : 240 Mutton breeds : z + Ie Cotswolds, Southdowns and Hamshiredowns 205 Merino ; | 272 What constitutes a yao: sheep ; 273 How to breed up 274 Suggestions as to feed and care ; : 275 Things to be remembered ‘at 278 CHAPTER XVI. THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. Cattle industry . . ; 283 Shorthorns » hee Herefords, Polled Apes and Ee ikasean : 288 Holstein and Jerseys ; Bae. 3: Ayrshires—Noted cows and steers . 292 The monster steer fi , «296 How to seléct breeders 297 Controlling influence | ee XV1 Handling stock — be ee 2a Breeding from show herds La Anas ys : Science of inbreeding ae , Wee: _Stock raising profitable ae Ga Growing of feeding cattle % epee Water for stock te ae Bull and his care. ie : cae Cows andcalves—their care . Improper milking _ ee ; Removing calves... ae Sink First year of calves ee Age heifers should calve ‘ . Ute Unruly milkers . 2 , CHAPTER XVII. MODERN METHODS OF DAIRYING. Dairying for profit... The best dairy cattle | > How tojudge acow. . Py How to buy a cow rd Ms Stabling cows ; ei Ventilation not necessary ‘ Bedding more necessary—How to feed and milk | How to produce milk ae : Making butter , : Packing butter wang Cae ut) aa ie CHARACTERISTICS. yy a | The ancient horse ; 341 ae The Canadian Kanuck , 342 Es az The thoroughbred 8 REA IRE, 344. Bt | The American trotter ; 5 348 x The founder of trotters Z ; 340. AGO Sprained tendons—swelled eget muiricit and mange 431 Hide-bound— galls or boils and wolf teeth eae Valuable eye wash : 433 Cataract liniment—-cooling eeeicies or body wash 434 Foot oil—removing Bele ee Stl 8 recipe and May apple liniment ; 435 Corrosive liniment—worm Sauiden teabr cinder and cough powder 436 Condition powder—cleansing sidialex and Dexber liniment ; ae. iy . Healing REE P to arbenee prespiration— strained stifle or whirlbone—to stop flow of joint water—-capped hocks—canker—sore mouth or tongue, and sweating liniment 438 Tonic preparation—care of tail and mane and par- turition—giving birth : 439 Diseases or injuries of colts. : - 441 Wounds or cuts : ; : 442 nO. ¢ CHAPTER XXII. VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR CATTLE AND SHEEP. Sore eyes and Scotch powder Hoven and milk fever, or garget Abortion with cows Cow pox and choke Egat, smut poison or murrain Black leg : Foot and mouth ae and eienree pneumonia Hide-bound urinary trouble Scours with calves or lambs and grub in sheep Maggots and scab Foot rot with sheep . 443 444 440 447 448 449 451 452 452 - 458 454 CARD. This book, if carefully read and studied, will be found a practical educator for the general farmer or those interested in stock. It will not only learn them how to plainly treat all the fatal diseases to which our domestic animals are now subject, but also, to intelligently discuss any subject pertaining to all our improved domestic animals, as to where and how the breeds originated and their characteristics, which are subject of greats import- ance to those contemplating or already engaged in hand- ling stock of any kind. For by being well educated in this line, as well as any other, any one can often save some serious mistakes. If a man empties his purse into his head no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest. FRANKLIN. > oe Tri, ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF > PLM E RICAN SWINE, FROM 1609 TO 1885. A TREATISE ON THE BREEDING, REARING AND FATTENING OF SWINE, WITH INFORMATION AS TO THE BEST METHODS OF BUTCHERING, CUTTING AND CURING THE MEAT, TOGETHER WITH A REVIEW OF THE PREVAILING CAUSES OF THE VARIOUS DISEASES TO WHICH THEY ARE SUBJECT, AND THE MOST EFFECTIVE MODERN TREATMENT THEREFOR. a ee CHAPTER I. ‘ HisToRY OF SWINE IN EARLY DAys. THE FIRST IMPORTATION OF SWINE.—THEIR CHARACTER- ISTICS.—MODE OF LIVING AND THEIR HEALTH.—HOW THEY BECAME BENEFACTORS.—THEIR IMPROVEMENT AND HEALTH.—THE GERM THEORY. THE FIRST IMPORTATION OF SWINE. THE first swine in America, according to history, were brought by Columbus in 1493, then by De Soto to Flor- ida in 1538, and then in 1609 some were brought to Vir- ginia, direct from England. ‘The congeniality of the climate favoring their rapid increase, and from being so worthless that no one cared to possess or use them, or from some other cause, in less than twenty years they had so increased about Jamestown as to be a public nuisance, and. to have made it necessary to fence the settlement against them. Other lots of hogs were afterwards brought to the colonies from Europe, and later to the states. They were seldom bred with much care, and in some localities became almost as troublesome as they had been at James- town in 1627; for, as history goes to show, very strict laws were in force in a great many places as to killing them. | As the tide of emigration moved westward, the hog went with it as one of the means of food supply in the new set- tlements. There is no record of those early times to show 4 HISTORY OF SWINE IN EARLY DAYS. that civilization had as yet taken hold of « His Lordship,” the American hog, in any great degree. On the contra- ry, we find that, as of old, he often went wild when op- portunities for doing so were offered him. As late as 1828, according to history, large numbers roamed the wild woods of Ohio and Indiana, far from all human dwellings, where they grew very fat upon the abundance of oak and beech mast, and in some parts, where great numbers were allowed to run almost wild about the set- tlements, a triangular yoke was placed around the neck, to keep them from breaking through the fences. HOW THEY BECAME BENEFACTORS. In the problem of subduing the great territories of un- improved lands west of the Allegheny mountains, the hog was destined to become an important factor. The im- mense forests and heavy mast, the fertile valleys along the rivers and streams, and the broad, rich prairies of the uplands between, produced corn in the greatest abund- ance. One of the most ready means of disposing of these vast crops was the feeding of them to hogs and then driving them to market, and as late as the year 1840 they were gathered together in large droves from the forests and feed lots of Ohio and driven to Philadelphia, Pa., or packed and then shipped upon flat-boats to New Orleans. Efforts were made from time to time to improve the feed- ing capacity of the breed by the introduction of better feeding stock from the Eastern Hemisphere, chiefly from Europe, and the success of those efforts have been that we have exceeded the weight of the old elm peeler at one-half the age ; but as to what effect this improvement has had upon the health and constitution of the hog, we have seen. My object in repeating, in the way of an introduction, HISTORY OF SWINE IN EARLY DAYS. 5 this often told story of when and how the hog was first in- troduced into America, and the way he was raised and fattened in those days, is to once more recall to the mind that for about three hundred and fifty years under such treatment, such a thing as hog disease was entirely unknown. - It was only when we began to improve and civilize the hog that he became subject to all the ills and ail- ments known to civilization, and sickened and died. When they were allowed to roam at large over the wild wood and prairie, and develop more slowly, building up the bone and muscular system first, before being fed upon corn, disease of any kind was unknown to them. BLOOD, CONFINEMENT AND CORN. It was only when the improvement of swine was begun, and after considerable progress in that line had been made, then by confining them, thus depriving them of the wild range and the roots and herbs that nature supplied and instinct taught them to hunt, without being supplied with any artificial substitute to take their place, and the con- stant exclusive feeding of corn from the time the pig will eat it until he is taken to market, that they became dis- eased. While none of us might be willing to go back to the old fashioned hog to once more have health among our swine, yet I wish to offer the suggestion that this alone should prove to any breeder or feeder of swine, that the way to raise them 1s as near like nature as possible. Also, against the constant confinement of swine in any form, for I believe it produces many of the ills to which hog flesh is heir. Corn may be the principal food, but along with it should be fed shorts, oats, oil cake, milk or slops of any kind, vegetables, weeds or grass, and plenty of ex- ercise in the pure air, with “fresh water and clean mud.” 6 | HISTORY OF SWINE IN EARLY DAYS. The first and the most important object to the breeder or feeder is the health and constitutional vigor of his stock, and in the way I have indicated, it can be best secured. “It is of the utmost importance to successful swine breeding and fattening, that attention should be given to the development of growth as well as fat. It 1s of so much importance and yet 1s so largely neglected, that we deem it prudent to refer toit frequently. ‘The swine of this country have been greatly injured by our very prevalent system of feeding by the crowding and forcing process to which they have long been subjected.” THE GERM THEORY. :: If the very generally accepted theory of disease i is Cor- rect, such a course can but result in making the hog an easy prey to disease. The parasitic or germ theory de- pends upon the system, human or animal, being vulnerable to the attacks of the parasites or germs. If the system is perfectly strong in every part, disease cannot find a lodg- ment init. In general, parasites do not seek a particular organ because they prefer that organ, but because it is weak enough to allow their depredations. ‘There is no part of the skin that they would not attack, if it were vul- nerable, and the blood were in such condition as to favor their depredations. But the skin is able to resist, and hence they seek the weaker membranes and muscular tis- sues. It is, perhaps, impossible for us to keep our animals or ourselves in such strict accordance with the laws of na- ture as to prevent sickness, and hence disease and death from disease are in the world and are more or less active. But we can and should live up to the knowledge that we have. We know that if a child’s bones are weak, it may not only lead to deformity, but that the child is not vigor- HISTORY OF SWINE IN EARLY DAYS. > ous. ‘That is just as true with the animal, though it may | not show it as plainly as would the child. If a hog has never been furnished with material with which to build up its bony and muscular system, it 1s practically in a diseased condition all the time. If the same state of af- fairs existed with an animal of less vigorous digestion, it would go to pieces and become a wreck at once. But the hog’s digestive apparatus will often keep working very successfully, while its system is a perfect bubble, ready to collapse at any moment. But no one should be surprised to find any or all of the organs of such a hog refusing to perform their offices at any time. Hence such an animal is constantly exposed to disease. Cholera, in some of its forms, breaks out in a herd and sweeps through the community, and in most cases the learned veterinarian, or those whose services are sought, attributes the difficulty, in all probability, at once to uncleanly surroundings. But, as we have frequently had occasion to know, he is astonished when he arrives at the farm where the disease exists, to find everything as neat as a pin, and is dumfounded, and knows not to what cause to attribute the disease. As said before, our hogs, or other ani- mals, may live in violation of the laws of nature, without our knowledge, and hence sicken or die under apparently the most intelligent treatment. But there can be no question at all that in the vast majority of cases in which the cholera appears, where the surroundings are cleanly, the cause is too much corn and a consequent unequal de- velopment of the system. Our unlimited supply of corn in this country has not been an unmixed blessing. It is so plentiful with us that we feed it in ruinous excess, even when we are not prompted to make a hog before the ani- ae HISTORY OF SWINE IN EARLY DAYS. ~ mal has ceased to be a pig, and there are millions of dollars lost every year through the sickness and death of animals that have been stuffed with this compartively unnourishing, - but fat producing and heat creating food. Fat, except in limited quantities, is not growth or an element of strength. It is a disease—unquestionably a disease—because it is wholly useless, and not only that, but a burden. What- ever is useless in the economy of nature, is at variance with nature, and excessive fat is as useless as a Wen on an animal, so far as the needs of the system go. Now the constant exclusive feeding of corn from the time the pig will eat it until it is taken to the market, un- der our very bad system—as we think—-of fattening hogs the first year, is a direct effort to create a diseased condi- tion. It makes fat and nothing else. ‘The bones and the muscles are not nourished, and they cannot be forced to maturity, except to a limited extent. They may be said to be forced when the animal is fed all the bone and mus- cle forming food that it will assimilate, as distinguished from starving it, but there must be time allowed it for full development. The process cannot be hastened, except in a limited degree. But we can force fat whenever we wish to. We can fatten the pig, or fatten the hog.” CHAP Fee: IMPROVED SWINE. THE FIRST IMPROVEMENT OF SWINE.—NAMES OF THE DIFFERENT BREEDS.—THEIR CHARACTERISTICS.—THE CHINESE HOG.—HIS EFFECTS UPON OTHER BREEDS.— WHAT BREED OF HOGS TO USE. THE FIRST IMPROVEMENT OF SWINE. In the early history of swine-breeding in the Miami Valley in Ohio (for it was here, beyond doubt, that the first and greatest efforts were made to improve our swine), it is clear from the best authority that there were two breeds, the Russia and the Byfield. In 1816 the Shakers, of Union village, Warren county, Ohio, purchased at Philadelphia, Pa., one boar and three sows, pure China, called Big China hogs. The Shakers and other judicious breeders of Warren and Butler coun- ties continued to use the breeds at command, and pro- duced by repeated crosses a hog of exceedingly fine qualities for that period, known as the Warren county hog. This condition of the breeds continued until some- time between 1835 and 1840, when the Berkshires and Irish Graziers were introduced. Some claim that the Berkshires were introduced first, and others the Irish Graziers. But let that be as it will, positive proof shows that these two breeds of hogs were crossed upon the hogs already produced by the cross of the China, Russia and Byfield. IO IMPROVED SWINE. This crossing of breeds continued for some time, until the breeders of swine in the Miami valley settled down to the conviction that the basis of a good breed of hogs had been established, and stimulated by the success, they have aimed to improve what they have been so successful in forming. All defective points or qualities have, as far — as possible, been corrected or improved by care. Thus we have a breed thoroughly established, which can be re- lied upon for the production of like qualities and character in progeny. ‘This breed of swine was formerly known as the Magie, or Butler county hog—having derived that name from David Magie, of Butler county, Ohio, who was one of the leading men in introducing this hog into the heavy feeding districts of the world—but was after- ward named by the Swine Breeders’ Association, Poland- China. The best specimens of this improved breed, Po- land-China, have good length, short, broad backs, straight on both lines, deep sides, very broad, full square hams and shoulders, drooping ears, short heads, slightly dish- faced, broad between the eyes, with a good coat of hair, -and are of a dark, or spotted color. They are hardy, vigorous and prolific. ‘Their chief excellencies consist in their quiet disposition, and their susceptibility of being well fattened at any age, large growth when desirable, and a great amount of flesh laid on in proportion to the food consumed. ‘They sometimes dress three hundred and fifty pounds when no older than ten or twelve months, and if kept until two or three years old, will often dress from six to nine hundred pounds; and as a machine to turn corn into pork they bave Ivut few equals. THE CHESTER WHITE. The Chester White is a native of Chester county, ——=: ~ ian aS eee Raa a — PURE BRED SWINE. : 85 In order to make it both profitable and pleasant, as I said before, the breeder should have a natural love and desire for the business. A good situation is also necessary, al- though most any place can be made suitable with labor and money. A dry, rolling piece of land, with plenty of good water and shade, is the best, for it is much healthier and far more pleasant than a wet,-level place. - In purchasing the breeding stock to begin with, nothing but first-class individual stock should be purchased at any price. It should be purely bred of whatever breed the breeder desires, and of good, thrifty, growing stock. Good judgement should be used in procuring this stock, for it is not always the highest priced animal, or those that are purchased the farthest away from home that are the best. “Breeding stock of any kind is often held above its worth. It is not infrequently the case that a breeder asks much more than the value of the animal, or the cost of its production will warrant. The purchaser must be on his guard on this point. This, however, is rather exceptional, for, as a rule, breeding stock is worth all it commands in the market.” nN (Alay ‘ ne RINT C MAT SRNT LR TROT ~ ‘ 4 " ‘ | WHEN TO BREED THE SOWS. Once the stock is brought together again, good judg- ment must be used in the breeding of it, so as to have the pigs come at the proper time. If the herd, or any S6 PURE BRED SWINE. part of it is to be exhibited the coming season, the pig's must come so as to be of the proper age to suit the premium list; or if only intended to be sold during the season without being exhibited, it is best to have them come as early in the spring as possible, so as to have the advantage of as much age as the former case will omit, and to be as early in the market as possible, in the latter case; as pigs with the advantage of a few weeks in age have quite an advantage over the younger ones, either in the show pen or in the market. Of course, in order to have these early pigs, and to save and care for them, good quarters of some kind are certainly neces- sary. It is not necessary that these buildings should be so costly, but they should be so constructed as to be warm, easily ventilated and kept clean. For information on _ this subject see plan of pens. Now the next thing on the programme is the care of these hogs. This is some- thing that breeders cannot afford to slight in the least, if they expect to compete with others. ‘They must have these hogs fat, sleek and clean, looking well at all times, and ready for a purchaser, for in this business, like any other, no man knoweth when a buyer cometh. There-— fore, be ready, at all times and for all kinds of customers, for the least thing will sometimes drive a buyer away; such as a coughing pig, or the hogs not fat and look- ing well, dirty, filthy pens, and perhaps some of the pigs or hogs lying around in the manure pile or a dusty shed. The buyer will soon begin to talk about disease and leave. Remember that nice, fat, clean, sleek hogs, with everything around clean, pleases the eye; and that is what is wanted if the sale of the hogs is expected, and the breeder expects to prosper. | ® “a s) a oo . ' - : " - ote §% =. * op iy - vv Ee eoeeeeeermleee PURE BRED SWINE. 87 TAKE CARE OF THE BROOD SOWS AND PIGS. As the sows are bred, each one should be carefully reg- istered so as to know when they will farrow. There is but little variation from sixteen weeks as the time sows carry their pigs; the older ones not infrequently going _ beyond a few days, and the younger ones farrowing a few days earlier than this. If proper care be taken in the management of the boar, allowing but one service to each sow, the dates at which the pigs should come can be made a matter of record, and the necessary attention given the sows as the time for their farrowing approaches, when they should be put up separately, and ‘in time, in order to prevent any accident that may cause the sow to lose all or part of her pigs. If their quar- ters are warm and dry, it is about all that is necessary, except in extreme cold weather, when the pigs may need looking after. Here is one place where it pays to have the sows quiet, for, at the critical hour, assistance can be given the pigs to get around to their mother’s breast, and after they are all snug and safe, if she and the pigs are covered up with an old horse blanket or a piece of car- pet, she will remain quiet long enough for the pigs to get dry and warm, and nurse. After that there is but little dan- ger of them perishing with the cold; and in this way, sometimes, a fine litter of pigs can be raised, that would otherwise perish. The old saying, “take care of the pen- nies, and the dollars will take care of themselves,” will hold good in swine breeding; take care of the pigs and the hogs will take care of themselves. In one case, with- out pennies you have no dollars, and in the other, with- out pigs you have no hogs. As to the feeding of the sows and pigs, I suppose 88 PURE BRED SWINE. enough has been said on this subject in former writings of this work to instruct the readers. FITTING SWINE FOR EXHIBITION OR SALE. From four to six weeks before the exhibition or sale of the swine, they should be put up, and become accustomed to being handled, washed and brushed, which should be given them every day or two. After they are brushed dry they should be oiled; this will make the skin soft and pliable, and the hair glossy. For this purpose there is nothing better than lard and sperm oil, equal parts mixed. Damp- en a sponge or wollen cloth with it and oil them, but do not use too much oil, as it will show, look bad, and cause remarks. If in the summer time, when the weather is hot, they should be kept out of the sun during the hottest part of the day, and should not be allowed to wallow in the mud. In case they do, it should be washed off in the evening, and' not allowed to remain on over night, as it will cause the hair and skin to become rough. Never maim, or dis- figure the nose, tail or ears in any way, if it can possibly be avoided. If they have been rung, cut the rings in two, and take them out before exhibiting them. If one wishes to use ear marks, I know of no better plan than the patent ear tag. These should be put in the ears at, or before weaning time, so as to guard against mistakes as to what sows certain pigs belong. Then tags are numbered, and the numbers should be — carefully registered. In putting them in, care should be taken in the operation, for they may cause the pig to carry a bad ear, especially if the ear becomes sore. Some breeders object to these ear tags, as they claim | they gather mud, and sometimes are the cause of the ; PURE BRED SWINE. 89 ear being frozen, or becoming sore, and use in their place an ear punch, an instrument similar to a leather punch. With this they punch holes in the ears, and thus mark the pigs. Where this is done, the pigs should be care- fully registered, giving the number of holes in the ear, | and the position also as to what sow such pigs belong. In order to take them to fairs or exhibitions of any -kind, and in order to ship them if sold, each hog should be boxed in a good, strong, but light box, with a small trough or tin vessel in it, to water and feed out of. If the breeder is well supplied with cards, showing whose hogs they are, what kind they are, how old they are, how much they weigh, and if for sale, he will save answering a great many questions. Now, one thing more to the new - beginners. Once they have thrown out their card to the public, they must not expect to sell all the hogs that are needed the first year they are in the business; for if they do, they are liable to. be disappointed. It takes time, en- ergy and a great deal of experience to establish a repu- tation as a first-class stock breeder that commands _res- pect and patronage. CHAPTER VII. SELECTIONS OF SUBJECTS. IMPROVE YOUR STOCK.—SCRUB HOGS.-—FIXING THE CHAR- ACTERISTIC OF A BREED OF HOGS.—AN ILLUSTRATION OF HOW TO FORM A BREED.—-MERIT AND PEDIGREE, ~—ROOTS, VEGETABLES, PASTURE, ETC., FOR HOGS.—RING- ING HOGS.—HOW TO HOLD THEM.—OUR HOGS.——TRICHI- ' NAE IN HOGS..-HOW A PIG SUDDENLY BECAME PORK.— SLAUGHTER WITH THE BULLET. IMPROVE YOUR STOCK. The advantage of good stock over scrub stock is daily becoming more evident, an incontrovertible argument in favor of the former. This is a pleasant fact to contem- plate ly those breeding up their herds, and should serve as an incentive to future effort by others who have hith- erto refrained from so doing. ‘The improvement in stock throughout the country is marked, but the large increase of pure bred stock, the frequent public sales and the rea- sonable price at which they sell, enable men to make still more rapid improvements in the grading up of vast herds in the West, that cut the chief figure in our meat supply. In passing through the country now, one cannot fail to note the changes that have taken place in most sections, as regards the improvements in all kinds of stock, and especially swine. People have begun to know the differ- ence existing between a good hog and a scrub one. One may occasionally find a person who has made no improve- SELECTIONS OF SUBJECTS. ot ment in his swine, but he is only an exception. He will soon fall in the ranks, for it is evident to anyone that it is as easy to raise a good hog as a poor one, and far more profitable. Pure bred swine of most all kinds have become so plentiful that it is no longer a difficult or costly matter to procure them, and once procured, they re-produce them- selves so rapidly that it is very evident that in the near future the pure bred, or high grades of swine, will take the place of the native, or scrub hog, even in the most remote rural districts. Other improved stock has made very rapid progress in the last ten years, and no doubt will continue to do so in the future, for the more plentiful it becomes, the easier it is obtained, and the more enlightened the people be- come, the more it will be sought after; but on account of it being more costly, or slower to reproduce itself, it can never make the progress that swine can or will. Ev- ery effort should be made to grade up all kinds of stock as fast as possible. As the use of good males of most all kinds of stock is now obtainable at a reasonable price in most all parts of this country, the people should not be slow to patronize them. By this means it takes but a few years to make quite an improvement in any kind of stock, and the idea that the market will become overstocked _ with any kind of good stock is all wrong. The demand will always exceed the supply. “It does not pay to breed or to feed poor hogs. ‘The hog is a voracious animal, and unless his voracity can be turned to profitable account it is better to have nothing to do with him. The great majority of farmers who breed pigs do so without definite aim toward producing a profit- able animal. Some of them have got a nondescript sort 92 SELECTIONS OF SUBJECTS. of stock of no particular breed, and remarkable only for combining as many of the bad qualities and as few of the good points as it is possible a hog can have. Having come to them as it were as a common legacy, they look upon it as being a bounden duty to perpetuate the race. Yet bad as these hogs are, they have two redeeming points. In the first place, they are hardy, and have good constitutions; and in the second place they are capa- ble of being rapidly improved at small cost, by crossing them with the modern improved breeds of pure-blooded sorts. Use what breed you will to begin the improve- ment, if it is only persevered in by those who understand the business, it must result profitably. A good thorough- bred boar costs money. We will say twenty-five to fifty dollars for a really first-class young one, three to six months old. But one is enough for a whole neighbor- hood, and if several will club together to purchase and keep one among them, or agree to pay a moderate sum for each sow they may get served, the cost will be small to each.” , As to what breed is best to originate the improvement from, much will depend upon circumstances. If medium sized hogs are desired, use the Berkshire, Yorkshire, or Essex; for those who want larger hogs, giving from three to six hundred pounds when fattened, will find nothing better than the Poland China, or any of our other improved large breeds. Once they have made a _ choice of any one breed, it should not be changed unless they are thoroughly convinced that they have made a mistake; but everything should be done to improve it, al- ways selecting and retaining the best sows for breeders, and every time boars are changed, try to get a better one. SELECTIONS OF SUBJECTS. 93 FIXING THE CHARACTERISTIC OF A BREED OF HOGS. «The time required in which to establish a breed, and the difficulty of the undertaking, depends largely on two things—the number of the characteristics desired to be fixed, and the rapidity with which the class of animals selected reproduce themselves. It is obviously a very much less difficult task to secure the reproduction of one characteristic than it is to secure half a dozen. It would be much easier to produce a breed of hogs which should be uniform in color, without regard to size and time of coming to maturity than it would to secure uniformity in all these points. The rapidity of breeding is an equally important element. Compare the horse and hog in this regard. A long life time would not enable one to do more with the horse than could be done in ten years with the hog; in each case the breeder being confined to his own animals. Before the. effects of a second cross could be seen in the case of the horse, the hog breeder, starting with a single pair, could have a herd of hun- dreds, with a good degree of uniformity. Producing young once or twice a year, and several at each birth, the hog, of all our domestic animals, gives much the best opportunity for selection. Swine reproduce at so early an age, so many at a birth and so often, that in no other field can the student of the science of breeding and the art of selection and crossing so readily note results and acquire information by actual experience. Indeed, with a single sow and her descendants, for a period of five years, an observant, intelligent man may learn more con- cerning the laws of reproduction and the effects of in- breeding and crossing, than with any other variety of farm stock in a lifetime. 94 SELECTIONS OF SUBJECTS. Estimating the produce of a single sow at a very mod- erate rate—one litter a year from the time she is one year old, and that from each of these litters there should be saved three sow pigs, which in time should be equally productive—we shall have, by the time the first sow is five years old, a herd of 1,024 females. These will have been produced at 341 different litters, and the most re- mote will be five generations from the first dam. But when we consider that it is quite within the limits of possibility that each sow will produce two litters a year instead of one, the number of descendants and the oppor- tunity for observation are materially increased, as this would give us nine litters from the old sow alone, instead of five, as in the preceding calculation, and the total num- ber of female descendants possible in five years, where two litters a year are produced, counting only three fe- males to the litter, would be 2,683. If, as is claimed by many, five generations serve to fix any given type with reasonable certainty in any of our domestic animals, it is quite within the range of possi-- bilities for each farmer to create a breed of hogs for him- self, in the course of five years. This case of fixing its characteristics, which the hog possesses in so marked a degree, enables any farmer to secure a stock which pos- sesses in a very large degree the qualities he desires. If he will use well bred boars of the breed he prefers for four or five years, selecting the sows with care, his en-— tire stock will very closely resemble the pure bred ani- mals of this breed. If he wishes, he may produce a new breed, or modify an old one, but in the large majority of cases this will not be a wise attempt, as those now common at large . . » 2 . ore, “ewe ot ae inch at one side, so as to catch within the siding. On the other end of the battens we have a button on each to catch the upper and lower rails. By swinging a door in the remaining space the haquse is closed, and there is complete protection against storms. We use these moy- able fronts in early spring until the pigs are old enough to endure the cold, when the front is taken off and laid © away. If the house is set up on a dry spot where the water will not run under, or if a trench is cut behind for the drip of the roof to run off, the inmates will be more ~ comfortable than in any of our big houses. Each spring and fall we take these houses down and whitewash inside, and never have a new litter begin life in the old filth of their predecessors. With a clean house, on a clean, fresh sod, the young things start life without being handicapped by disease. The sow should become a 5 a a ee ee a ce ek HOUSES AND TROUGHS FOR SWINE. T45 accustomed to the house two weeks before farrowing, and. the swinging door should be kept open. The night she is to farrow it may be closed, and then the pigs are safe from any storm we ever have in this latitude. A handy man can make two of these houses in a day, and the cost of material does not exceed $2.50. The above description is for a house without the sky- light. The sash and lights cost about $2. In bright, cold, or windy days, in March or April, the glass lets the sunshine pour into the bed, which the pigs enjoy. We cannot get too much sunshine for the pig in the spring of the year. These movable pig houses will be found most conveni- ent on small farms where permanent hog houses are not provided. To the tenant who wishes to give his pigs better care than the quarters of the rented farm afford, they will be found of especial value, as he can move them as he does his implements and stock. To move one from one lot to the other, a sled may be slipped under, or the house can be taken down by removal of the pins, and placed ina wagon, or carried piece by piece by one person. On flat land, where drainage is poor, it will be well to make a floor of inch boards, cut so that the pens set down over it. This keeps the floor perfectly ‘dry. The floor should fit the house, so that there will be no danger of a pig’s foot or leg béing caught between _ the floor and house. In order to prevent killing the grass and destroying the sod, we do not allow the house to stand long in one spot. Move often to keep the soil and grass fresh. With clean beds, in clean houses, on clean sod, we may hope to raise healthy pigs, if fed judiciously and bred for constitution rather than color and fat. 146 ' HOUSES AND TROUGHS FOR SWINE. TROUGHS FOR SWINE. Every farmer in this wide land of ours, from Ocean to Ocean, is interested in hogs. No well regulated farm should be without them. They fill a niche in mixed farming that no other animal can supply. They largely subsist on stuff that would otherwise be wasted. They are economizers. If you are opposed to raising hogs for — sale, at least try and keep a few pigs to consume the — waste. It will pay to do so. | The trough is as essential as the breed, sie should be | well filled. ‘The breed is the machinery and the trough supplies the raw material for manufacture. Since information on making troughs for swine — may be of value to some of the readers of this book, I will endeavor to explain how to make a few troughs that will be found practicable to use. First, the old log trough, made by squaring up a stick of timber, gx12 and — of any length, and hollowing it out by the use of an ax or foot adze, is a good stationary trough, for the hogs cannot upset it, and if made of good-timber, will last for years. A trough similar vo it can be made by spiking and bolting together three two-inch boards, with end pieces well set in. ‘To keep hogs from crowding one an- other, upright pieces can be fastened on the sides about a foot apart; if set against a fence or in a pen, only one side should have the pieces. Light troughs for pigs, or for general use where they are to be lifted about, can be made in the same way out of six inch fencing boards. The eves-trough, made by nailing together two boards edge-wise, of any length, width, or thickness, and then nailing on or setting in end pieces, is a common and handy trough. Large troughs made this way, can have HOUSES AND TROUGHS FOR SWINE. 147 a wide board or two narrow ones, runing lengthwise in the center of the trough and braced by pieces from the edge of the trough to them, to keep the hogs from crowd- ing or getting over the top. Troughs for small pigs are made low and nearly square, as more pigs can get to them, and they cannot be upset; they are also easily cleaned. Oak lumber is the best to use to make troughs out of, as it will last longer and hold the nails better. The hogs can be kept out of the trough until the feed is put in by means of a wide board, or two put together with strips. It should be wide enough so one edge can rest on the edge of the trough or on slats put across the trough, and the other edge fastened to the pen or fence by straps or hinges; this board must be in a sloping posi- tion, the board or shute that carries the swill into the trough, being under it. When the hogs are wanted in the trough, raise the board by the use of a rope or strap fastened to the outer edge of it and fasten it up. As soon as the hogs are done eating, it can be lowered again; in this way the hogs can be kept out of the trough and it can be kept cleaner than when they have free access to it all the time. CHAPTER X. PREVAILING CAUSES OF SWINE. DISEASE. WHAT CAUSES CHOLERA.—SWINE FEVER.—ITS PREVAIL- ING LOCAL CAUSES.__CERTAIN BREEDS CHOLERA PROOF. —-COMMON ERRORS IN FEEDING.WHEAT STUBBLE PAS~- TURE,—-CONFINEMENT,BAD FOOD AND WATER.—STRAW- STACKS, MANURE HEAPS AND BARNS,—ITS INFECTIOUS CHARACTER.—DANGER ARISING FROM RUNNING STREAMS OR POOLS.-DANGER IN EXPOSURE OF DEAD HOGS.—_THE PERIOD BETWEEN EXPOSURE TO CONTAGION AND ITS ATTACKS. HOG CHOLERA AND SWINE FEVER. What causes hog cholera or swine fever ? is a ques- tion which has been often asked, and for which many an- swers have been proposed, but among the hog growing people of this country, it is as far from solution as ever. While certain theorists and their advocates talk “filth” all the time as its cause, others unmercifully condemn the improved breeding of swine. The farmer knows there is something in this when carried to the extreme, but he is often puzzled to know why his hogs get sick, when kept in clean quarters and not pure bred, while his neigh- bor’s pure bred hogs are in good condition; and on the other hand, it not infrequently occurs that the farmer who keeps pure bred hogs, loses his, while his neighbor owning native bred hogs has his herd in a thrifty con- dition. In studying the cause of this epidemic, too much (je. See PREVAILING CAUSES OF SWINE DISEASE. 149 attention cannot be given to the local causes, as well as the artificial condition of the patient. “It is true, when a rapid growth is attained by artificial means, we lose in vitality, hardiness, and constitution.” This is especially the case in the improved breeds of hogs, which now weigh as much at nine months as the old hardy breeds did at eighteen. Instead of roaming at large, unlimited by field or pen, as the old native breed did, and maturing more slowly, they have been subjected to confinement, fed with corn, cooked food, distilled or other slops, etc., which were entirely unknown to them in their native state, thus, opening up the way for hog cholera and other fatal di- seases. This cause has also been increased by inbreed- ing too close, or breeding from too young or runty and inferior animals. To obviate this, too much attention can- not be given to the selections of thrifty and well matured animals as breeders, and treating them as near like nature as possible. ig. ) CERTAIN BREEDS CHOLFRA PROOF. No breed, however, is exempt from this disease. Even the “Hazel Splitter” with all his vigor of constitution - could not resist taking this disease when exposed to it in its epidemic or coutagious form. The representation that any improved breed of hogs are cholera proof is a fallacy. It istrue, the better constitution a hog has, the better fortified he is against such epidemics. Hence a hog, forced in growth all the time, is more liable to disease, than one grown more slowly—because its digestive and other organs become impaired and its ability to resist the attacks of disease is thereby lessened. The present practice of raising swine artificially by the use of such stimulating foods as will secure a rapid T50 PREVAILING CAUSES OF SWINE DISEASE. growth and quick development, is the most fruitful cause of disease among swine otherwise well cared for. COMMON ERRORS IN FEEDING. Unquestionably many healthy hogs are made sick and die, by the thoughtlessness of their owners in suddenly changing*from dry feed to green corn. The vast amount of saccharine matter taken into the stomach of the animal, impairs its digestion, and on failure of assimilation the food ferments and sets up an inflammation in the stomach and bowels which either produces an active diarrhea or severe constipation. Both these conditions are often no- ticed in a herd of hogs at the same time, and apparently arising from the same cause. The same effect is produced on hogs when taken from short dry pasture fields, where they have been kept for some time, and turned into a stubble field where there is — a rank growth of clover, or into a clover field, where the second crop is growing rank. The disastrous effects of these changes are more easily noticeable if the change be made during a warm, wet time, as under sich circum- _ stances fermentation takes place mn the stomach of the animal more quickly than at any other time. Another fruitful cause of sickness from which farmers suffer greatly is allowing hogs to run in matured clover fields and feeding old corn, or not feeding at all. The effect noticeable in this class of cases is almost universally a constipated condition of the animal. The same fevered and constipated condition is noticeable when hogs are shut up in pens, or lots, and fed old dry corn in large quantities, for the purpose of fattening. WHEAT STUBBLE PASTURE. Another dangerous practice which causes the same PR a Oe re eran s. i . : f ; | PREVAILING CAUSES OF SWINE DISEASE. E5I trouble, is that of turning hogs into a wheat field, in a dry time, particularly so, when the herd is small or the field very large, and the amount of wheat left on the ground in harvesting is considerable. ‘The hogs begin eating the ‘dry wheat at once, and continue just as long as they can find it, unless they get sick before it is all eaten, which not infrequently occurs. The dry wheat, when taken into the stomach without proper mastication, is almost certain to clog the stomach, and remain undigested, pro- ducing a bilious condition of the animal, resulting in fever and constipation. Practical demonstrations have proven that wheat should never be fed to hogs unless ground, soaked or cooked. The farmer who is fearful of having his fields rooted or torn up by his hogs, is careful to put rings in the nose of each pig as soon as weaned, thus depriving it of a taste or smell of fresh earth, and the use of an instinct which teaches it in bilious attacks to search for bugs, worms, and other insects as well as_ roots or vegetables, the natural excitants of the stomach, liver and bowels. He never once thinks of the neces- sity of furnishing the animal an artificial substitute for these. Dr. Koch, an eminent German scientist and a standard authority on cholera in the human species, says: “Cholera will have but little effect among those who keep the digestive organs, and the kidney and liver in a healthful condition.” Following this suggestion of Dr. Koch’s, the author has, by repeated experiments, prac- tically demonstrated that swine are subject to the same physical laws as the human race respecting the adminis- tration of medicine for the prevention of diseases. And by giving attention to the local condition of the animal 152 PREVAILING CAUSES OF SWINE DISEASE. and furnishing it with proper remedies, if administered in time, not only will the diseases arising from local causes be removed or prevented,but exposure of the herd to swine fever, cholera, however contagious, will not result disas- trously. CONFINEMENT, BAD FOOD AND. WATER. Confining hogs in a small lot or pen and compelling them to drink stagnant and filthy water, and in the winter season, ice or snow water, or scanty feeding, or dry corn, or musty, moldy and unwholesome food, causes worms in ~ the intestines of the animal, which most generally pro- duces unthriftiness, constipation and disease; such treat- ment will sometimes produce diarrhee or other ailments of the digestive organs. The foregoing illustrates the common errors in feeding hogs, which have resulted in the disease, called cholera or swine fever. Aside from the errors in feeding which I have briefly enumerated, there are other causes of disease which frequently occur which I will mention: First, allowing hogs to run in fields along streams, or in bottom or low lands during wet sea- sons, when decaying vegetable substances are throwing out their poisonous miasma. Many thus contract disease similar to malaria fever, which, if neglected, may and fre- quently does become fatal. A timely application of prop-— er remedies which will act upon the liver and kidneys without irritating the digestive organs will almost inva- riably relieve this difficulty, and it does not require close attention on the part of the feeder to discover this con- dition of the animals. Second, the habit of turning hogs into a wood lot in seasons when there is a large quantity of oak mast, is very dangerous, and not infrequently re- sults in the death of a portion, if not all the herd. It may a A RR PREVAILING CAUSES OF SWINE DISEASE. 153 be inquired why did not the hogs of “ancient days” die, when they had nothing else? The reason is plain to a _ practical observer, and is the same as before assigned. “The “ancient hog” was by nature calculated to root for such things as his system required, such as roots, insects, toads, snakes and young animals which tended directly to _ overcome the powerful effect of the astringent properties _of the seed or jackoak acorn. This variety of mast is far the most dangerous, as its astringent properties are | proportionally greater. Continued feeding upon these nuts injuriously affects the urinary and other organs. The cultivation of the land and removal of timber, have left the fields free from roots and herbs, mice, insects, and other varieties of such food as formerly was found and eaten, rendering the hog entirely incapable of obtaining the ‘needful remedies for such condition as above described. Any prudent farmer will see at once how necessary it is _ to supply this necessary want, and do so, instead of allow- ‘ing the hogs to die. STRAW STACKS, MANURE HEAPS AND BARNS. Another and potent cause of disease is, the manner in which hogs are kept, and particularly so where the farm- er entrusts the entire care of the animals to the employes about the farm, who naturally take little or no interest in the condition in which they are kept, in order to avoid | extra labor, and attention in caring for them. The own- er having neglected to provide suitable quarters, the hogs are expected and allowed to shift for themselves as best they can. And in cases of this kind they very often seek an old straw stack, fermenting manure heap, dusty shed or barn in which to sleep. ‘This cannot be too severely | condemned. Here they crowd together in large or small 154. PREVAILING CAUSES OF SWINE DISEASE. numbers, according to the size of the drove, and some- times even burrow beneath the straw or litter, and are : thus compelled to breath the “impure and noxious gases engendered thereby.” ‘These taken into the system powca | and weaken it, and generate disease, which, sooner or later, takes a malignant form, in the way of typhoid or lung fever, and becomes epidemic and contagious and spreads ; over a large scope of country. In my practice I have - often traced the first disease that was known in a neigh- ; berhood, to some farm where I was satisfied it started in this way. In other instances it was traced to farms where the swine were allowed to sleep in dusty sheds or under barns. Here they are compelled to breathe or in- hale the impure air and dust found in such places, which is very dangerous, especially where the buildings are oc- cupied by other animals. The “solid and liquid excre-— tions” of the other stock, mixed with that of the swine, — or the excretions of the swine, mixed with the dry litter of sheds or barns, present the means for the germination of disease. In warm or wet weather, the evils thaf arise from swine sleeping in the above named places are more noticeable and more dangerous than at any other time; as the hogs which are crowded or piled up in such places become very warm and wet with sweat, and upon coming out into the cool air, undoubtedly take cold and thereby contract a more fatal malady. By observation, I have very frequently known this to be the cause of a very ma- lignent type of disease, especially with fat, young hogs or _pigs. This being the case, the farmer or owner of hogs should seé at once how important it is to remove the cause, and give the hogs such treatment as would release the local trouble, before it had taken a fatal form. ’ z oa het . ¥ Se < “i 2 s 4 S » _"* 2 hd “ ’ PREVAILING CAUSES OF HOG DISEASE. 155 ITS INFECTIOUS OR CONTAGIOUS CHARACTER. When the disease has assumed a malignant form, it is the same as the Asiatic cholera, or typhus or typhoid fever ‘with the human family, and similar to epizootic and pneumonia with other stock, being infectious or contagious. It has been practically demonstrated, by good authority, that hog cholera or swine fever, isa “germ desease” ca- _pable of being germinated, propagated and transported in various ways. And perhaps some of the ordinary methods of spreading this disease, cannot be better de- scribed than to quote from the American Stock Book as follows: “It has been a great mystery to the farmer how _— 2S ae . ‘the disease spreads from place to place without apparent actual contact. It was like fighting in the dark to at- “tempt to prevent it, and many gave up in despair and _stoically awaited its coming, or after a few cases had oc- curred, ceased all remedies or precautionary measures, saying: “what will die, will die anyway.” There is no doubt but what it is under favorable conditions infectious and conveyed by germs or spores in the air. It is most dificult to draw the dividing line between the epizootic “nature of the disease, and the contagious form. ‘There is “no doubt but what the infectious nature of the disease “may, under a predisposing condition of local causes, etc., take the contagious form, which is far more malignant, sweeping and fatal in character. That a few spasmodic cases may occur in a drove, which if neglected, may so increase in number and violence as to become highly con- tagious. This contagious matter is of a fixed char- acter, and is present in the blood, the discharges, and of course in the place inhabited. It possesses great Vitality. | - 156 PREVAILING CAUSES OF HOG DISEASE. DANGER ARISING FROM STREAMS OR POOLS. . It is not infrequently the case that swine afflicted with this contagious disease will go to a running stream to ~ drink, and standing or lying in the water, die. The stream carries the virus from such dead animals for miles” © along both its banks. And hogs drinking the water be- _ low are almost certain to contract the disease. The same — : class of exposure is met when buzzards which have ~ gorged themselves on the carcasses of diseased hogs, — seek a pool of water, and after drinking, vomit the con-— tents of the craw, either into the water or on the banks. Hogs drinking the water or eating such material are cer- tain to at once become diseased. DANGER IN EXPOSURE OF THE DEAD HOGS. Where dead hogs are buried shallow, or piled up and left to decay, the grease from them will penetrate the ground for quite a distance, carrying with it the poisons, virus or germs, which away from the air retain their poi- sonous qualities. Hogs coming in contact with those places will in many instances root up and eat the “earth where such dead animals have decayed, and in such cases, they invariably become diseased. ‘There is also a prac- tice of feeding the dead hogs to the herd, many farmers claiming by so doing the living animals are benefited. But in all his many years of experience the author has never found this to be the case—unless the dead bodies were first well charred, when there may be some benefit derived in so doing. The methods of exposure to this disease, the author has found to be very dangerous; and when hogs become diseased from either of these causes, such attacks almost invariably are attended with fatal results. The PREVAILING CAUSES OF SWINE DISEASE. 157 germs of the disease in such case having been brought directly in contact with the mucus membrane of the mouth or stomach, and the warmth of the animal furnish- ing the germs with the needful elements of growth and formation, the hog speedily becomes diseased, past all hope of recovery, unless such treatment be resorted to at once, as will enable the animal to throw off or overcome _ the effects of the poisonous matter. This alone should _ prove to the farmers how important it is to burn diseased hogs as soon as dead. For by so doing all this danger is obviated, and the germs are entirely destroyed. If left lying where they happen to die, or if they are hauled out and piled up, or buried shallow, the carcass or a part is likely to be found and devoured by hogs, or else the bones and flesh will be carried about, and sometimes for miles by dogs or other animals and deposited in such places as hogs will find and devour them soon afterwards, and be- come diseased, Dr. Detmers, a celebrated scientist and careful inves- tigator of the swine disease, says: “The dead hogs should be buried at least four feet deep or cremated.” The author knowing that the farmers will not go to the trouble of burying them four feet deep, still repeats the advice in his writings of former years, to burn them, as that obviates any further trouble. THE P RIOD BETWEEN CONTAGION AND ITS ATTACKS. “The intensity of this contagious matter seems also to vary according to the form and malignancy of the disease. The period which elapses between exposure and the at- tacks is not always the same, varying with the form the disease assumes, from a few hours toa few weeks. As we have stated before, an infectious disease may become 158 PREVAILING'CAUSES OF SWINE DISEASE. malignant and contagious, and one form of the disease — does not necessarily impart the same type to another, but 4a depends more upon the primary seat of the malady in the © patient. It may take the enteric form or the external car- — buncular character. It may localize its attacks on certain organs with well defined symptoms, which are more pro- — longed in their results, or, it may affect the whole organ- — ization, and destroy life in a few hours.” The experi- ments of Drs. Law, Detmers, Salmen, Sutton, Budd, — Osler and others, in inoculating sound hogs with the virus _ or poisoned blood of sick ones, have shown the period of — incubation to vary greatly, sometimes proving fatal the first day, and in other instances, not until the fifteenth day. Dr. Detmers gives the period, “from five to fifteen days, oran average of seven days.” The author’s ex- perience and observation in having well hogs with sick ones, have placed the period of infection from three to thirteen days, but the majority of cases occuring in from seven to nine days. A si. oa ee ae CHAPTER XI. INVESTIGATION OF SWINE DISEASE BY THE GOVERNMENT. INVESTIGATIONS BY THE GOVERNMENT.—DISCOVERIES OF DR. H. J. DETMERS, JAMES LAW AND OTHERS.—EFFECTS OF THE SWINE DISEASE UPON OTHER ANIMALS AND UPON THE HUMAN FAMILY.—GERM THEORY.—OPPO- NENTS OF THE GERM THEORY.—-PROOF THEREOF.——-WHY SUMMER IS THE MOST DANGEROUS SEASON. _ INVESTIGATIONS BY THE GOVERMENT. In support of the practical experience of the author set forth in the preceeding pages, I cannot do better perhaps than to give some extracts from Drs. James Law and H. J. Detmers, in ‘their excellent report to the Commis- sioner of Agriculture of the United States, in 1880, upon the cause and effects of hog cholera, swine fever, or what they called, hog fever or swine plague. In experiment- ing in this direction and others, Dr. H. J. Detmers and Dr. James Law, while investigating this disease in the fall and winter of 1878 and 1879, and in 1880, being a part of the commission as appointed by the government, made some discoveries which I consider of value, and I will give such extracts from their report as i think may be useful to the — general farmer, in order to show more plainly the cause and effect of hus cholera or swine fever and its treat- ment. Dr. Detmers says: “When I first commenced my investigation, in the fall of 1878 and in the winter of 1878 and 1879, I had clear sailing, because an abundance of material was always available. The disease presented 160. INVESTIGATION BY THE GOVERNMENT. itself almost everywhere in its malignant form. I endea- vored first to ascertain the nature and the cause or causes of the disease, the means and manner of its spreading, | and the working of its morbid process; secondly, to dis- cover the means necessary to check its spreading and to prevent its outbreak, and to learn the most practical means of prevention, that is, such as would most likely be the least objectionable to the farmers, and prove both ef- fective and easy of application; thirdly, to ascertain whether and to what extent an attack of swine-plague terminating in recovery is able to destroy further predis- - position or to produce immunity from the effects of a sub- sequent infection.” ‘Hence, as it was my intention to find reliable means of prevention, and to subject the preven- tives to a severe test, it was not advisable to inoculate from any case of swine-plague that presented itself or was convenient. But I made my selections, and only — used material from malignant and typical cases of swine- plague, also refusing to use any material from cases show- ing putrefaction; therefore, I am sure [have made no mis- takes.” The learned doctor’s investigations show that hog cholera, swine fever, or what he named “swine plague,” though a disease peculiar to swine, can, under favorable circumstances, be communicated to other animals, and un- der very favorable circumstances probably to human _ be- ings, but not likely to the barnyard fowls. The author has satisfied himself that the disease cannot be communicated by working with diseased hogs in any manner, he having been frequently bitten when handling them, and he has many times held post mortem examina- tions of hogs that have died of cholera when his hands were sore and often raw in places without ever experi- INVESTIGATION BY THE GOVERNMENT. 161 encing any unpleasant results from so doing. Dr. Detmers says: It can and may attack one and the same animal twice, and even three times, but if it does, the second and third attacks are always mild ones and not apt to prove fatal, unless complicated with other diseases. As a rule, however, the first attack, provided the animal recovers, produces immunity from the effects of a sub- _ sequent infection, at any rate for some time, and it may be for life. ‘The same seems to destroy fully or partially the condition necessary to the development of the swine plague germ. Even an interrupted attack, or in other words an infection that has been prevented from causing serious morbid changes, either by medical treatment or otherwise, as a rule, seems to produce immunity from the effect of a subsequent infection, the same as a fully devel- oped attack. HOW IT AFFECTS THE LUNGS. “The morbid process of swine plague can have its seat in almost any organ or part of the body. Yet it must be considered as characteristic of the disease, that the lungs invariably are more or less affected, and constitute in a large number of cases the principa! seat of the morbid pro- cess. At any rate, in over two hundred post mortem examinations, | found this to be more or less the case. This stage of the disease, severe affection of the lungs and heart, is more frequent in severe cold weather, and more acute, and fully as fatal as in warm weather, a fact easily explained in the habits of swine crowding together and lying on top of each other when the temperature is very low. Whenever investigations have been made, the ex- aminers have found the symptoms and post-mortem ap- pearances of the disease the same, and hence agree as to 162 INVESTIGATION BY THE GOVERNMENT. the propriety of designating the affliction under the head of ageneral disorder. But during cold weather it does not seem to spread so readily from one farm to another as in warm weather, but as to its spreading trom one animal to another in the same herd in which it previously existed, no difference can be obseved. | “Further, whenever the morbid process of swine plague — has become sufficiently developed to produce morbid changes, serious enough to manifest their existence by a rapid emaciation, the growth and thrift will be impaired, but the growth and thrift, it seems, remain more or less | unimpaired only in such cases. Some years the disease is of a much milder type and less complicated than others, and the symptoms less varied, but otherwise exactly the same. WHEN THE DEATH RATES INCREASE. The death rate in a herd of affected swine is in- | creased or decreased respectively by the malignancy of the disease, which, it seems, depends largely on the one hand, upon the rapidity with which the swine plague germs develop and propagate, and on the other hand, upon the size of the herd, the condition of the premises on which they are kept, the number of diseased animals in the herd, and the mode and manner in which the ani- mals are attended to. — “Everything else being equal, the mortality, asa rule, will be the greater, the more rapidly the disease is spreading from one animal to another, and the more abun- dant the infectious principle. ‘This is easily explained. The larger the herd and the greater the number of animals diseased at the same time, the greater is also the quantity of the excretions containing the swine i ee ee ne INVESTIGATION BY THE GOVERNMENT. 163 plague germ; consequently the more abundant the means of infection, and the more rapid the spreading of the dis- ease within the herd. Again, a rapid spreading causes many animals to become affected at the same time and thus increases, not only the sum total of the number of germs discharged with the excretions of the diseased ani- mals, but also the quantity of the infectious principle taken up by each individual pig. As a consequence the single attacks become the more malignant, and the more malignant the single cases, the more rapid will be the dis- semination of the infectious principle and the spreading of the disease.” INTESTINE AND LUNG WORMS. “In my post-mortem examinations I frequently found worms in the stomach and intestines, also in the bronchial tubes and lungs. But these worms do not constitute the cause of swine plague, and their presence is merely an accidental complication, well calculated, though, to in- crease the malignancy of the morbid process, because their presence necessarily weakens the constitution of the animal, and thus facilitates the operations of the germs. On the other hand, worms always thrive better in a dis- eased or declining organism than in a healthy animal. The same of course cannot be said of worms found in the bronchial tubes, because in every case of swine plague the lungs are more or less diseased, and it is difficult to determine how much or how little the presence of those worms may have contributed in bringing about the morbid changes. In parts.of the lungs but little affected by the mor- _ bid process of swine-plague, but affected with lung worms, the mucus membrane of the bronchial tubes presented a little swelling, or what may be called a catarrhal condition.” \ 164 INVESTIGATION BY THE GOVERNMENT. OPPONENTS OF THE GERM THEORY. The Doctor, in support of his theory, says : “The opponents of the socalled germ theory of disease, well knowing that a complete separation of the germs from the animal tissues and fluids is impossible, demand absolute proof, without offering any evidence whatever in support of their own ‘theories’ or even demonstrating the existence of anything akin to what they claim constitutes the cause and infectious principle of infectious diseases.” As further proof that the swine plague germ and nothing else constitutes the infectious principle of swine — plague, he offers the following: First, if one inoculates a well hog with the virus of a hog that has the swine plague, it will contract the disease, and this virus can be retained for quite a while, and favorably cultivated in urine or other liquids and if healthy hogs are inoculated with it, it proves fatal. Other animals, especially the rabbit, and rats or mice, can be successfully inoculated and die of swine plague. Once affected they may carry the disease long distances. Second, if portions of a hog which has died of swine plague are fed to a healthy hog, it proves fatal, and healthy hogs will contract the disease if put in a pen with sick ones, or where sick hogs have been kept. This proves that it is infectious and contagious. Open sores, wounds or scratches attract and absorb the infectious principle, if floating in the air; hence a hog m this condition is more liable to contract the disease than one. that has no eruption of the skin. Third, in warm. weather, and especially if wet, the disease spreads from farm to farm much faster than in cold weather. Fourth, hogs kept separate and in the open air, will not contract disease as quick as hogs will that are kept | : Se INVESTIGATION BY THE GOVERNMENT. 165 in large droves and allowed to sleep about old straw stacks, etc., because nothing is more apt to absorb the con- tagious or infectious principle, and to preserve it longer -or more effectively than old straw, hay, or manure heaps, composed mostly of hay or straw; for the contagion that is absorbed by or clings to such material will remain effective and be a source of Wiper the disease for a long time. Following this, the author will give some extracts from Prof. James Law’s report, as to how the swine plague germ may |)e stored up and transported from one place to an- other. This will be followed by an account of such treat- ment as recommended by Drs. Law and Detmers, as preventive of the disease, and some remarks will then be given as to theoretical and practical ideas, and then the author’s practical treatment. Danger of storing up the virus and increasing its po- tency:—The learned Doctor says: “It is evident that we must guard more sedulously than ever against the pos- sible storing up of the virus of swine plague in confined spaces where it has little access to air, and above all when there is superadded organic matter and moisture which may serve to maintain the vitality and assist in the prop- agation of the poison. We cannot too severely condemn the current practice of allowing pigs to crowd together by scores and hundreds in the debris of rotten straw stacks and dung heaps, where they lie like sardines in a box, and even piled one above the other, closely enveloped in the masses of de- composing dung or litter, which not only shuts out the pure and wholesome air, but generates an abundance of noxious gases to take its place and weaken the system. 166 INVESTIGATION BY THE GOVERNMENT. This doubtless contributes much toward laying the sys- tem open to the attack of whatever germ is imported — into the herd. It probably does not generate the germ, otherwise the plague would be even more prevalent than itis. Yet the resulting condition of the blood of the pig, the lack of oxygen, and the growth of the virus in this state of the fluid, in harmony with the principle we have been considering, must enhance its virulence and increase the mortality. But it is the intensifying of the poison which has passed out of the body which is especially to be feared. In deposits from the breath, skin exhalations, urine, or dung of the pigs, the germ must find in the damp and more firmly packed lower layers of such refuse, and in the damp, close soil beneath, saturated with de- composing organic matter, the best field for its preserva- tion and for the conservation or increase of its virulence. If the pressure of liquid charged with organic matter could be done away with, the virus would lack for food and would be more readily destroyed. Ifthe air could be freely admitted to all parts of the mass and soil, the virus would soon perish or be transformed into a harm- less material. But as it is, this warm bed of the herd supplies the conditions which we have found to be essen- tial to the preservation of the plague germs and to the in- crease of its potency. In connection with this ques- tion it should be considered that among our domestic quadrupeds, the pig requires the very largest amount of oxygen in proportion to its body-weight. CROWDING IN CONFINED SPACES UNDER BARNS. It is very dangerous when hogs crowd together in large numbers, in a confined place under barns occupied by other animals. Here the solid and liquid excretions of INVESTIGATION BY THE GOVERNMENT. 167 the stock above pass, to a certain extent, through the - floor, and thus mixing with the excretions and exhalations of the pigs, accumulate in the confined area, saturate the _ ground, and produce constant emanations that deteriorate the air and undermine the health of the animals that | crowd together in the close and stagnated atmosphere. _ Such sleeping places may, therefore, be set down with _ manure heaps and rotten straw stacks as propagators, . though they may not be germinators of the plague. In the present state of the swine industry in the western _ states, the swine plague is so wide-spread that the chances _ are always favorable to the extension of the contagion, and no herd, however well cared for, can be looked upon as safe; yet the danger may be greatly enhanced by such -management as to surely contribute to the multiplication and potency of the germ. DRAINS AND LIQUID MANURE PITS. - So called improvements are often fraught with unseen ‘ danger. Sewers serve to spread typhoid fever, diphtheria -and cholera; warm, air-tight barns propagate consump- tion and glanders; and closed, covered drains, cess- _ pools, liquid manure tanks, or unventilated spaces beneath the floor of a pig pen, .are liable to spread hog cholera. If these are indulged in, they should be : _ properly ventilated by inlets for fresh air, and the latter _ should on no account be opened into a close pig-pen to befoul its atmosphere. Emanations from such close, con- fined drains and pits are always unsanitary and injurious _ to animals requiring such abundance of pure air as do [ Swine, but they must become pre-eminently plague-pits and passages when once the hog cholera germ has been | introduced in them. Mr. Law continues in quite lengthy j 168 INVESTIGATION BY THE GOVERNMENT. details as to where and how the hog cholera germ may be propagated, and sooner or later escape to assume its malignant form. His suggestions are good and cannot be too carefully read and studied by any one, and espe- cially those who have heretofore had no knowledge of the hog Cholera germ, or the opponents of the so called “oerm theory” of diseases. Danger from railroad cars and vessels.—“It must be apparent that many of the objections to wooden piggeries apply no less to railroad cars. The joints and crevices, the accumulation of filth, and the absence of all system- atic disinfections, the constant use of the cars for succes- sive loads of swine, and the impossibility of obtaining per- fect drying and airing in the intervals between trips, all combine to make these vehicles the bearers and dissemi- nators.of contagion. The absence of air in the masses of accumulated manure, and in the interstices of the wooden floor or wall will even go far towards adding a new force and malignancy to the poison that may be introduced. In boats there is the additional danger of the close atmos- phere between decks and the bilge-water in the hold, at- taining increased virulence and malignity and spreading a more inveterate type of the malady than that from which it was derived.” , Why summer is the most dangerous season.— 1) a cai Ae, Se ES THE NEXT THING TO BE DONE. : After the hogs are properly sorted and put in their re- spective lots or pens, it is best to let them go twenty-four hours or more without food or drink, unless the weather is very warm. They may then be given some water with soda, copperas, lime or carbolic acid in it as here- after directed. By confining the hogs thus they become hungry and thirsty, and can be compelled to take the medi cine more readily, and it will act quicker and better on an empty stomach than a full one. Meantime see that there are plenty of troughs in which to give them feed or drink. These should not be too large, so as to interfere with their drinking. Have plenty of them and keep them clean. For this reason there is nothing better to use than six inch fencing boards,,edged together with end pieces. These — SSS SS ~~ | | lt il atin TREATISE ON DISEASED HOGS. 183 can be of any length desired, and will be light to lift about from one pen to another, or can be taken back and forth from any part of the farm by a team, in order to treat two or more lots of hogs. _ THE BEST WAY TO PREPARE THE FEED. When'there are very many hogs to be fed, it is best to prepare a barrel of swill at a time, as it will take a barrel or more to feed them, when they are in large droves, and if it is not all used at once it will not spol until the next feed, or for a day or two, even in warm weather. When it is prepared in this way, it can be made of one strength better than if mixed in small quantities, and by different persons each feed, as often occurs. A barrel of swill will feed from seventy to one hundred and twenty hogs, depending upon their size, and the fatality of disease, etc. Hogs which are very costive will require more swill than those which are not, and large hogs more than small ones. This will have to be governed by the feeder. Af- ter the medicine has begun to take effect, no more should be given than enough to keep the bowels in a normal state. | , TO MAKE A BARREL OF SWILL. For forty or forty-five gallons of swill take two bushels of bran, mill feed, ground oats or barley; put it in the barrel, then add the drugs, as given in the first four num- bers of the recipe. (See recipe.) _ Take five pints of No. 1, two or more pints of No. 2, from one-third to half pint of No. 3, four tablespoons of No. 4, then fill the barrel with milk, slops, or water, and add no more liquid until the whole is used up. Stir the swill . well while feeding, and feed only what the hogs will drink up clean, twice a day; in most cases, especially in 184 TREATISE ON DISEASED HOGS. warm weather, they should be fed three times a day. Do not keep it by them.. Give them only what they will — drink up clean.. Three gallons is enough for five or more hogs, according to size. In order to get the hogs to drink the swill, it is sometimes necessary to sprinkle bran, oats, or meat cracklings in the troughs, all*of which are good and beneficial. Be sure that the hogs are all — up around the troughs when fed, so that they all drink. Success depends a great deal on this; when they will not drink they must be drenched. (See directions.) _ Diseased hogs should be kept under treatment from five days to two weeks, according to fatality of disease. Sometimes they recover very quick if properly cared for, and then again slow, the same as with any sick animal; and for this reason it is best not to despair and quit be- cause they do not get well in a day or two. As they be- gin to improve, any kind of light food is good to feed them. It is very easy to tell when they begin to improve, as the urine will come more abundant and clear, and their discharges soft and regular. In using this medicine for sick hogs, allow no water or corn for four or five days, and but little corn for a few days after a cure is effected. This, again, is something that must be strictly observed; do not feed sick hogs corn while under treatment, especially old corn. It seems natural for all feeders to want to feed corn if the hogs will eat it, and with this one thing I have -more to contend than anything else. New corn is not so bad, because it is not so heating or hard to digest. Sometimes I put shelled corn in the swill barrel and let © it soak. This is good after the hogs have begun to — show some improvement, and is very good to entice them — to eat. TREATISE ON DISEASED HOGS. 185 AS A PREVENTIVE, TO BE FED AFTER THE SICK ONES HAVE BEEN TAKEN OUT. — In feeding large herds, where it is not convenient to _ feed the swill, use this same medicine, Nos. I, 2,3 and 4, (and the amount of each as given in the recipe;) mix, use one pint of this mixture in one half bushel of wet bran, _ which is enough for twenty or thirty head, and feed twice . a day forthree days. This will act upon the entire system and check the disease. It will be found the most reliable _ and cheapest remedy that can be used as a preventive, where they have been exposed to the disease, and the -swill cannot be given. But it is better to give the swill _as directed, to all the hogs, than to do any other way, as they get the medicine better. In the use of corn (at all _times when feeding the medicine) feed light for a few - days where the hogs have been exposed to disease. TREATMENT FOR GENERAL USE. , This treatment is intended for all the ordinary diseases | known to hogs, either as a preventive or cure, and can be | relied upon, as it is a powerful blood purifier, and also acts asa diarrhetic. It prevents inflammation or ulcer- | ation of the intestines, breaks the fever, regulates the bowels and destroys all intestine worms, thus relieving or curing the patient. | ‘Special Notice: The first four ingredients of the recipe | as it is filled out are just right for a barrel of swill of forty gallons, for ordinary diseased hogs for general use, or as a preventive, when hogs have been exposed to disease. | But it is necessary sometimes to make a change in it to Suit more mild or more severe cases, as follows: If for pigs, use one pint less of No. 1. But for large hogs which are very costive or badly diseased, add one pint 186 _ TREATISE ON DISEASED HOGS. extra of No. 1 and also add No. 5, as given in the recipe. — This will increase the strength and it will act quicker : and better. But in two or three days it can be reduced again as above. Thatis, use only five pints of No. 1. If — they are coughing, keep on using No. 5. If not, omit its use. 3 ei vay For a Cough: If hogs are coughing and the first four numbers as given fail to break it up, then add a heaping table spoon of No. 5 to a barrel, or a level teaspoon to three gallons of swill. A gallon of swill is enough for three or more hogs, according to size. FOR PIGS OR VERY SICK HOGS. Sometimes very sick hogs or pigs refuse to drink the swill made as described. If they do put them and those which have the diarrhea by themselves, and use Nos. 2, 4, 7 and 8, as given in the recipe, to fina gallons of swill. (See recipe). | Take two or more pints of No. 2, four tablespoons of No. 4, five pints of No. 7, and four tablespoons of No. 8. © To this can be added two pounds of powdered charcoal | with good results. Especially in all cases of diarrhea, as — it is an absorbent, and in cases of dysentery it is soothing | and improves the consistence of the stools; it is good in | the case of gasses on the stomach, as it abates the pain | and sickness. It also is a disinfectant, appetizer, and aids _ digestion. With sick hogs, use plenty of No. 2. Toften use on gallon to forty gallons of swill. | fig : In using the above avoid the use: of corn meal in the 4 swill; use bran, shorts or midlings, two bushels to a bar- | rel, and after the hogs begin to improve, use the first four or five numbers as given. This I prefer to the other, | fa) | | | | . ' 7] oh — ee TREATISE ON DISEASED HOGS. 187 ifthe hogs will drink it, as it is a powerful blood purifier, and controls the bowels and urinary organs better. _ Hogs or pigs which have the diarrhea can be treated very successfully in this way: Take sweet milk, let it come to boiling heat; in two gallons of this milk put one nalf pint of soda; tothis add three gallons of swill, made of _ the four or five numbers of the recipe. This is the best treatment for typhoid pneumonia or fever, or ailing pigs. with scours (cholera infantum,) that can be given. If they are still sucking the sow, give the swill to her also. _ But the prepared milk is not necessary for her, unless the pigs are very young; otherwise the swill can be given full strength. If the sow is not showing any signs of dis- _ ease one feed a day for two or three days will do for her. _ But the pigs or very sick hogs that this milk preparation is made for, should have it twice or three times a day for _a few days as the case may require. If swine which are being fed on warm feed, get sick, the swill that is given them should be fed cold, and the same way in thesummer. In winter, the swill is best made blood warm. How to drench a-hog: In extreme cases it may be necessary to drench, but it should be avoided if possible, and should be done with great care, as an over-exertion will very often kill the hogs. They should be put ina close place where they can be handled with care, and should not be run or dogged, as it is liable to kill them. Then take a piece of small rope, stand beside or across the hog, put the rope in its mouth, and hold its head well up; give it only what it can swallow with ease, and be careful not to give anything while it is squealing, for the medicine will go into its wind-pipe and kill it. & “ 188 _ TREATISE ON DISEASED HOGS. In drenching, the use of an old soft shoe is very good. Cut a hole in the toe of the shoe, then put the toe in the hog’s mouth and pour the mixture in the mouth of the shoe; in this way the hog can keep its mouth shut, so it can swallow, and it is not so liable to squeal. | 3 Drench: For a hog that will weigh one hundred pounds that is constipated, in one half pint of sweet milk put one tablespoonfull of No. 1, one-fouth of a pint of No. 2, one teaspoon of No. 3, and one-half of a tea- — spoonfull of No. 5, or ten drops of No. 8. Increase Nos. — 3 and 8 according to size of hog; give once, and if it still refuses to drink the swill, give the second time, which is as often as I ever found it necessary, until they would drink the swill, as described for sick hogs, or gen- eral use, which should be given for a week or more, in order to cleanse their blood and system. In case the hog ~ has diarrhea, omit No. 1, and use a tablespoon of pow- dered charcoal. 7 et Stet tp Ble re HOW TO GIVE INJECTIONS. It 1s necessary at times, in cases of extreme costive- ness to use injections in order to save an animal. This is the case with hogs as well as other animals. Very often a hog’s life can be saved in this way, and it may not take but a few minutes to complete the operation. It can often be done by one person, but in most cases it requires an assistant. Put the hog in a close place where it can be handled quietly. Then the assistant, by the use of a wide board, can confine the hog to one side ot the in- closure. The injection can now be easily given by the use of a syringe. Use soap suds and a small amount of turpentine, (a teaspoonful to one gallon of suds.) Avoid , al TREATISE ON DISEASED HOGS. 189 all violence, as any worry may kill the animal. In this way several hogs may be given injections in a very short time, and be the means of saving them, when otherwise they would die. EXTERNAL APPLICATIONS. The use of external applications properly applied, are just as necessary in the treatment of swine as they are in the treatment of other domestic animals or the human family, to produce counter-irritations, or by their cooling effects, help to remove pain and fever, and relieve the suffering patient. Those I herein describe are cheap, easy to make and use, and their effects are beneficial. For sick hogs that are feverish, mangy or lousy, take one gallon of coal oil, one gallon of lard, two tablespoonfuls of carbolic acid, mix, make warm and grease the hogs well with it. When there are several hogs, they can be close- ly confined in a scale-pen or any small inclosure, and the mixture put in a sprinkling can and applied in that way. This will remove all mange, scurf or lice, cleanse and heal sores and assist greatly in removing fever. This preparation should be applied to every lot of diseased hogs when put under treatment, and if necessary re- peated. It is good to use on swine when castrating them. I consider it better than tar; it will also remove any sscurf or itch, with horses, cattle or sheep, lice on any do- mestic stock, or scurf on fowls, and is valuable to grease the heads and the throats’ of fowls with when they are sick, especially with roup. In using this preparation on anything but hogs, it must not be used too heavy—yjust enough to dampen the affected parts. In order to remove lice on hogs, fowls or cattle, leave out the carbolic acid; the coal oil and lard will do just as Igo | TREATISE ON DISEASED HOGS, — well. With fowls, grease them under the wings and. — about the head and throat. With cattle, grease them. clear around the neck, and along the back to the tail, also in the flanks; this will soon remove all the lice. But in or- der to keep them off, good attention should be given to their surroundings. Their stables, houses or pens should _ be thoroughly cleaned and whitewashed. If some carbol- _ ic acid is put in the whitewash, it is good as a disinfectant. Rheumatism liniment: Made by taking turpentine, three ounces; ammonia, three ounces; gum campher,. two ounces; chloroform, one ounce; opium, one ounce, arnica oil, one ounce, tincture of cayenne pepper, SIX, ounces; coal oil, one half gallon. Mix and aes shake well when using. When this liniment is wanted, it is best to copy it to and have some druggist put it up, so as to avoid any mis-. takes, or at least the first seven articles; the coal oil can be added at home. This is an excellent remedy to re- move any trouble arising from kidney disease, paralysis, lung or, throat trouble, rheumatic or neuralgic pains, either with swine or the human family. Its penetrating powers are wonderful. Carbolic acid, copperas or soda: ‘These dissolved in water and used to wash or sprinkle hogs with in the sum- mer time, when very warm, are beneficial remedies. One pound of copperas or soda, dissolved in four gallons of water, or two tablespoons of carbolic acid in the same amount of water, is the right strength fora wash. ‘These, when well applied, have a great tendency to remove fever; also the same is true when they are administered inter- — nally; when given as a drink, it should not be more than one-third as strong, as when used as a wash. | ask Ls TREATISE ON DISEASED HOGS. IgI As a fattening agency, or a tonic powder, as a preven- tive against disease, to be used at all times to keep the hogs - in good health, and make them thrive fast, take No. 1, eight pounds or pints; No. 7, eight pounds or pints; No. 4, one pound; powdered charcoal, one pound. Mix; use one pint of this mixture in one half bushel of wet bran or ground grain of any kind, except corn meal. ‘This is enough for twenty or thirty hogs at a time, and should be given once or twice a week, or as their condition may re- quire it. It is better than salt and hickory ashes, cop- peras and sulphur, or any other preparation I have ever seen or heard of. It should always be used when commencing to feed corn at any time, or on a new herd of hogs which are brought on the farm, so as to guard against disease. A small expense at the first indication of disease, or as a preventive, will save hundreds of dollars in the end. This ‘mixture, or the one given for general use, will be found invaluable to use with hogs at all times, especially when they are running on a dry or stubble pasture, or ‘black, mucky ground, and also when on a heavy growth of matured clover, or when being fed on dry corn, either of which is liable to cause constipation or sickness. They should receive it regularly once or twice a week. In feeding large herds the mixture can be made in a box and then put in barrels and taken out in the field with a team, the hogs all called up and then fed on the ground. In feeding it in this way it should be put out quickly, so they all get it. I have fed some three hun- dred hogs at a time in this way with good success. This tonic powder will keep them in a high state of health and make them thrive very fast, especially where IQ2 TREATISE ON DISEASED HOGS. they are being highly fed, or running on mast the latter part of winter or in the spring; mast is then very dangerous, especially jack oak (red oak) acorns. But where hogs have been exposed to disease, or are dis- eased, mix the first four numbers as directed, adding the fifth if coughing, and use in swill at all times if possible. TREATMENT OF SOWS WITH PIG. For diseased sows that are with pig use the first four numbers of the recipe as given; mix, use one half-pint of _ this mixture and No. 6 as given in the recipe, to four gal- lons of sweet milk or any good slops. ‘This will prevent abortion, and is good to give to sows a few days before and after farrowing; it will keep them from eating their pigs. This mixture is a powerful anti-spasmodic, and will prevent convulsions of various kinds, spasms of the stomach, bowels, etc. It is also cooling and waylays fever and prevents constipation, which causes sows to eat their young; and when a habit is once learned it is hard to break them off. In fact the only sure cure for an old ha- bitual pig or chicken eater is the butchers’ block. Diseased sows which are with pig will have to receive good attention, and in time to prevent them from losing their pigs, for when once they. are badly diseased, they are almost sure to lose them, and often do so when under treatment. ‘This has lead some to believe that it was caused by the medicine, but such is not the case. The medicine mixed as directed will not do any harm, unless an overdose is given, when it may make them quite sick for a few hours, but they will soon recover. Sows that are half gone or more with pig should be kept away from other hogs. ‘They are very often injured by being over- layed, or otherwise, and in that way lose their pigs. AT ee TREATISE ON DISEASED HOGS. 193 HOG HABITS OF SLEEPING, OR OBJECTIONS TO PENS. Where hogs are confined in close, small quarters, it is important that.some absorbent be provided. Straw and leaves are both objectionable. Hogs are apt to become overheated at night on account of their crowding propen- sities. They like to sleep three double. When litter of any kind is provided the danger is greatly increased. Straw is one of the poorest conductors of animal heat that is known of, and as a consequence its use for littering is highly objectionable. Leaves or corn fodder are either one better than straw when litter of any kind is used, as it does not become so foul and warm. Dr. Law says: «Dry earth is a better absorbent than anything else, and conveys away animal heat, although not so rapidly as to chill the animal.” This is one reason why I recommend out door treatment for sick hogs at all times, when the weather will permit it. The dry or fresh earth has a great tendency to reduce the fever. Then again, they can be kept cleaner and separate, and do not come in contact so much with one another or with their poisonous discharges; and they also have the benefit of the fresh air, or in cool weather, tke warm sun. A prominent writer says: “Especial care should be taken to secure for swine a good supply of fresh air, es- _ pecially in the fall, when the atmosphere is unusually liable to foulness. Swine sleep just as close together as they can get, and will breath second-hand, and for all I know, forty-second-hand air, without reference to decayed teeth or foul stomach. It is needless for me to tell you that this is liable to produce disease unless fresh air be sup- plied liberally, and just as useless for any one to try to convince the swine that it is highly improper for them to 194 TREATISE ON DISEASED HOGS. do so. The only remedy is to supply plenty of fresh air. : Directions as to medicines repeated: “The directions for treating hogs when in large numbers, and for mixing the medicine, have been extended by the author probably more than necessary; in order to make it more plain and to give the reasons why such treatment is used, it is necessary to again give the directions for mixing the drugs which constitute the different medicines, used in the various treatments of swine, and also poultry, before taking up the description of local diseases. In order to make the medicine for any use as herein directed, taking the amount of each drug as given in the recipe and putting them together as given in the treat- ment Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4, make the mixture for general use. If necessary, add the fifth, in order to increase the strength. If to this mixture is added one pound of pow- dered charcoal, it makes the meaicine I can and sell. For all severe cases of sickness with swine or poultry, this is the most valuable to use. For pigs or for hogs which have the diarrhea, take Nos. 2, 4, 7 and 8; to this add two pounds of charcoal. Either one of these mixtures will make 40 or 45 gallons of swill. For sows that are heavy with pig, use the mixture made of the first four numbers, as for general use; to one-half pint of this mix- ture add No. 6, as given in the recipe. This will make four gallons of swill strong enough for use. For the tonic powder, use Nos. 1 and 7, equal parts, No. 4 and — charcoal equal weight; mix and use one pint ot this mixture in one-half bushel of wet bran or groud grain of any kind (except corn meal), to twenty or thirty hogs once or twice a week, as their condition may require. : | ' ' i TREATISE ON DISEASED HOGS. 195 MEDICINE FOR POULTRY. For poultry, as a cure for cholera, roup or gapes, in one gallon of soft food of any kind, bread, meat scraps, bran and milk, etc., (never use corn meal,) use as follows: No. 1, two tablespoonfulls; No. 2, one-half pint; No. 4, _ one tablespoonfull; No. 8, one tablespoonfull. Mix thor- oughly, and feed once a day for two or three days. Asa preventive, once every two or three weeks, owing to con- dition of fowls. For small chicks use less one-half, or omit No. r. _ No. 4, carbolic acid, which is about the right strength for“any use as given in this treatment, is made by taking one-fourth crystal carbolic acid, and three-fourths rain . water. Always buy pure drugs, and use strictly accord- ing to directions. Never give this medicine to horses, cattle or sheep. It is very strong and more or less poisonous. In keeping some of these drugs around the house, they should be kept secluded from children or other persons not know- ing what they are, especially Nos. 5 and 8. INCURABLE CASES. In treating swine, as well as any other domestic stock, especially when in large droves, and when the disease has assumed a malignant form and they have been allowed to run for some time without treatment, there are almost al- Ways some incurable cases. And anyone claiming a specific “a cure all,” for hog cholera or swine fever, cannot be too severely condemned. Such a claim should prove to any one, who stops to think, even for a moment, that such treatment is a humbug. As long as we have no specifics for the cure of the diseases of the human family which we have every means of treating promptly, why 196 TREATISE ON DISEASED HOGS. should we expect it for so fatal a disease as hog cholera or swine fever. These fatal diseases with swine can be told by the following symptoms, which, even under good sanitary or medical treatment, unless promptly attended to, seldom recover. First, severe constipation, accom- panied by high fever, rapid emaciation, lameness, and often bursting and sloughing off of the ears. These are symptoms of typhoid fever. With typhoid pneumonia, these are accompanied by a severe cough, and when once either disease has assumed such a form that chronic diar- rhea sets in, and the ears and body become cold to the touch, then the case will prove fatal. This is also the ‘case when blue, purple, or red spots appear under the throat, chest and belly. This shows that inflammation of the lungs or bowls, or both have set in, and the case is most always hopeless. The same may be said of those patients which bleed at the nose and ears, or have bloody passages. This is caused by hemorrhage, by the bursting of the tissue linings of some of the vital organs, bowels or intestines. Frequently the disease assumes a gangrenous form and_-settles in the limbs, and often one or more slough off, especially the feet. They will live in this way sometimes a long while and frequently recover, but never do any good. They are a loss to their owner and had better be killed. With what may be termed cholera, vomiting, purging and severe cramps, as if attacked with colic, will soon prove fatal if not well treated. When the patients survive a few days, they may be, and frequently are, affected as before described. Any of these fatal dis- eases are known under the name of hog cholera, swine fever, or swine plague, and in treating them not only, must the best of medical means be used, but the best of TREATISE ON DISEASED HOGS. 197 sanitary means. When this is done, and in time, before the disease has assumed a malignant form, almost if not all the hogs can be saved. In treating any herd, when even afflicted in the most violent form, if well cared for, the largest part of them can be saved, and the disease kept from spreading. Therefore, it is much better to treat them than to let them all die, or to ship them to market to be eaten by our fellowmen. WHY MY TREATMENT IS A SUCCESS. Very frequently in talking with farmers and profes- sional men, they will say, “If the ‘germ theory’ is correct, anything that would be given the hog that would kill the germ, would kill the hog.” This is no doubt true to a’ certain extent. But I do not claim that the medicine I use destroys the life of the germs direct, but what I do claim is that swine afflicted with swine fever, known as hog cholera, or swine plague, can be given medicine that will so affect the system, as to check and prevent the propagation, or multiplication of the germs, and have _ such an effect upon the bowels and urinary organs as to cause the poisonous effects of the germs to be passed off through these channels; and these poisonious discharges - exposed to the air, soon loose their poisonous effects. Therefore, when treating in the open air, and especially when the hogs are allowed some range so they do not come in such close and constant contact with their pas- sages, the disease can be checked and cured. ‘Thisis the main secret of my treatment, either as a cure or as a pre- ventive, and why it is a success while so many others are failures. | . The main points in treating any diseased animals are first to know what ails them; then be sure that the medi- a - go: | TREATISE ON DISEASED HOGS. cine that is given them will have the desired effect to as- sist nature to cast off the disease. David Crocket said, “Be sure peri right, then go ahead.” The author does not claim that this is the only treat- ment that will cure diseased hogs of hog cholera, but it is the best that has ever come under his observation, and is the most practical treatment ever published; and if it is the means of saving the swine of a few farmers among the many, it is a work well done. CHAPTER XIII. _ Loca DisEAsEs, AND THEIR TREATMENT. REMARKS. THE LOCAL DISEASES.—PNEUMONIA.— DIPHTHERIA.— KIDNEY DISEASE.—INFLAMMATION OF THE BRAIN.—CA- TARRH.—PILES.—WORMS.—SWEATING PIGS.—SCOURS. —FROSTED HOGS.—REMARKS.—MY PROPOSITIONS.—FOR SALE. THE LOCAL DISEASES. | In describing the local diseases and their treatment, I shall endeavor to make it as short and plain as possible, so that the general farmer can understand and treat them ; © successfully. i hope the readers of this work will not say, 2 «Oh, I have seen that tried before, and it won’t work.” _ Give my treatment a fair and impartial trial, and I am _ Satisfied you will be successful. In describing the differ- ent forms of diseases, | will name them as known by the , ismner or feeder of swine, as well as by the more scien- tific names. THUMPS—-PALPITATION OF THE HEART. ) __ This is the last stage of lung disease, and is only ob- served in very sick hogs or pigs, and if cured must be given good attention, and in time. It is often caused by an over-accumulation of fat around the heart and lungs in over-fat pigs, or with weak and deficient bred pigs, | caused by breeding too close, or breeding from weak and | inferior stock. . Symptoms: Breathing rapidly and laboriously, like an Ye eee Fe 200 LOCAL DISEASES, TREATMENT, REMARKS. over-exerted animal. Treatment: Use medicine as for general use; one tablespoonfull twice a day in sweet milk, or any good slops, and give on tongue one-half teaspoonfull of No. 5, once a day; also bathe the chest — and sides over heart and lungs with the rheumatism lintment, or coal-oil and turpentine, equal parts; this is very good. Continue treatment until relief is given. LUNG FEVER—PNEUMONIA. This is an acute lung disease and is a dangerous and common disorder. It commences with a severe chill and fever, accompanied by a deep, hoarse cough, and locomo- tion difficulty, seeming to be weak in the back. It seems to be an affection of the lungs, commonly called lung fever, but it is really caused by the blood be- ing impoverished by the non-removal of the natural acids by the liver and kidneys. Pneumonia is always proof of diseased kidneys and liver. Indeed, this is true of many other lung disorders, also. Pneumonia is a very com- mon and fatal disease, and if cured must be treated with care and intime. Treatment: The same as with thumps; or, fora large lot of hogs use the medicine made of the first five numbers of the recipe, and sprinkle them well with coal-oil, lard and turpentine. Give them soft, laxa- tive food, and good, dry quarters. STRANGLES, SORE THROAT, QUINSEY, DIPHTHERIA. This disease can be first observed by the difficult breathing and swallowing. The throat becomes sore and swollen, and in the more advanced stages in a diphtheria form, the animal often sits upon its haunches like a dog in order to breathe, and frequently strangles and dies in that position. Very often this disease becomes epidemic, similar to distemper or epizootic with young horses, and - LOCAL DISEASES, TREATMENT, REMARKS. 207 proves fatal. It isin a certain degree contagious; that is, by contact with the shreds coughed up by the diseased ones, well hogs will take the disease as readily as it is communicated by the human family, and owing to this, in its fatal type, is frequently mistaken for cholera—swine fever. It is caused by sudden changes of atmosphere. Allowing hogs to pile up in strawstacks, manure heaps, and other warm places during cold weatner, is one of the most fruitful causes of this disease. When they are allowed to pile up in such places, upon coming out, es- pecially on a cold morning, the cold air strikes them, and any one must know that such sudden changes will pro- duce this or some other more fatal disease, and especially with pigs or young hogs. Treatment: Separate the sick from the well ones, di- vide them up into small] lots,and give them good, dry quarters. With those that are very sick give them twice 9 three times one-fourth pint of No. 2, one teaspoonful of No. 3; for a pig, one-half this amount, and bathe throat and chest well with rheumatism liniment or turpentine. With those that will still drink, the medicine can be given in sweet milk or any good slop. ‘Those that show no in- dication of the disease, can be given as a preventive, the medicine for general use, and should not be allowed to run with the diseased ones. Kidney disease—paralysis of hind quarters: With this disease hogs become weak in the back, the hind parts will wriggle about, and finally the pigs will sit down on their haunches; after some effort they will get up again and run rapidly straight ahead for some distance, then swing to one side awhile and then go to the other side, and finally get down and are unable to rise again, 202 LOCAL DISEASES, TREATMENT, REMARKS. \ and drag their hind parts about until death occurs, which is almost sure to come unless something is done for them. Treatment: Use the medicine as for drench; it can be given in slops. Repeat the dose two or three times once a day or oftener if necessary, and bathe the back across the kidneys with the rheumatism liniment once a day for three or four days. | Blind staggers—inflammation of the brain. This isvery frequent with hogs. Symptoms: At first the animal be- comes dull and stupid, the eye red and inflamed, and the bowels constipated. Ina short time, if not relieved, the animal runs wildly about, usually in a circle, seems blind and the breathing becomes rapid and laborious. ‘Treat- ment: Give twice a day in some sweet milk or rich slops, a tablespoon of the first five numbers mixed as given in recipe, and bathe the head between the eyes and ears with rheumatism liniment, turpentine or any strong lini- ment that will produce a counter irritation. Founder. Caused by over-feeding and lack of exercise. “Symptoms: Loss of appetite, and so lame and stiff they can hardly get around. Treatment: Use swill as for general use for a week or more, and give on tongue a tablespoon of powdered alum. In very severe cases re- peat this dose in a day or two, and avoid the use of corn. Feed light and soft food of any kind and turn them out for exercise. i Rheumatism. This is something that swine are as subject to as any other stock. Itis often caused by close confine- ment, and especially on board or stone floors, or when being compelled to sleep in a damp and cold place, Symptoms simaril to founder, being sluggish, with indis- position to move, accompanied by fever, pain and swelling: LOCAL DISEASES, TREATMENT, REMARKS. 203 of afflicted part. Frequently the swelling is of a wander- ing character and changes about from one location to an- other. Treatment: Use the swill as for general use and bathe afflicted parts with the rheumatism liniment. Snuffles with pigs. This is caused by catarrh in a chronic form. Caused by repeatedly contracting cold and being neglected, and frequently by improper breed- ing, the same as pigs with thumps. This is thought by some breeders to be hereditary, and no doubt is, when those badly afflicted are used as breeders. But this can be said of any other badly diseased hog; unless they are perfectly cured they should not be used as breed- ers. The treatment for this disease is light and soft food at all times while under treatment. Use the medi- cine as for general use. To this add No. 8, as given in recipe, to a barrel of swill, or a teaspoonful to two gal- lons, or ten drops to a dose. Piles with hogs. Piles are a disease which frequently occur with hogs, but are not dangerous, as they seldom, if ever, cause death, but are very painful, and the animal so afflicted will not do well unless cured. Piles are seldom discovered until the knots are visible, but occasionally may be, after the disorder has so advanced that blood passes off with the excrements, or the hair around the anus is blood stained. ‘They are caused by the use of rich and heating food, or sour slops. They occur more with still fed or pen fed hogs than any other kind, and often with hogs that follow cattle. Treatment: Use the swill as for general use; avoid the use of corn, feed light with soft food of any kind, or turn them on grass. An injection of warm salt water or salt and vinegar is very good, but when the gut is much protruded it should be 204 LOCAL DISEASES, TREATMENT, REMARKS. replaced first, before giving the injection. This can be done by oiling it with any kind of oil. Intestine Worms. These sometimes accumulate to such an extent in hogs as to be injurious to them, and often cause death by strangulation, as well as constipation and un- thriftiness. Symptoms: More or less coughing, hair looks rough, appetite good, but hogs do not thrive. Treat- ment: The same as for general use, which will soon re- move all trouble. Cause: Close confinement or dry and musty food, stagnant, snow or ice water, and neglect to give them the needful care, in the way of a change of the proper kind of food or remedy, to overcome the evil effects of the above named causes. Sweating pigs. This is caused by a lack of vitality, the same cause that produces night sweats in human beings. Divide the pigs up into small lots, and keep them out of their bed during the day. Compel them to exercise and use the medicine as for general use for a few days, which will remove all this trouble. Scours—Cholera Infantum. Many of our swine breed- ers sustain considerable loss annually by their pigs dying — from this disease, which is caused by the bad quality of the sows’ milk. ‘The disease is more apt to make its ap- pearance when the sow has been fed upon dry corn or musty food. It generally attacks them within two or three days after their birth, but sometimes after they are much older. I have never failed to check and cure this disease when I used the following treatments: Use the medicine as for general use; to this add No. 8. Ten drops to a tablespoonful of the above mixture, given to the sow in some sweet milk or good slops, twice a day for two or three days, will give relief. Or the treatment for pigs — Rae 7 ../ LOCAL DISEASES, TREATMENT, REMARKS. 205 given on page 194, will be certain to effect a speedy cure. Blood poison, scrofula or cankerous sore mouth. This is a common occurrence with unthrifty and badly kept pigs, often caused by the use of musty and unwholesome _ food, or the bad quality of the sows’ milk, and very often dirty pens and dirty udders will make young suckling pigs sore about the mouth and head; also, frequently the tusks of young pigs are so prominent as to cause them to bite and lacerate their lips, which become sore, and in either case the inflammation will spread. ‘Treatment: When pigs are not doing well, use the medicine as for general use. When the pigs are still sucking give the medicine to the sows also, and apply externally upon all the parts where any sores appear the following mixture: Coal oil and lard, equal parts; to one-half pint of this add one tablespoon of carbolic acid; this will heal the sores. This is good to use on hogs when being castrated, or on very mangy ones. When either the pigs or pens are dirty, both should be thoroughly cleaned and kept that way. Sometimes pigs have what is called “measles”— pimples all over the body. They usually appear first about the kead or flanks, and are caused by the blood being im- poverished or poisoned. ‘This, if neglected, will very often turn to scrofula or cankerous sores. But if treated as di- _ rected, and when the hogs areconfined, turned out on the fresh ground, they will soon recover. Mange. This, like most all other diseases of the hog, is infectious or contagious, and is similar to the itch in the human family, or scab in sheep. It is quickly and easily cured by using the swill as for general use for a few days to cleanse the blood, and applying thoroughly this treat- ment: ‘Take coal oil or black oil, such as is used for ma- 206 LOCAL DISEASES, TREATMENT, REMARKS. — chinery, and lard, equal parts; make warm, put it in a sprinkling can, get your hogs in a close place and give them a good sprinkling once every month or six weeks. This is the best treatment that can be given them. It rids them of all mange or dandruff, opens up the pores, and helps to promote health generally. The same mix- ture is good to use tor lice, in fact is the best thing that’can be used, ana should be applied once a month or every six | weeks; this will rid them entirely of the pests. I have used this for the past fifteen years with good results, and have never had any cause to change it. This is one of the first things that should be done with a lot of diseased hogs after you put them under treatment, is of great benefit to them, and should not be neglected. In extreme cases of. mange it may be well to give the animal a thor- ough washing with soap and warm water, then apply the treatment as given. Never use the coal oil alone, especially in hot weather, as it will scald the hog, and cause the hair to come off. LICE. Lice are a great pest to hogs as well as other animals, and one they should be kept rid of. There is no dcubt they will do better off than on, and the time they are employed in rubbing them off, as some let them do, could be more profitably employed putting on flesh by keeping quiet. Treatment the same as for mange. Some make use of sulphur and wood ashes, coal oil or black oil alone. All are bad and will scald the hair off, and often do harm. The cleaner you keep the hog house or their nests, the cleaner you can keep your hogs of the vermin and the better will be their health and condition. : | LOCAL DISEASES, TREATMENT, REMARKS. 207 FROSTED HOGS. | | This is something that occurs more or less every win- ter with all kinds of hogs, and often proves very injur- lous, especially to fine pigs, which are intended for the breeding or show pen, by disfiguring the ears or tail, and causing the hair to come off in spots, which makes them look very bad. Treatment: To one ounce of salt- petre, dissolved in as little water as possible, add one tablespoonful of spirits of camphor, one of oil of sassa- fras and one-half pint of coal oil. Bathe frosted parts once a day for a week. (Hogs which are intended for show use should be clipped in April, then the new coat of hair will come on more even.) ~ | The above mixture is invaluable for frosted flesh, either with stock er the human family, and will also remove the soreness frem corns or chilblains. HOW TO PREVENT THIS. It should be borne in mind that there are but few of our domestic animals that are more keenly sensitive to cold than the hog, and no farmer should endeavor to keep more of them through the winter than he can provide comfortable quarters for. During the winter months they should receive especial attention. If they are per- mitted to do so, they will seek the fermenting manure heap, on account of the heat which is therein engendered; but this in no case should be allowed, as it is a’ prolific source of disease. Provide them with a warm place, well ventilated, protected from the winds, and with plenty of dry bedding. It is only in extreme cold weather that hogs freeze or suffer if kept dry. Don’t permit a very large number to pile up together in the same bed. Feed bountifully, allow them free access te the surishine on 208 LOCAL DISEASES, TREATMENT, REMARKS. pleasant days, and they will repay you for your care by a constant increase in flesh. But, on the contrary, if they are allowed to lie in the manure heap, or to shiver with cold on the bare floor, with the thermometer below zero, allthe food that is given them is simply wasted. It will pay better to kill them at once, and save feed, than to waste it upon hogs so kept. The main secret of success with hogs in the winter is comprised in three words— food, warmth and ventilation. BLACK TEETH WITH HOGS. Very often I am asked the question, do black teeth -killhogs? Or some one will say that a certain person was going through the country pulling out the black teeth of hogs, saying that “they were what caused hog cholera.” Now it is all a mistake to suppose that black teeth cause death to hogs. Black teeth never kill hogs any more than botts kill horses, and it has been proven by practical men long ago that such a thing 1s impossible. Of course hogs may occasionally have a bad tooth that would be better out than in, but not often, especially if it is an upper jaw tooth, for then corn or other food will pass through the cavity caused by pulling the tooth into the nose, and cause more trouble than if it had been let alone. Therefore, I will say that if anyone wants to pull out your hogs’ teeth, tell him you will leave them alone to crack corn with. The same is true of smut poison. If a hog never died until it died of smut poison or black teeth, there would be no use for hog medicine. What are called black teeth is a symptom of disease, and shows a necessity for a treat- ment of the general system. All pigs have the little black teeth in the middle of their jaws, which worry LOCAL DISEASES, TREATMENT, REMARKS. 209 people so much. ‘These are the teeth in the males which make the tusks, and in the females which keep the rope from slipping off of the jaw when they are caught to be rung. When the pigs are young these teeth are very small, but sometimes so sharp that they lacerate their tongues or cheeks so that they cannot nurse or eat well, and then they “do miserably.” When a pig shows these symtoms, these teeth should be broken off smoothly with a pair of pincers. Taking the pig between the knees and putting a small cord with a slipping noose around the up- per jaw will cause it to open its mouth, and at the same time it can be held firmly. A PREVENTIVE IS BETTER THAN A CURE, _ The old saying, “An ounce of preventive is better than a pound of cure,” is a true one in swine raising. And therefore, by observing and remembering some things which i will now brifly speak of, it may be worth a great deal of money to the many readers of this work: First, I will again mention how the disease may be car- ried from one place to another. Second, as to buying or handling diseased hogs. ‘Third, as to their food and care. When the hog cholera—swine fever is in a neighborhood, it can be conveyed from one lot of hogs to another, by having hogs along a stream of water where there has been diseased ones above. This is very dangerous, es- pecially in dry seasons when the water is scarce and stag- nant. There is also a good deal of risk in having them in fields adjoining those in which diseased hogs are, or by allowing strange hogs brought on the place for any pur- pose, as weighing, breeding, etc. But the greatest evils, and those that spread the disease over the greatest scope of country the quickest, are by driving diseased hogs 210 LOCAL DISEASES; TREATMENT; REMARKS. along the public road, or having them exposed where they have died. I have known whole neighborhoods for miles around to be inoculated in this way. Hogs that die of cholera or any other sickness should be burned im- mediately. This is an easy and the best way to get rid of them, for then you are certain that your own farm or that of your neighbor will not be inoculated by this dis- eased flesh being carried around by dogs or other ani- mals, or by fowls, or by the stench being carried in the air, which is thought by most farmers contagious. ‘That all diseases known to the hog are infectious or conta- gious, is certainly an undisputed fact, therefore we cannot be too careful. In buying hogs for feeding or breeding purposes, great care should be taken not to buy those that show any indication of disease, and if they are to be shipped home in cars, see that the cars are clean and have been sprinkled with air slacked lime or a strong solution of carbolic acid, as.a disinfectant before loading them. : A few hints as to ae ling hogs might be beneficial to a few, but no rule can be given that would be or can be adopted by all feeders; but hogs, like any other stock, should be fed regularly twice or three times a day, and only be given what they will eat up clean, a change of food, the use of pure water, and salt regularly twice a week, and a grass or wood lot for range. Now I am aware that some persons claim that hogs do not need any salt, but that does not prove it to be so. I have also heard people claim that sheep did not need any water, and one claim has about as much foundation as the other. Salt, and hickory ashes, when they can be pro- cured, is one of the best things that can be given hogs, and LOCAL DISEASES, TREATMENT, REMARKS. 211 is something that they should have once or twice a week. But the tonic powder made according to the instructions in this book, is much better, as it contains the properties so much needed, being a stronger and better preparation than the former. : Cleanliness with raising and feeding hogs is just as es- sential as it is with other stock. The idea that anything is good enough for a hog is an idea of the past, and is one that should not be practiced in this progressive age. The meat of a clean and well kept hog that has been fed on a variety of good food is far sweeter and better and more healthy than one raised in the filth. The practice of feeding hogs in the mud and filth, and the constant use of bad water, over-feeding of corn or any other heat- creating food, is very wrong, and will bring on disease. A change should be made. By being careful and observing these rules, a great deal of trouble and money can be saved. An artificial food or compound should also be used as given in this treatment, for a blood purifier and ap- petizer, which acts’ beneficially on the stomach and kidneys alike, it being valuable in sickness and health. In ages of time past as well as at the present time, compounds have been popular with the people for the improvement of the health of animals, and follow economy and civiliza- tion. For this purpose use the treatment as given for general use on page 185, or as for the tonic powder, on page IgI. | - SPECIAL NOTICE. Do not take the recipe for the treatment of hogs and poultry to a drug store to have it prepared. Make out a memorandum of what you want, and mix the medicine at home. Do not loan the book or recipe to any one for 212 LOCAL DISEASES, TREATMENT, REMARKS. the purpose of treating their"hogs, or make the medicine for anyone, without my consent. Remember you have signed a contract to that effect. The treatment as given in this book and my recipe, for the cure and the preven- tion of the diseases of hogs and poultry, is protected by letters patent and copyrights, according to the Laws of the United States, and anyone infringing upon my rights will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and my purse. REMARKS. It can readily be seen by examination that this book contains a plain, practical and improved modern treat-— ment of all the various diseases of swine, never before published. It is just such a book as has long been need- ed, and fills a vacuum long felt, and should be in the hands of every breeder and feeder. It is written in plain Eng- lish, and is free from technicalities which so frequently blind the average reader. Common terms are used in describing symptoms, treatment and remedies, thereby en- abling anyone to readily understand the nature of all the diseases and how to treat them, something never before given in the cheap works of this kind that have been sold through the country or published through the newspapers—through charity. My long experience and extensive practice in the field for years, in the treat- ing of diseased hogs and poultry, has enabled me to prop- erly compound a medicine to be sold to the public for this purpose only, that I consider is superior to any other rem- edy known, and is free from much of the cheap rubbish that goes to fill up the majority of the remedies made and sold at an extortionate price by druggists and others, who know nothing whatever of the diseases of swine or their treatment—especially with the so-called condition powder, 2 es ee eee ee ae ee ee LOCAL DISEASES, TREATMENT, REMARKS. 213 which is made and recommended for all kinds of stock. The powder never was made which is fit for horses, cattle or sheep, that will cure diseased hogs; and it is by the use of these powders and worthless hog powders, causing so many failures, that has caused so many people to think that diseased hogs cannot be cured. But that idea, like many others, is becoming a thing of the past, and thous- ands of farmers and feeders who make constant use of my medicine testify to the same. Besides the numerous recommendations I furnish at all times with my medicine or works, I have hundreds of others from the best farm- ers and breeders at home and all parts of the United States who have tried my treatment. Three years ago I sold four hundred copies of my “ Treatise” to good farm- ers, under a contract ‘that they could be tried for six months, and if they did not give good satisfaction, upon the return of them I would refund their money. Nine- ty-eight per cent. of them were kept and highly endorsed. And now that my treatment is greatly improved and simplified, it will bear the most critical examination. What I claim is first, that there is no other work of this kind published upon which there has been so much time, or practical experience spent in its completion as on this. Second, that none has ever been sold and tried under as severe tests as this one, and is as highly endorsed and recommended by such an array of men of high author- ity and practical experience. Third, that there is no other person known that has ever had the experience in this business that I have had. In all my travels, which have been quite extensive in the past four years, I have never met anyone that would un- dertake to compete with me, and I have frequently £ 2I4 LOCAL DISEASES, TREATMENT, REMARKS, treated herds with the best of success that had baffled all other treatment, and have never failed to give entire sat- isfaction to all persons for whom I have worked. Fourth, that all attacks or criticisms are caused by ig- norance, jealousy or envy of my great success on the part of persons not competent to judge, and who do not compare with the high character of the men who recom- mend me and my treatment. For my own benefit, as well as for others, I will an- swer a question’here that has been very often asked me. “Why do you not sell your treatment to the govern- ment; they offer a hundred thousand dollars for a cure?” Others will say, “Certain States offer ten or fifteen thousand dollars for a cure.” Now I have heard this so often, and often, too, from good authority, that I supposed there was something in it; but upon investigation I found it all false. There never was, and probably never will be such an offer. It would not make any difference how good a cure any person had, to cause such an offer would take the united efforts of the entire agricultural press and people. The only way this terrible scourge can be controlled is for every swine breeder or feeder to take an interest in it, and make use of the best method of treatment that is known. And believing that I have that treatment, I take the following plans to place it within reach of every one: First, by placing my medicine upon the market, so that any one can get it. Second, by selling my Practical. Treatment to all who may wish to buy it for their own. use, which is the best way, especially for those who han-~- dle very many hogs. ‘Third, by selling to veterinarians LOCAL DISEASES, TREATMENT, REMARKS. 215 or others who may wish to use and sell my treatment, the right to do so. This book, with my recipe, will show my full treatment for swine and poultry, and can be had at any time by ad- dressing me, and remitting ten dollars ($10), or it can be had of anyone selling my medicine. MY PROPOSITION TO.THE PUBLIC. I will visit any part of the United States, Canada or England at any time requested for the purpose of treating diseased hogs, and guarantee to do all I claim, or make no charge beyond traveling expenses. If in visiting dis- eased herds of hogs any place and treating them, I war- rant a cure of at least three-fourths of any herd of fifty head or more, and will check the disease in three or four days from spreading any further, no difference how bad it is. My terms, either by day or head, are very reason- able, or my treatment as given in this book, if used as directed, will cure or prevent the diseases of hogs or poul- try better than any other methods ever published. If it is given a fair and impartial trial and is not what I claim it to be, I will cheerfully refund the money paid for it, by complying with the terms of the contract under which I sell it. I also believe that the medicines I make and sell to the public for,the cure and prevention of all the diseases of hogs and poultry, will excel any other medicine known to the profession. It can be had of drug- gists, or send direct to me and I will send by return ex- press, prepaid, six pounds for $2.50, or 13 pounds for D5. For larger orders a liberal reduction will be made. BEWARE OF COUNTERFEITS. My medicine as a cure for diseased hogs or poultry, can also be used asa preventive, is putin tin cans 216 LOCAL DISEASES, TREATMENT, REMARKS. of four sizes and sells at the following prices: Thirteen pounds, $5.00; six pounds, $2.50; two and one-fourth pounds, $1.00; and one pound, 50 cents. ‘They are wrapped with green wrappers, and all bear my name and address, J. B. Shook, Circleville, O. I also prepare a dry preparation, or powder, as a pre- ventive or tonig powder, to be given hogs once or twice a week, as their condition may require, which will keep them in the best of health and cause them to fatten very fast, which I sell at twenty-five cents per pound, delivered to any address in orders of not less than ten pounds. For orders of twenty-five pounds or more a liberal reduction will be made, or it can be had of dealers at the same price. Now this 1s only half the price which is asked for other swine powders, and my goods are warranted to do all I claim for them, or the money refunded. They will go as far in use as any other dry powder, for they are made of pure drugs and free from oil meal or shorts, the bulk of most all dry swine powder, or condition powder. In sending for any amount of medicine of any kind, or for my treatment or book, remit the money by post office order, draft or check, and your order will receive prompt attention, and goods will be sent by return express. FOR SALE. In order to more rapidly and effectually introduce my treatment and medicine for swine and poultry, I offer for sale State and County Rights at common sense prices, with full instructions how to compound the medicine I sell to druggists. I also furnish the directions, wrappers, circulars, letters, cards, posters, etc., to work it with, if wanted at publishers’ price, and usually a large amount free with the sale, also the farm right recipes, contracts LOCAL DISEASES, TREATMENT, REMARKS. 214 and small book of instructions, and when wanted I will furnish this book at a very reasonable price. This is something that will pay any one to buy and work, as it will not only pay well in any neighborhood, but be very beneficial. And besides it is well protected by letters patent, copy-rights, etc., necessary to protect an invention of thiskind. No great additional expense need be added to first purchase, as all the advertising matter can be got of me at cost, which is low, and then you have the benefit of all my newspaper advertising, which is extensive and still increasing. ‘There are but few if any investments of the same amount, that could be made, that would pay as well as to buy a State or County right on this invention. Ihave frequently known inexperienced men to make $100 a week selling this medicine and the treatise. It always sells readily, and the better it is known the better it sells. The profit on the medicine is as much as any one could wish, and the farm rights the same. From $500 to $1,000 can be made out of a county in one season, if worked. Prices low, terms reasonable. Correspond- ence cordially invited and cheerfully answered. ee ese Boe ee ae = a . a? “e a re =o me ; ee hs i reat Lesun eee stele ge Ses ee f PS 7 Aer. - etna ne ¢ — aad pa ae gr at ve ¥ ee ; a . ir ‘ cs 4 * ¥ f - 4 ae : A TREATISE ON THE b) PROFITABLENESS OF POULTRY, ‘* WITH INFORMATION AS TO THE BEST METHODS OF REARING AND HAND- LING THEM, WITH A REVIEW OF THE VARIOUS DISEASES TO | WHICH THEY ARE SUBJECT, AND THE MOST PRACTI- CAL TREATMENT THEREFOR. a t ‘ ba alg i) % a) Ate tte bes. =) FS 4 ~ 5 « t ’ ie . By ) ‘ 7 * an t bi aA uth fis Wiles oe tg RE pe CHAPTER Sa Se OR a Pe tea OF se ae aa de ni Sie~se a oP ee oe ~ ty ~~ A oo xa ~ ew ae ae q a : Ce as > oC a z ete ae . ‘ - A TREATISE ON | — Surep HUSBANDRY. 1 @ S PROFITABLENESS, WITH PRACTICAL INFORMATION AS TO BREEDING, _ REARING AND HANDLING, ALSO THE ORIGIN AND CHARACTERIS- _—ss—s PICS OF THE VARIOUS BREEDS, WITH SUGGESTIONS a. AS TO FEED AND CARE. + 4 Wei ; ¢ - ” . q + Ke ; ie it. : x. r i ae eh « a aS atl sie J in eee ‘a * LD a we , = =. é Mee am a, a andl ¥ a Aaa he 7 a < | Po 24th * So oY CHAPTER XV. TREATISE ON SHEEP HUSBANDRY. SHEEP HUSBANDRY.—WHY WOOL GROWERS DO NOT FAIL. —INFORMATION AS TO BREEDING.—REARING AND HANDLING.—ORIGIN AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DIF- FERENT BREEDS.—SUGGESTIONS AS TO FEEDING AND CARE. SHEEP HUSBANDRY. Sheep husbandry in the United States is becoming one of the great pursuits of this country. In former years the entire interest in raising sheep was for the wool clip, but of late years the production of mutton has been given some attention. The Americans still give more attention to the production of wool than mutton, while in England the reverse is the case. This is only a natural result of the different conditions of the markets and surroundings. England is the best mutton market in the world, while wool commands the best prices in the United States. ‘That these conditions will change is not a matter of very much doubt, especially in the east, and near large cities, where there is a demand for mutton, and especially lambs, but still the time has not come yet, when mutton sheep are as profitable in this country as in England. The Amer- ican demand now seems to be for a sheep which grows the finest fleece on a medium carcass, producing both wool and mutton. Wool must be, for some time to come, of 262 TREATISE ON SHEEP HUSBANDRY. at least equal importance with mutton; and in many por- tions of the country, from necessity, in the far west, away from the meat raising markets, the wool must be the main object. With this business, as with any other, the question is often asked, Does sheep raising pay? Judging from the reports as given from all parts of the country one year with another, it is very doubtful if the breeding and raising of any other stock pays as well for the capital in- vested, as that of raising sheep. Mutton, it is claimed, by the aid of a good fleece, should be raised cheaper on the high-priced lands of the Eastern States than beef on the cheap lands of the far West. While in the far West, where sheep are raised on a larger scale upon the cheap lands, it is claimed they pay one hundred per cent. upon the capital invested. If these claims are true, and no doubt they are, sheep husbandry is without question profitable. WHY WOOL GROWERS DO NOT FAIL. Another question which is often asked, is why wool growers do not fail, as other business men do; and is answered by a wool grower: “Simply because the growth of wool and increase is as perpetual as the times” in which they live. It matters not how dark the night is, the wool continues to grow; and it matters not how the wind blows, or how it may storm, gestation is never long- er than one hundred and fifty days. The lambs will) average one-half females, and often twins, and they breed - the next year, making “double-compound,” a perpetual growth, and no loss. Everything that does not go into market goes to enrich pastures. ‘Though the landlord — may be sick, it does not stop the growth of the wool and a TREATISE ON SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 263 lambs. Not. so with other business. The merchant, _ mechanic, or the man who works for a salary, has noth- - ing to grow while he sleeps. When his labor ceases his income stops, and his expenses are perpetual. It is true _ there are perpetual expenses attending the sheep business, but under the most unfavorable circumstances, where they can live on the cheap grass lands without feeding, the meat of the wethers will pay all expenses, without drawing on the wool or increase of the ewes. Hence it _ is like a perpetual stream, flowing into a basin. It is only a question of time about filling it to overflowing. The great drawback seems to be that men do not relish _ living away from thickly populated settlements and towns, depriving themselves of society, for the sake of making money. This objection can be obviated in all new coun- tries. There are villages constantly springing up, near _ which good sheep farms can be had, where the owner can visit his flock daily, and also give his family the ben- 3 efit of schools and society. ‘There are many such now on _ the plains, and one is reminded of the patriarchal days, for there is no lack of society in the shepherds and in the _ family, and the long summer day and evenings are pleas- ant. In short, the way to success and happiness is to build up an independent civilization. ‘To a man of energy and some means, such a life is pleasant and attractive. It is hard to answer the common inquiry as to what the profits of the business are. As much depends upon the indi- vidual care and management as in any other business, but I am safe in saying one hundred per cent. per annum, het profit, is realized by wool-growers that make a _ permanent business of it. Many intelligent wool-growers are of the opinion that should wool yield only twenty aie phat Mgiteaads 264 TREATISE ON SHEEP HUSBANDRY. cents per pound they would have a more pleasant, cer- tain and remunerative business than any other branch of agriculture in these United States.” Taking the judgment of those who follow the business, there is no doubt but that sheep husbandry, judiciously and scientifically followed, is one of the best paying pur- suits of the American people, and especially with the general farmer who is engaged in mixed husbandry. * aS eae Ubi Sheep are o asus suited to the ainall fara and to the farmer of limited means, on account of the small amount of capital and limited range necessary to provide for a small flock. . And it is a well known fact that, with the keeping of sheep, the land does not deteriorate, but its fertility is constantly increased. So that on lands which have been used as sheep walks, when a crop of any kind of grain is desired, a marked increase is invariably noticed, as sheep distribute their droppings more evenly than cattle, and on the highest ground—where they are most needed. Again sheep are closer feeders than any other farm stock and great foragers, consuming a greater variety of food than any other stock; thus often proving beneficial as well as profitable in reclaiming an old farm, or one i A OOO TREATISE ON SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 265 which is covered over with briers, and it will pay well to purchase a flock of sheep to aid in subduing them. A comparison was made by Linnzus, the naturalist, as to what kind of stock ate the greatest variety of forage. He found; The horse ate 274 species of ordinary forage plants, and rejected 212; cattle ate 276, and rejected 218; while sheep ate 387 species, and refused but 141. The value of the different foods for sheep is a matter of no small amount, and one on which the success of the flocks depends more than on any other in the far West or else- where, when kept in largenumbers. In the present state of the flock industry every experiment looking towards the cheapness of foods should be eagerly welcomed, and no doubt the fodder, sorghum, root, and millet crops will play an important part in furnishing this cheap food. Two sheep can be raised where one is raised now, if judiciously cared for, and shepherds would do well to try, on a small scale at least, the crops mentioned, and alfalfa besides. But in attempting to cheapen the cost of rearing the flock, the wool and the carcass should not be forgotten, but let them be steadily improved each year. Sheep breeding and wool growing are arts which allow of no half way measures; but the whole attention of the breeder must be given to the management and care of his _ flock, if he expects the highest success. INFORMATION AS TO BREEDING. In breeding sheep, as with other stock, every one should be governed somewhat as to their situation. The eastern farmer, or those living near large cities, where they have the advantage of a good meat market, can no doubt make the production of mutton more profitable than that of wool, or the farmer who keeps a few sheep can give them -266 TREATISE ONISHEEY HEB ANURES better attention than where large flocks are kept; and perhaps those farmers who cannot well keep large num- bers could handle the mutton breeds to better advantage. They require just such treatment as these farmers are best prepared to give them. The papers from different sections state that the con- sumption of mutton has increased greatly of late. Is not this due, to a great extent, to the improved quality of the mutton? If so, cannot the demand be much further stim- ulated by feeding the people on better mutton still? The English sheep breeders pay more attention to mut- ton than-wool. If we, in this country, would follow their example, we would hear no more clamoring about the tariff on wool. It is bad enough to. fear Australia, with thousands of miles between her shores.and ours, but the difficulty lies in our failure to realize all that is possible from the sheep industry, and our failure of breeding a better mutton sheep, and striving in which to select and grade up the quality. The Oxfords, Shropshires, Hamp- shires and Southdowns are becoming numerous, and are as far superior to the scrubs as an electric light.is to a tal- low candle. Not only do they possess size, but certain characteristics that improve the quality of the carcass and enable the breeder to secure a higher price for ex- cellence, as well as for greater profit for weight. | It is not altogether the weight that breeders must con- ‘sider, though. weight is a very desirable matter. We wish, in our markets, better mutton, of a juicy, marbled, attractive quality, that commands a sale as soon.:as’ it ar- rives, and which will always. be in demand. Such mut- ton is as easily. produced as that which is inferior, and we are safe in guaranteeing a heavier fleece also. The lambs TREATISE ON SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 267° from the improved breeds, or grades, are also more sale- able than those from natives, to say nothing of their rapid growth and heavy weights ‘at an early age. We have alluded to this subject for the purpose of ‘advising the farmers to endeavor to raise better mutton, for by so do- ing they can laugh to scorn the tariff, and derive a larger revenue in a’single season from mutton ees — can from ro: in twice that length of time. THE COUPLING SEASON. _«“Where the highest type of perfection of offspring is desired, the condition surrounding their begettal needs to _ be looked after as carefully as those necessary to their proper and rapid development after birth. As a rule, it is not good policy to allow rams to run with thé flock dur- ing the coupling season. When so allowed, all control over the crosses is surrendered. The heavier and more _ pugnacious rams soon become masters of the situation, _ though not without’ much injury to themselves, as well as 4 their weaker antagonists. Rams that have quietly lived together all the previous season, will be found no excep- tion to his rule, when turned with a flock of ewes during the rutting time. Add to this the further act that much vigor 1s expended by repeated service of the same ewe, and but little experience is required to predict an offspring _ lacking in some of the characteristics of lambs begotten under more favorable conditions. When but one ram is to be used, and the service required of him quite limited | —say not more than twenty-five ewés—the lazy man’s policy of “turning’ in” may find some excuse; but then only with the understanding that he is separated from the flock during the night, that both ewes and ram may have the rest requisite to a:proper discharge of their reproduc- 268 TREATISE ON SHEEP HUSBANDRY. tive functions. We are aware that a different course is generally pursued—the exception being found among those breeding high-priced animals—but are satisfied that it is so pursued at a loss to flock-masters in delaying the | building up of a thrifty and profitable flock.” SELECTING A RAM. : A sheep grower gives the following points in selecting aram: “Every discreet shepherd who is about to pur- chase a ram, seeks these three desiderata: First, the max- imum wool with the minimum of yolk. Second, the greatest amount of muscle done up in the least wrapping of skin. Third, an animal that will reproduce himself the greatest amount of times, 1. e., constitution, wool, mutton. In a humid climate one dare not concede a sin- gle point in constitution. Unless the flock master has personal knowledge of the animal’s exceptional vigor, he should demand a good barrel, ribs well sprung out, eyes large and prominent, and square rump, body coupled up rather short, ears thick and soft, and they and the face cov- ered with fine, white, silky hair. But inthe skin resides the surest test. I have known a ram to have nearly all the above points and yet be delicate; but I never knew one ee a bright, rosy skin to be lacking in robustness.” THE EWES. The ewes should be bred so as to have the lambs come as early in the season as possible, so they can be saved; better lose two in the spring than one in the fall. As the ewes near parturition they should be well fed, with an occasional feed of laxative food, roots, or oil meal and bran. ‘They should be provided with shelter during lamb- ing time, and so arranged that they can be kept warm at cold times. In case they have any difficulty in lambing, ss ot Ge ss TREATISE ON SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 269 they should not be assisted for at least a few hours, but let nature alone. When any assistance is given, let it be with caution and gentleness. In case of any trouble or sicknes, see veterinary department. After lambing a ewe should not move about much. If she is weak, give her some good whisky or whisky gruel. If herteats are closed against the efforts of the lamb, try and squeeze them out with the wetted fingers; or in case they have grown shut, open them with a knit- ting needle, being careful not to insert the needle too far. If they are inflamed, bathe with some cooling lotion, and hold her while the lamb nurses. If she disowns the lamb, or is wanted to adopt another, shut her up with the lamb away from the other sheep, and hold her while it nurses. Bathe her nose and the lamb’s with whisky, which will sometimes bring her to terms. THE LAMBS. New born lambs that can help themselves should not be interfered with. Ifso weak they cannot stand, they should be held up to nurse, and in case the ewe has no milk, use a nursing bottle with a gum nipple; these are now sold by dealers, and should be kept in readiness for use. The milk of the cow, fresh and warm, is just right for the lamb. It should be given often, but too much should not be given at a time. If the lamb be chilled by the cold, it should be taken in the house to the fire and cared for, by warming and feeding it. When quite weak give it milk and a little whisky, which will soon - restore it. In castrating lambs, there are two methods used. I have seen both. performed with good success. Neither one is difficult, and can be done by any farmer. The first 270° TREATISE ON SHEEP HUSBANDRY. is, to cut off the lower end of the’scrotum, press the testi- cles upward and make’ an incision in the inner skin and thus remove’ them, the’same as is done with a pig. The’ other plan is, after removing the end of the scrotum as usual, seize the testicles with a pair of pincers, and remove them by a quick jerk, without cutting the inner skin. This’ is: thought sic some to be the best method that can 5 used. | tbs - WEANING LAMBS. cies should be weaned at four months of age, er put on a good piece of fresh grass. In absence of this, or when a rapid growth is desired, they should be fed on green fodder, roots or grain, so as to keep them: growing fast until matured. This is the great secret of raising sheep or other stock—early maturity. As cold weather approaches, they should be sheltered and well cared for. | 7 ini THE MUTTON BREEDS. | The improved mutton breeds which have found most favor in the United States, are of the long or middle wool. Of the former, the Leicesters, Cotswolds, and New Ox- fordshires; of the latter, the Southdowns, Hamp- shires and Shropshires. The Leicester sheep are un- excelled in earliness of maturity, and none make ‘better returns for the amount of food consumed than they do, but they require ‘better shelter and care than any other variety. The ewes are neither so prolific, nor so good nurses, as those of other mutton: families, and the lambs are delicate and hard to raise. The mutton is-only mes — dium in quality, owing to the great amount of fat. The fleeces are composed ofa long combing wool, and averaee with select flocks, about ten pounds each. . er ae ‘TREATISE. ON SHEEP HUSBANDRY. Ay ? THE COTSWOLDS. The Cotswolds are a larger, hardier and more prolific ‘sheep than the Leicester, and the ewes are better mothers; their wool is valuable for combing use, but the fleece is no heavier than that of the Leicester, but their mutton is far superior, as it is not so fat, and the fat is better inter- -mixed with the lean meat. They are much used in cross- ing other breeds and varieties, and are decidedly the fav- orite long wool sheep of America. The Lincolns are as large as the Cotswold, though in other respects, as now -bred, very strongly resemble the Leicester; but the fleece is longer and heavier, and. unsurpassed in luster, commanding, therefore, the best prices in the market. _ > © THE SOUTHDOWNS. aC tered The Southdowns are the oldest established. hon wooled, improved mutton variety. In size they rank with ‘the Cotswold, but have a lighter fleece. Their mutton is very choice, and commands a better price than that of any other breed. T s are hardy,’ Pia feeders, and excellent nurses. ; a = . a Lidia ea ee tnt Mtb i a. Ws ied 4 iis Al ig Sufi THE HAMPSHIRE= -DOWN S. ih hic: family is the result of a cross between the South- downs and a long-wooled English variety of greater size, and better constitution. 'They-are coarser than the South- downs, but possess nearly all the good qualities of that ee at alae “a *~ 2 het TREATISE ON SHEEP HUSBANDRY. breed and are hardier, and the mutton commands a good price. The Shropshire was also produced by a cross of the Southdowns with a hardy short-wooled stock; and some have a dip of the Leicester and Cotswold blood. They are large, and unite to an uncommon degree the good qualities of the short and long wools. ‘This mutton is of good quality, and the ewes prolific and good mothers, The Oxford-downs are a comparatively’ new family, and are across between the Hampshires, Southdowns or Shropshires, and their characteristics are about the same — as the Shropshires, though they vary some in their ap- pearance and quality. THE MERINO. The American Merino is a descendent of the old Spanish or French Merinos, judiciously crossed and bred almost — exclusively for the production of wool. They are a small, compact, hardy breed, with a very. dense fleece, shearing some eight pounds per head, of a short, oily wool. The Merino is well adapted to be kept in large numbers upon the plains, or rough, poor land. They are great walkers, traveling a long ways for food, and are freer of disease than the larger mutton breeds. Almost all sheep demand for their health dry land, but with the Merino, dry land 1s indispensable. ‘There may be wet land in their range, but they must not be confined to it. They will thrive on less feed than other breeds, and can travel further to ob- tain it. Hence they are well suited for all countries where sheep raising is done on a large scale. The ewes are very prolific, good sucklers, and the lambs hardy. The Merino, on account of its density of fleece, with which it is well protected, and its hardiness in con- stitution can stand more exposure than other breeds. ‘The TREATISE ON SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 273 Merino cannot be matured under three years; tliis makes - it necessary that this breed must always remain a large 4 producer of wool, and any course of breeding tending to _ lessen the fleece is a move in the downward direction. A noted breeder says he believes that the continual use of smooth, long-wool rams was contrary to the correct prin- 3 ciples of breeding, and always resulted disastrously, and _ what sheep-breeders had yet to learn was that they need- _ ed density of fleece, more than length of staple. Mutton ; sheep, to do well, require richer soils than the Merino, and _ those yielding regular and good food, but they most all _ do better on a rich upland than on low land. What constitutes a good sheep? This is a very impor- _ tant question, yet perhaps no one could give an answer _ which would be satisfactory to all sheep breeders. One _ breeder admires size and symmetry, another desires to _ breed a medium sheep—good for mutton, with medium _ fleece—while another cares nothing for the carcass, as long as he can grow a fine fleece of the greatest weight. A _ sheep adapted to every section and to every breeder’s sur- - roundings cannot be grown in the same animal, so that _ a description of a breed which would be one man’s ideal, q ; perhaps, would be entirely unsuitable to any other man or his surroundings. A good cross is obtained, when early maturing mem or size is wanted, by using a cotswold buck, or a buck of either of the down breeds, with Merino, : or common ewes. The fecundity and excellent nurs- “ing qualities of these ewes give them the first place in breeding for early lambs; or a common flock of sheep Pes be bred up-to a great improvement, by the use of | a pure buck of the characteristics desired, and the best 274 TREATISE ON SHEEP HUSBANDRY. ewes of that cross retained and bred toanother good buck of the same breed. f i) i Me y ay ( ph \ ? { \, AC Me \ RS REE NeW A COTSWOLD RAM. The realization of profit does not always depend upon immediate results. The breeding of a common flock to a profitable basis requires some time and means; but the end should be more carefully kept in view than imme- diate profit. The flock should be carefully sorted each year, and nothing but the best retained for breeding pur- poses. Sometimes large prices can be obtained by letting a dealer take the pick of the flock, but this would be worse than folly, and would ruin the prospects for years to come. The flock should be graded up to a high standard, even at considerable cost; and it should be remembered that the choice of the flock which has been bred so carefully for years, is worth more to the owner than anyone else. In breeding, it is always best to give both the subject — and the flock some study, and learn exactly what class of wool your flock now clips, and what kind would pay you best to raise—then breed for this type alone. This is very important in securing an even clip of wool of average quality. This, of course, cannot be done in one season. But by carefully selecting the breeding flock and using a ram of the same type of wool, in a short time the flock eS ee ae et ee TREATISE ON SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 275 can be bred up to such a point of excellence that their fleeces will be uniform in quality and difficult to tell one from another. Until such is the case, as long as in sort- _ ing each fleece has to be thrown into a separate pile, or as long asa mongrel clip is raised, just so long will the wool have to be sold at a disadvantage. SUGGESTIONS AS TO FEEDING AND CARE. Good shelter, as well as food and water, is indispensable for sheep in the winter time. Their feed should be com- posed of a variety of foods. Hay, corn-fodder, corn, oats, mill-feed and roots, intermixed and given regularly. In growing sheep, the first requisite is an intelligent shepherd, the second good sheep, and third good care, in- cluding good feeding. ‘This states in few words all there is in sheep-growing; but those unversed in the matter would be surprised to find out just how much intelligence and skill, how much care and feed, and how much capital is invested, in rearing a fine flock to produce profitable results. The spring is the time when sheep require the most careful attention, and is also the season in which, as a rule, there is the greatest mortality among them. At this season tne sheep are weakened in vitality by the long winter’s cold and storms, and their system is not able to withstand the climatical changes which occur at this time; _andunless very carefully tended they must succomb in their weak and debilitated state, to the inevitable. The sheep now should have an increase of grain food, and their feed be changed, and some kind given them which will tempt the appetite. The weak ones should be put by themselves and receive extra care. In turning sheep out to grass in the spring, it should be done only an hour or two during the day at first. In this 246. TREATISE ON SHEEP HUSBANDRY. way they are not so liable to scour, as the change from dry to green food is less sudden. If they do scour when turned upon grass, feed some corn and bran dry, which “awall check: it, The sheep should be prepared for the summer by being tagged in early spring, before being turned on grass, their — feet trimmed, and the animals carefully watched, that mag- gots do not get on them and destroy them. One principal argument for early shearing is that it obviates all danger of trouble with these dangerous pests of the flock. Noth- ing is more conducive to the welfare of the flocks than just such management as will always keep the sheep com- fortable, thrifty and in good health. If this is done nothing more is needed to insure the highest condition and profitableness of that flock according to its grade. It is important that the flocks be carefully sorted, and the weak — sheep not allowed to run with the stronger ones. Sheep of different ages and conditions should be sorted into separate flocks, and the weaker ones have a little extra feed. Old sheep ought to be in a lot by themselves, so as to take time to eat their feed, like old men and women take more time to eat. Feed a half bushel of grain morning and evening, to fifty head; this is enough in one lot to feed right and do well. In culling out the flocks in the spring, about as good disposal as can be made of the culls is to fatten them on grass. The sheep can be fattened very rapidly, as well as cheaply,on good grass, with the aid of some grain twice a day, and the local butchers will, as a rule, pay a fair price for such muttons. Dispose of all the yearling underlings. The reason for parting with yearling under- lings is this: They are liable to breed disease among the EE TREATISE ON SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 277 flock, and nothing should be retained unsightly to the eye of the flock-master. The more evenly sheep are graded, ‘the more evenly will they thrive. . The day has gone by when a man’s flocks will be esti- ‘mated and valued by their numbers. Henceforth it will ‘be the income that each sheep will yield that will ' determine the value of the flocks, whether it be in wool or mutton. ‘Therefore keep none but the best. Good sheep require good care to maintain their excel- lence, or they will soon deteriorate. Do not undertake to keep sheep on low, undrained lands. They will surely contract disease, and a sick sheep is about as mean a thing as I know of, a sick hog not excepted. _ There is nothing more injurious to a sheep than to lie on a fermenting manure pile. Therefore keep them well bedded. They, of all stock, must have dry and com- _fortable quarters. _ The sheep is exceedingly neat and even fastidionts about its food and drink, and hence should have clean _ grass. and clear running water. -~Though they use less | water than other animals, often passing whole days with- out it, it is none the less necessary for their comfort and health that it should be accessible. Salt regularly twice a week, or keep rock salt where _ they will have free access to it. It is essential to their health. It has been proven by actual experiment that beets or ets can be raised, lifted and stored for six cents per _ bushel. At this cost they certainly are a profitable food q Bor sheep, and any one who has not tried raising and : _ feeding turnips to sheep cannot have a full appreciation of _ the benefit derived from this. cheap food, and in the in- 278 TREATISE ON SHEEP HUSBANDRY. creased thrift of their stock. There can be no doubt of the advantage of the English method of feeding compared with ours, if we compare their immense fat muttons with ours; and in all the feeding districts of the English pro- vinces turnips are fed in immense quantities. Good corn fodder is an excellent sheep feed. It is loosening, cooling, and relieves constipation. Also early made, properly cured and stored hay, either clover, tim- othy, or millet, is far superior to matured hay for sheep.. Frequently the agricultural papers advise farmers to pasture their orchards with sheep. Any one having the least practical knowledge of the nature of sheep knows that they would rather peel a nice, thrifty young apple tree any day than eat the most tender grass, and that they will even peel quite large trees. Therefore, they should never have access to the orchard. A change of pasture is good for sheep, but medium short grass, on high or dry land, suits them best. In the fall, if the pasture fails, do not put off feeding them hay or grain too late, unless a good crop of pelts is wanted in the spring. CARE OF SHEEP—-THINGS TO BE REMEMBERED. First, keep sheep dry under foot with litter. This is more necessary than roofing them. Never let them stand or lie in mud or water. Second, take up lamb bucks early in the summer, and keep until December following, | when they may be turned out. Third, count every day, and if any are missing hunt them up and see what ails them. If any sheep is hurt, catch it at once and wash the wound; and if it is fly-time, apply spirits of turpentine daily, or wash with a solution of carbolic acid. If a limb is broken, bind it with splinters tightly, loosening as the limb swells and bath with arnica. Fourth, keep a num- een eT era ee gis 5 ee TREATISE ON SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 279 ber of good bells on the sheep, as they are a protection against dogs. Fifth, begin yraining with the greatest care, and use small quantities at first. Feed grain, if you have to sell half the sheep to pay for grain for the other half. Sixth, separate all weak, thin or sick from the strong in the fall, and give them special care. Have some rye for weak ones in cold weather, if possible, and be sure to get it. Seventh, never let the sheep spoil wool with chaff or burs. Remember that burs in the wool are removed only by machinery, and therefore reduce its value. Cut away the weeds that produce burs. Eighth, if a ewe loses her lamb, milk her daily for a few days, mixing a little alum with her salt. Ninth, have the lambs come as early as possible, so they can be saved. The early lambs . require more attention than late ones; but when fine fat lambs are finished in time to meet the early market, it is doubtful whether any other kind of stock pays better. Tenth, give the lambs a little mill-feed in time of weaning. In preparing them for market, keep in mind that the more fleshy and fat they can be made, the better prices they will command. Thisis,in reality, much more important than extreme size. Eleventh, let no hogs eat with the sheep in the spring, by any means. ‘[welfth, never _ frighten sheep, if possible to avoid it, and kill all the dogs that bother them, your own not excepted. Thirteenth, cut tag-locks in early spring, which will prevent foulness or maggots. Fourteenth, for scours, give ginger and pow- dered charcoal in wheat bran; prevent by taking great care in changing dry for green food. Fifteenth, if one is lame, examine the foot; clean out between the hoofs, if unsound, and apply tobacco with blue vitriol boiled in a 280 TREATISE ON_SHEEP HUSBANDRY. little water, and never buy lame sheep and bring them on the farm, as by this means foot-rot is spread. Sixteen h; shear at once any sheep beginning to shed its wool un- less the weather is too severe, and save carefully the pelt — of any that die. Seventeenth, the wool business is not likely to be overdone in this country, as we do not now supply our demands, and the market will increase as rap- idly asthe supply. Eighteenth, the crossing of the long wools and Merinos cannot be done without sacrificing the fineness and combing qualities of the fleece. Wool is a commodity—a manufactured article, which requires the highest intelligence and skill in the production of a fine article. Nineteenth, have at least one good work on sheep, to which you can refer, as in this progressive age, no one can make the raising of stock a success without some study. Ts | THE AMERICAN CATTLE. THE Carre Inpustey ‘OF AMERICA, CONSISTING OF A DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS BREEDS, AND INFOR- | - MATION AS TO BREEDING, GROWING AND FEEDING; ALSO THE MOST APPROVED MODERN METHODS OF DAIRYING. CHAPTER XVI. THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. THE CATTLE INDUSTRY.—VARIOUS BREEDS.—FAMOUS COWS AND STEERS.—HOW TO SELECT BREEDERS.—VAL- UABLE BREEDING, GROWING AND FEEDING SUGGESTIONS. —MANAGEMENT OF BULL, COWS AND CALVES. THE CATTLE INDUSTRY. The growing of cattle in North America has become one of the great live stock industries of the world. The congeniality of the climate, as well as the soil in most all parts of North America, are such as to pro- duce abundance of grass and feed, and thereby render the growing of cattle profitable; and the last few years has shown a great increase in this industry. Not only has the natural increase’ of population, and the advance of civilization greatly increased the production of cattle, but men of immense fortunes, both in America and foreign countries, have embarked in the business of raising cattle in large numbers upon the vast plains of the West, for the production of beef; and now herds of one, or even ten’ thousand head, are of no uncommon occurence. Follow- ing this great increase of the production of cattle, natur- ally has come the introduction of the strains of good blood, and now America is well represented with large and numerous herds of pure bred cattle of all the im- proved breeds, namely, the Short-Horns, Herefords, Polled Angus, Galloways, Red Polled, and Devons, 284 THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. which represent the beef breeds; while the Holsteins, Jerseys, Gurnseys and Ayrshires, represent the dairy breeds. The characteristics of all these cattle are such as to well adapt them to the wants of the American people, when pure bred, or crossed upon our native stock. The most of these cattle are too well known to demand any special description or comment, but I will give a brief description of each breed, as to their origin and charac- teristics, for the benefit of those who may not be well ac- quainted with them, and who may be contemplating the purchase of some of the new breeds. THE SHORT-HORNS. The Short-Horns are one of the oldest and best establish- ed improved breeds of cattle known. They first originated in England, and were known as the Teeswater, or Dur- ham cattle. Charles and Robert Colling were the first and most successful breeders of these most famous cattle, commencing about one hundred years ago. ‘The bull Hubback, the founder of the breed, was purchased in 1785, by Charles Colling, at a low price, and was raised by a poor man upon the highway. He was of medium size, compact form, admiral touch, and of a yel- lowish red color. He was so easily fatted that he soon became useless as a bull. This bull was bred to the cows owned by the Collings, and later an infusion of the Gal- loway blood was introduced in their herd. This progeny was inter-bred until 1810, when they had succeeded in forming a very fine breed of cattle. “Messrs. Bates, Booth, and other breeders of England, have done a great deal to improve this fashionable breed of cattle, and in 1850 Mr. Bates sold the Dutches family, part of which were calves, for an average price of $581, and in 1853, "\\/ Ly "f YAM. Ate a eZ Y Z GAZ Z o-<) Se SF BNALR ENGR | — — rr ee THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. 287 Lord Ducies’ herd averaged $760, for sixty-two head. Since, individuals of superior excellence, have been sold at fabulous prices.” As now bred, the improved Short- Horn is less in height, broader, more compact, and heav- ier than of former days. In color, they vary from snow white to cherry red, though the red and white, or roans, predominating. They are easily kept, fatten readily at any age, and obtain as great a weight, at any age, as any other breed. They are heavier milkers than any other beef breeds, and very valuable to cross into the native cattle. The public sales of Short-Horns that occur. nowadays bring forcibly to one’s mind the fact that the day of fancy- , priced Short-Horns is at an end. “It was only a few years ago when, atthe New York Mills sale, one cow realized $40,000. Another of the same herd was taken to Eng- land for Lord Bective at about $30,000. This was in 1873, but $20,000 and $35,000 respectively were paid for two heifers at Windermere six years ago. At the Dunmore sale, in 1875, $22,500 was paid for a bull, and the same year in Toronto a Duchess heifer less than six months old brought $18,000. In 1876, a pair of Duch- esses realized $21,000 and $23,000 respectively. In 1879, at Dunmore, two Duchesses were bought at about $15,- 000 apiece by Sir Henry Allsopp, and their progeny came into the ring in good form at one of the recent sales, bu: failed to realize any of the above named fancy prices.” The price of finely-bred Short-Horns, however, are very far from what they used to be, but this does not prove any real practical decadence in the Short-Horn breeding inter- ests. Short-Horns are as good as they ever were, and the fact that the Duchesses no longer bring such fabulous prices only indicates that the excellence of the race has be- 288 THE AMERICAN- CATTLE INDUSTRY. come more generally distributed, and that as.a whole Short- Horns are now of more real practical value than they were in the olden times, and the prices that they command at public and even private sales now-days, put them within the reach of all enterprising farmers. THE HEREFORDS. The Hereford cattle are also an English breed, and in their characteristics resemble the Short-Horns very much. They are uniform in color, being a light red, with white or mottled face and breast, belly and feet. Their horns re longer than any other improved breed of cattle except the Devons ; hair soft, silky and curly, showing them to— be a breed of great vitality. They are fully as compact and heavy as the Short-Horns, and less in height. ‘They are noted for being quick maturers and great rustlers, and have become quite fashionable of late years in America, to improve our native cattle. ABERDEEN—POLLED ANGUS. This is another breed of cattle that has become very fashionable of late years, and has been heavily introduced into America. They are of Scotch descent; have no horns; very compactly made; about the size of the Here- fords, and covered with a heavy coat of curly, black hair. As quick maturers and rustlers, they have no superiors, and should prove very valuable upon the plains, as well as with the general farmer. | THE GALLOWAYS Are of the same origin as the Angus, and resemble them very much, except that they are some rougher in form, more slow to mature, and have a more curly coat of hair. Hon. Wm. M’Combie, of Tillyfour, Scotland, was the chief founder of the black polled cattle. His name was no THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. 291 more inseparably linked with the fame of the polled cattle of Scotland than is that of the Collings with Shorthorns, or of Tompkins with the white faces of Herefordshire. The red polled cattle are also of foreign descent, and resemble the Angus very much. ‘They are said to be good handlers, quick maturers, and good milkers. They are of good height and smooth, but not as compact as the Angus, and covered with a smooth, red coat of hair. Any of these polled breeds are said to be very hardy, and can endure a great amount of cold and exposure, and thrive upon a more scanty fare than the Short-Horns or the Herefords. HOLSTEIN—-HOLLAND, OR FRIESIAN CATTLE. These cattle were originated in Germany, and are one of the oldest improved breeds known, but have not been introduced into America very much until of late years. They are now becoming very fashionable, and are consid- ered the leading dairy cattle for milk and cheese. In color, they are black and white spotted; not as com- pact and smooth as the Short-Horn, Hereford, or Angus cattle, nor as well adapted for beef, although they are as large, but far superior to them for the dairy, and are thus very valuable. The Devons are an old English breed, and are very valua- _ble for a rough, rugged country. They are a dark red, compactly made, active breed of cattle, hardy and quick to mature; good milkers, and the steers make the best of oxen. In size, they are smaller than the above named breeds. : ALDERNEYS—JERSEYS—GURNSEYS. These cattle were originated on the Britisn Channel Is- lands of the same names. While they vary somewhat in color 292 THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. from a light fawn, or squirrel, to a pale red, and also in size, yet their charateristics are about the same, as they are emphatically butter breeds. They are more noted for the quality of their milk than for the quantity, it beng very rich; and the butter for its rich, golden color, hardness of texture and nutty flavor. ‘The laws under which they are bred in their native homes are very: strict, and well enforced, in order to preserve the breeds in their pure state. The Jerseys have had quite a boom in America in the last two years, and many have been sold at long prices, their chief value being in the large amount of but- ter they are capable of producing. As a cow for the wealthy class in a city, or for those making butter for that class of people, they are valuable; but for the dairy, where milk is sold, or for the general farmer, they are of but little use. : The Ayrshire cattle originated in Scotland, and were bred exclusively for the dairy. They are a compact breed, 1n size and characteristics resembling the Devons, but are heavier milkers, and of a brown, or brown and white color. ‘They, or the Gurnseys have more size, and are better adapted to the wants of the general farmer as a dairy cow than the “Alderneys or Jerseys. But as a cross upon the native cow for the production of a cow for the general farmer’s use, there is probably no breed equal to the Short-Horns, although some of the other breeds are highly recommended, especially the Holsteins, or Angus cattle. | NOTED COWS AND STEERS. The famous Jersey cow, “Mary Anne of St. Lamberts” was dropped March 26th, 1879. Mary Anne of St. Lambert produced 36 pounds 12% ounces of mar- Ee yg pe Yi VA f} Z MME 2 Fm IZG Wf /- ——— a \ Mh p i\ bil Wy Mi) Wp > Hy Yy { ‘a j He | PX Wi NY i Mills 4/y Hf We Ay y/ Wy) A / | NV ML VAR AYA f ' iti == ee | ill > —— LY AM, vik kif THE HEREFORD, - a x » ~ 4 g a A , (ee a Lv AG" e 4, Pry & Hag tothe - THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. 295 _ketable butter in seven days in the fall of 1884. The test was made in accordance with the rigid rules laid _down by the American Jersey Cattle Club, and there can be no doubt as to its thorough accuracy and reliabil- ity. In the seven days covered by the test, this cow gave 245 pounds of milk, an average of 35 pounds per day; 36 pounds being the largest and 32% the smallest yield in any one day. The cow was fed by the manager at his discretion, and he informs us that at the beginning of the test she was eating thirty-five imperial quarts of feed per day, consist- ing of the following:—Twenty quarts ground oats, ten quarts pea-meal, three quarts ground oil-cake, two quarts _ wheat bran, and that this was increased up to about fifty quarts per day, the composition of the above food being appears varied. She was also fed a small quantity of roots and cabbages, and a few apples, and kept in a small pasture _ in company with another cow. « Kurotus, ” a Jersey cow, was dropped in 1871. From the milk, given in one year from this cow, 778 pounds of _ butter were made. The Holstein cow, “ Mercedes,” was dropped in 1878, and died in 1884. ‘This celebrated cow ranked among the heavy milkers of the breed she represented, and from the milk she gave in thirty days, 99 pounds and 6% ounces of butter were made, eclipsing all competitors in that length of time for the production of butter. The well known cow, “Aegis,” with a milk record in one year of 16,824 pounds, was fourth in the list of milk records, the heaviest being 18,120 pounds, 18,005 pounds and 17,746 pounds. The cows with these rec- ords are all of one family. 296 THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. It can be seen by this that great results can be pro- duced by careful breeding, care and feeding. At the fat stock show in Chicago, Illinois, in 1884, the Aberdeen Angus steers, “ Waterside Jock” and “Black Prince,’ showed the merits of this breed as beef cattle by winning some of the principal prizes. “Water Side Jock” was nine hundred and ninety-nine days old, weigh- | ing 1,815 pounds, and won the first prize as a two year old on the block. “Black Prince” was three years old, weighing 2,300 pounds, and won first prize in his class on foot. At the same time and place the cross-bred steer | “Roan Boy,” by a Hereford bull, and out of a Short- Horn cow, won some of the principal prizes, including the silver pitcher, given by the Breeders’ Gazette for the best fat steer of any age or breed. THE MONSTER STEER. , Probably the largest steer ever known or exhibited in America, was on exhibition in 1885, by J. R. McGregory, of Ripley, Ohio. He was a fair mountain of flesh, and could be compared to no other animal, except an elephant. He was dropped in Decatur county, Indiana, in 1879, being now six years old, and weighing 4,250 pounds. The author had the pleasure of examining this steer on the 22d of May, 1885, in Circleville, Ohio, where he was on exhibition. Mr. McGregory, at that time, was ex- hibiting him and a small Teeswater, or Currey cow, only thirty-four inches high, and weighing three hundred and fifty pounds, in the cities and towns of Ohio. The steer was a rich roan, and measured six feet and four inches in height, eleven feet and four inches around the girth, three feet and four inches between the hip joints, and eighteen feet “SSOONV GH TTIOd—NAAGUHAV S24 Hint iV | SAMA || ii Wy My Th i Yan the Seventeens. THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. 297 from tip to tip. He was consuming one bushel of corn, sixty pounds of hay, and from eighteen'to twenty gallons of water daily. He was saidto be about three-fourths Short-Horn, with a good sprinkling of the blood known as the Seventeens, which he showed very much in the head and neck, also from the shoulder to flank. He was very fine in the brisket and rump, wide, straight back, well sprung ribs, and had good, strong, clean, bony legs, that would carry all the flesh, that could be put on him: He was only in moderate flesh, and was very active. The little cow was giving some two gallons of milk a-day, and was very much admired. “She was a dark red, and com- pactly made, which 1s characteristic of the breed. As said before, this is supposed to. be the heaviest steer on record, although there has been several keavy steers spoken of within the last twenty-tive years weighing from 3,500 to 4,000 pounds, and all were composed of the Short-Horn: blood, and os a. Las 5 of HOW TO SELECT BREEDERS. _ In the selections of cattle as breeders, as much care and judgment must be used as in sélecting breeders of any other stock. The characteristics desired should be strong- ly marked with the animal, as would show beyond doubt that they should transmit those characteristics to their pro- geny, let that be beef or milk, Unless for some good reason, an animal of a certain color is wanted, I would say with them, as. with swine, do not “hanker” too much on the color; better discard the color than any other good point. Any of our pure breeds are true enough to their color, but quality is the first and most essential point. Frequently at public sales of Short-Horns, a first-class 298 THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. roan animal is offered, and the knowing ones will whis- per around that it has a cross of the Seventeens in it. That was an importation of Short-Horn cattle made in 1817, and known under that name. They were not thought to be strictly pure bred, and frequently will sell at a low price, as compared to a dark red one that may have been sold before it. But any farmer who wishes a good animal as a producer of stockers, had much better risk that one than a cherry red one, that may havea cross of Devon init. One of the most essential points in any breeding animal is constitution. This, with cattle, is observed by a good coat of soft, silky hair, mellow hide, well sprung ribs, being good around the heart, with a strong, clean cut, neck and head, and a brilliant eye. Animals possessed of these qualifications, of either sex, and a clean, bony leg, are most always vigorous and good handlers. Other good points are a broad, straight back, prominent hind-quarters, well let down to the hock ona straight leg, full, deep barrel of medium length, with a full frisket and medium shoulder. The shoulder and the head with a bull should be more prominent than with a cow, and also the horns—if they have any, but either one should have a slim, bony tail. THE CONTROLLING INFLUENCE. The common accepted theory is, that the male parent has the greatest influence upon the offsprings in outward form, etc., while the female exercises a controlling influence on the vital functions. This cannot always be relied upon in practice, but is a very safe rule to be governed by. Therefore, in the selections of breeders, it is best to keep in the mind’s eye the characteristics desired in the pro- geny, and select accordingly. If beef is the desired qual- THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. 299 ity, select those of a large, compact form, that show by good handling that they are capable of making a rapid growth and maturing quick. If milk is the desired quality, select females that are prominent in the milk producing points, such as a prominent udder and milk veins, heavy hind quarters, a full deep barrel, wedge-shaped shoul- _ ders, slim neck and clean cut head. In selecting a bull he should be purely bred, of whatever breed be desired, and strongly possess, as said before, the characteristics desired in the progeny, and if his ancestors were possessed of the same characteristics, he is all the more valuable. Very often a good breeding old bull can be purchased for considerable less than a young bull, and the risks to obtain the desired results are much less. These points serve to emphasize the truth that nothing is so trustworthy an as- surance that a given animal will be valuable as a breeder as the fact that it has produced good offspring in the past. In view of this, the high esteem in which young and un- tried animals are often held is not well founded. HANDLING STOCK. The term “handling stock” is a technical one, more par- ticularly applied to cattle than other domestic an- imals, but a practical knowledge of it, even in sheep and Swine, is considered important in this country, as well as in England, by all breeders, and is thus de- scribed: ‘In order for visitors to judge better of the quality of the animals submitted to their inspection, I think it is important that they should know what handling is; and although it is difficult to define in words, I will make the attempt, at.the same time suggesting to every one who has nota practical knowledge of it to get some person who has, to give him lessons direct from the an- 300 THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. imals he is inspecting before him. It is this: "When the fingers are moderatély pressed upon the fleshy parts of an animal, and the hair, hide, and especially the flesh be-— neath have a fine, soft, elastic spring, it is called good handling; on the ‘contrary, if they are coarse, thick, hard, and rigid to the feeling, with little or no spring under the pressure of the fingers, that is called bad handling. Of course there are as many degrees in handling, from very bad to very good, as there are grades of animals. The better an animal handles, the quicker it feeds—that is, the sooner it will mature and become fully grown for the purpose of breeding, or to fat for the butcher, and a good handler will do this at a much less consumption of food than a bad one.” 7 : BREEDING FROM SHOW HERDS DANGEROUS. Inexperienced breeders cannot be too often warned. against purchasing breeding stock at public sales and else- where that have been fed and pampered for the show-yard. In the height of the Short Horn speculation it did not make much difference; then barren show cows were carried from place to place, and appeared first in one breeder’s cata- logue and then another’s, until they finally drifted out of the current and were stranded high and dry in the hands of some unsophisticated outsider, where they were never again heard from. Experienced persons steer clear of these show-yard. animals, or at least will not buy them without a distinct and specific warranty that they are breeders; and it will be well for all who buy at public sales, made up mainly of old show herds, to follow their example. If these cattle fail to breed, they are worth simply what they will bring for beef, and no more; and the purchaser should have a distinct understanding to THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY: 301 that effect before he makes a bid upon an animal old enough to breed, that does not show for itself. Breeders _who offer stock that has been, in the main, bred and raised by themselves on their own farm, are not much troubled with barrenness in their cows, and when such cases occur they are usually sent to the shambles at once; but show- yard animals, and those that have again and again been fitted up for the auction block, are so frequently made barren by the high feeding and forcing to which they have been subjected, as to put every experienced man on his guard when such animals are offered. THE SCIENCE OF INBREEDING. Although inbreeding is strongly condemned as ruinous to the vigor of stock, yet it is an admitted fact that an- imals produced by inbreeding transmit their qualities more prominently than do those that are the result of _ careful selection from different strains. Inbreeding as practiced on some farms is not done under the guidance or direction of the farmer, but in a careless and irregular manner. Inbreeding is a science, and demands the most careful judgment, as it permits of no middle ground what- ever. Its tendency is either to improve or deteriorate the stock. Without inbreeding we wouid not be favored with many of our choicest and most popular breeds, as all _ of them have been established by .a_ persistent inbreeding in order to fix the characteristics desired. Lord Western, in his effort to make a superior breed of hogs, resorted to but a single out-cross upon the Essex, which prompted him to use the Neapolitan as an admirable animal with which to blend the proper proportions of lean and fat, and even this out-cross may not be considered as such, the Neapolitan being really one of the original breeds 302 THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. upon which the experiments were begun. It was only by a judicious selection of the strongest and most vigorous of : 5 i the herd that success was attained. Had the herd been ~ left to breed in-and-in without a guide to assist in the selection of the best, the Essex hog would have passed out of existence long ago. Later on, however, even care- ful selection could not prevent the breed from gradually becoming enfeebled and weak, when the Berkshire, itself — } a closely inbred hog, was used to infuse new blood, and the process of inbreeding was again persisted in until at — the present day we have a perfectly black hog without a white spot of any kind, which breeds true to color and stamps its features and merits on all its offspring. The Jersey cattle are all closely inbred. But few ped- igrees can be traced that do not run into one or two progen- ators of the whole, and our best butter strains are all descended from a single family. The rule of late years has been to select for breeding purposes only cows that have made records for butter production, they being close- ly inbred for that purpose. ‘The surprise is that such an- imals maintain their constitutional vigor, but, happily for the breeders, the test of butter production is also the test” of vigor, as the best cows are those that are vigorous and capable of digesting and assimilating sufficient material with which to accomplish the purposes desired; yet, with all the care that may be exercised in the matter of selec- tion, the animals that prove superior are few as compared with the number that are not so fortunate. ‘he results of inbreeding may be plainly noticed by even the most casual observer, in the delicate shape and structure of all Jersey cattle. : Nor can the horses be said to be exempt. Breeding THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. 303 close into the Messenger blood, through Hambletonian, has certainly increased the speed of our trotters, and admit- ting that the instinct of trotting has been more firmly im- pressed, and yet there is a much larger proportion of _ failures compared with the success attained, if we consider the fact that the number of the whole is a hundred times greater than that of a quarter of a century ago. The form of the trotter, as well as that of the thoroughbred, shows plainly the work of inbreeding, for while the spirit and will force have been increased, it has required an occasional infusion of new blood (not, however, alto- gether foreign) to retain the stamina so essential to the roadsters. One of the mistakes of inbreeding is the infusion of new blood through the male line. It should be through the female line only, as mistakes may be more easily correct- ed. ‘The sire may improve or damage a whole herd or flock, while the dam is limited to the production of a sin- gle animal, and should she prove undesirable may be easily supplanted by a substitute, which is not so easily done in the male line. The breeder, however, is the one who really prevents injury, for a knowledge of his work permits him to study the characteristics of each animal from its birth to maturity, which affords him ample op- “portunity to lay out his plans with a definite purpose in view. ‘lhus, in the hands of a skillful person, inbreeding is, at times, an advantage and a science, but if not*done judiciously, it is hurtful and baneful.” STOCK RAISING THE MOST PROFITABLE. There is no pursuit on the farm that affords greater pleasure or gives such sure profits as raising stock or op- erating a dairy. Not only is the produce of the farm 304 THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. more easily marketed when fed to the stock, but the fact of converting it into meat, milk or butter enhances its value and increases the profits in proportion to the labor expended. ‘There is another feature in stock raising, and one of the most important, which is that the farm becomes richer every year. ‘Therefore, when computing the ac- tual profits obtained, we should calculate and enter into the account the value of the improvement made upon the farm. The greater the number of animals that can be com-. fortably kept upon the farm the better. ‘The more stock, the greater the fertility of the soil, and, hence, the larger the crops each succeeding year, which in turn permits of — a still larger number of animals. And in raising stock the matter of improvement is a prime factor in the enter- prise. Good feeding is important, but good feed gives the best results when good stock only receives it. The breed and the trough are twin essentials, and cannot be separated without loss. Fill the trough full, but let it be emptied by animals that are capable of converting the contents into the largest quantity ‘of available product. There should be no waste of food nor loss of time. Use the most perfect animal to be found, if not too costly, for crossing on common stock, and thus grade up. Pure breeds, of course, are best, but if the foundation must be laid on common stock, make it a point never to use a mongrel sire. Aim to improve the stock, and the stock will improve the farm. The task is an easy one, but re- quires some little attention to succeed. For profitableness we look to the animal as a machine We know that in almost every line of industry machines are constantly being replaced by others that can turn out | THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. 305 from the raw material a larger percentage of manufac- tured product. In just the same way, if it is desired to _ produce meat, the old native animal should be replaced _ by Short-Horns, Herefords, or some of the other beef _ producing breeds, or their grades as greatly superior and - moré economical meat-making machines. If forthe dairy, ) by the introduction of the Holsteins, Gurnseys, Ays- _ shires or Jerseys, good results will be obtained. _ It is fool- _ ishness—it is financial stupidity—to keep and feed a scraw- _ ny, scrub steer or cow in these days of Short-Horns, Here- 3 fords, Gurnseys, Jerseys, Ayrshires, etc. Good grades _ can be had anyway, and at prices not alvove the reach of ordinary farmers. Farmers can. at least secure a few - good native cows, and from a good bull get good grade — stock. ___ The two rules given are not based on theory alone. _ Their soundness has been demonstrated in practice, but _ they are not so widely adopted as they should be. There : is an astounding number of scrub animals in existence to- _ day, racing along the road in summer, and shivering under ' Straw stacks in the winter, which, the sooner they are abolished and replaced with good stock, the better it _ will be for the owner. GROWING OR FEEDING CATTLE. The growing of cattle, like the growing of any other ‘stock, to be profitable, should be well conducted from birth during all seasons of the year, and the one success- ful principle of stock feeding kept in view; that is, to feed liberally from birth until the animal is disposed of. The 5 proverb “well summered is half wintered,” however true, is no more so than it is reversed—well wintered is -half ' summered. Properly summed up, both propositions but ¢ =—t — @¢ < ‘ 306 THE AMERICAN-CATTLE INDUSTRY. amount to this: there 1s no time when the stock owner can permit his stock to deteriorate the thrift without in- viting loss, and quite often, disaster. The beginner who expects to find any time during the year when his vigil- ance as an overseer, and liberality as a provider, can be relaxed without detriment to his stock, will have such delusion thumped out of him by the costly cudgel of ex- perience, if he fails to heed in time the warnings of those who have come up through tribulations they would have him avoid, that he will wish-that he had looked more closely after them during both summer and winter. It is poor economy to allow animals to run down during the fall, expecting to winter them well, or during the winter months, expecting that in the spring, when grass comes, they will recover and grow the same as if they had not been stinted. Cattle may live and get through the winter on corn- fodder and straw, but generally it will take much of the spring and summer to recover what is lost. Instead of being ready for market at two years, they must be kept longer, in order to make a slow growth. We cannot reasonably expect stock to thrive in the best manner without grain during the winter. The amount, of course, depends upon the quality of the other feed. The best guide is their condition. They must not under any circumstances be allowed to run down. It costs too much to regain what is lost. I am aware that the old custom was to keep cattle until they were three or four, and even five years old. Hogs were not expected to have attained sufficient growth to fatten until they were from eighteen months totwo years old. Of course improved stock has considerable to do with early maturity, but not ee — a THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. 307 all. Good stock, in order to grow, must be well fed. It is as easy a matter to stunt a full-blooded animal as a scrub, and good feed from the start will aid wonder- fully in bringing out a scrub. Experience has taught us that in order to receive the most profit, we must push stock right along. Give them a start to grow, and then keep it up by good feeding and good care. During the winter, as often as possible, give them a change, as they soon tire of one kind of feed, and a change is beneficial. -Generally corn is the main reli- ance, and as a whole it is one of the best, if not the best stock feed we have. Yet with all this in its favor, a change to something else is better. Good shelter will save feed, and if one must economize in feeding, do it by providing warm shelter. Not only will stock be in a better condition, but less feed will be required to keep them growing. ‘The principal secret in profitable stock raising and feeding is to keep the animals _ growing, and yet to do it with the least possible expense. Cleanliness should not be overlooked. To thrive well stock must have clean quarters, and when confined during the winter this requires work; but it will pay. See that they have plenty of litter, and that their quarters are kept __as clean as possible. Where one has no barn room, very _ good shelter can be made by erecting rough sheds or wind breaks. Often this can be done with very little expense, and no difference how rough the structure is, so it breaks the wind off. The building >f two high fences close to- gether and filled in with straw or prairie hay, rough ‘sheds erected and covered with the same material, or a hedge fence banked up with the same, will answer much better than nothing at all These structures should sur- _ 308 THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. round a high, dry piece of ground, and then the corn fod- — der fed on as small a scope of ground as possible, so as to _ form litter enough for dry bedding. Providing shel- . ter for stock, simply as a question of economy in the ~ consumption of food, cannot be considered in any sense © an undue pampering calculated to render animals less — hardy, or to detract, in the least, from their constitutional vigor. On the contrary, we believe suitable shelter, to — which stock can resort in case of storms, will tend to pro- mote these very qualities. .An animal can, perhaps, en- dure the full force of a regular blizzard, but it is only at the expense of a certain amount of vital force, which © must leave it in a worse condition than an animal which _ has not been called upon to endure this strain. There is | much of the time when it makes but little difference | whether an animal has shelter or not. In clear, cold, dry | weather, healthy live stock appear to be ina large degree insensible to ordinary extremes of temperature; but the | snows occompanied or followed by winds which sift it into the hair, where it slowly melts from the effect of an- | imal heat, tell very severely upon the condition of the | stock. We have often observed that the storms coming late in the season or toward spring, when snows are | damp and often mingled with rain, are more deleterious | than those of midwinter. When the hair is damp or wet | there is a constant evaporation of moisture- which robs | the animal of the natural heat and puts its powers of en- | durance to the severest test; and animals that have been | subjected to all sorts of extremes and exposure during the | whole winter, approach the close of the season, the most critical period of all, with depleted strength and vigor, and | in the worst possible condition to withstand the severer | “% THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. 399 é trials which are then before them. As has been before _ suggested, it is not necessary that permanent or expensive _ structures be provided, but if nothing else can be afforded, poles and straw make a shelter very good while it lasts. When possible, all fodders should be fed in racks and _ thus avoid wast. Some use a long manger, others a rack of some style. The way to form a very good _ rack is to set four fence post in a square twelve feet apart, board up all around three feet high, as for a fence, then _ place a center post and run boards diagonal from one cor- . mer to another each way, thus forming four three-cor- _nered racks, in which to put the feed. This can be made _ and set down, and then moved when so desired. Again, cattle should be salted regular twice a_ week, or P ‘rock salt placed in a trough where they can have free ac- cess to it, which is much better, as then they will only _ take a small amount at a time, and more frequently. | WATER FOR STOCK DURING WINTER. See also that the animals have a good supply of water, and not half ice. It is often the case that a large propor- _tion of Western farmers make very poor provision for sup- § plying their stock with water during the winter. Springs " that afford a supply of water that is moderately warm are scarce, and few of these that exist are utilized to the ex- tent they should be. Generally the water for the supply » of farm stock is procured from a well in or, near the farm _ yard, and is raised by means ofa hand pump. The water is often nearly at the point of freezing when it is drawn, and 1s ordinarily conveyed into a trough that is lined with ice. _ Animals that drink the water suffer severely from cold. q 4 lt i is often the case that there is but one trough in the yard ' for the accommodation of a large number of horses, cat- % ° 310 THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. tle and sheep of different ages. It is generally surround- ed by ice on which the animals are likely to slip or re- ceive injuries. The younger animals suffer most because they are hooked or pushed by those that are older and stronger. During very severe weather many farmers allow stock to have access to water only once a day, and as a consequence they drink so much that they suffer from cold produced by taking so large an amount of water into the system at once. | If practicable, stock should be supplied during the win- ter with water furnished from a spring, as it is generally : several degrees warmer than that drawn from a well. The well should be covered, as should be the trough into which the water is conveyed. The practice of bringing water into barns and stables has given excellent satisfac- tion wherever it has been introduced. When it is not practicable to convey .water into the buildings where stock is kept, a trough for holding it should be under sheds, and surrounded by a special platform that can be kept free from ice and snow. Young stock should be allowed an opportunity to drink while the animals that are liable to molest them are out of their way. In severely cold weather it is better to carry water in buckets to colts and calves than to allow them to suffer the exposure neces- sary to obtain it in an open yard. Unless during storms of long continuance, animals should have an opportunity to obtain water at least twice a day. If their only food is dry hay, straw, and corn fodder, they require considerable water in order to digest their food properly. THE CARE OF THE BULL. A bull should be confined in a well-fenced grass lot, away from the cows or other stock, and when wanted for THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. | ore service, the cows should be turned into the lot to him, as. they are more easily got in and out of the lot, than he is to get back in the lot, when once out; and if not al- lowed out at all, he is not as liable to become breachy. Again, if he is allowed to run with the cows he is liable to become cross and troublesome to other stock, and will also exhaust himself by unnecessary service. In this lot should be a stable for his use at all times of the year, and his feed should consist of a mixture of corn, oats, mill- feed, cut feed, hay and corn fodder, in the winter, and in the summer, if not used too heavy, plenty of good grass is sufficient, but where being used for a large number of cows, they should have some grain, and some method to provide him with plenty of fresh water at all times, - should be arranged. a. CARE OF COWS AND CALVES. Cows, to be profitable, should not be neglected, ana allowed to become poor at any time of the year; for no neglected, delapidated or run-down cow, can ever be _ profitable to her owner. No matter what they are kept : for, beef, butter, milk or the raising of calves, the profits will depend upon their thrift, and when well fed and 4 ared for, they pay cash down, and ask no trust. In the summer they should have an abundance of grass, and ty here their range is small, and the grass not sufficient to “support them, fresh grass or provender of some kind ‘should be mowed every day, and given them, or in absence of this, grain. In the winter, plenty of good | food and shelter is necessary if any profits are to be de- _Tived from them, and the warmer and more comfortable’ - they are kept, the less food they will require, and the better will be the profits obtained from them. ~ er a oe 372 THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. The philosophy of keeping animals warm and quiet is simply this: Part of the food animals consume is used just to keep the machine running. It is only the surplus © above this that can be used for production of meat or milk. Now the percentage of food used in running the animal machine depends upon circumstances. ‘Phe ani-— mal that is just warm enough and quiet enough to be comfortable and healthy uses much less food in main-— taining the animal body than one that is exercised vio-— lently and is kept cold. It takes food to maintain muscu- | lar activity, and food must also be used as fuel to keep — the animal warm. ‘The colder the room, the more the fire is needed. It is possible, as now can be seen, for the warm, quiet animal to obtain a surplus for production from.a ration that would just maintain the animal kept in the cold and in a less quiet condition. Does it pay to leave a window open in the room where we sit, and then. burn twice as much coal as is necessary in order to keep -warm? Does it pay to burn an unnecessary amount of | hay and grain in order to keep animals warm? It seems to me that it ‘is much better to provide shelter | for them, and save the feed. The man who does not study and seek to understand the requirements of his | farm stock and their care, should never be a farmer. A farmer must have the well-being of his animals con- | stantly in mind; and not only that, but their comfort | ought to be of as much importance to him as his own. Not only ought this to be looked at from a dollars and | cents standpoint, but from ahumane one also. A man | who has not enough humanity to make his stock com- | fortable, without any other consideration, is not a typical farmer. . THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. 313 Cows not well cared for cannot be expected to give much milk either for the dairy or their calves, or do well upon dropping their calves. A great many cows annu- ally die thus, by neglect. IMPROPER MILKING. Again, many farmers milk their cows too near the time of calving, and a great many good milkers are injured by this hurtful practice. The physical welfare of both cow and calf, together with the quantity and quality of the milk, are materially affected by thus overtaxing her, and she should be allowed to reach the time of calving in the best condition possible. A cow should go dry at least six weeks, in order to gain flesh and strength before calving, and when not on grass, shoula be fed with a good milk producing food, as mill feed, oats, clover hay, malt and roots. ‘Thus properly fed and cared for, the cow will .be strong and able to nourish the calf and provide plenty of milk for it after birth. Cows that are heavy milkers should be looked after for some time after calving, and see if the calf takes all the milk; if not, she should be milked clean twice a day, until the calf is able to take all the milk, or it is taken from her. Some cows, when on good pasture, or well fed, require milking before calving, as well as afterwards, and should be closely looked after and cared for; for if neglected, they frequent- ly are troubled with garget, or milk fever, which is very injurious to them, if not the cause of their death. The cows on the farm that are not pleasant and profitable to milk should be turned out with their calves, as soon as the calfis able to take all the milk and let run. This will pay better than to worry with such animals. When it is desired to make a cow own two calves and raise them, 314 THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. sprinkle the calves with salt. The cow will lick this off, and a repetition a time or two will mien secure a per- manent recognition of the calf. WHEN CALVES ARE REMOVED. When the cows are expected to be milked, the calves should be taken from them when three days old, or even younger, as at this age they are easier taught to drink, and then the cows do not fret after them so much. They should be put in a grass lot, or warm stable, according to the season, away from the cows, and fed for a few days, new milk, or new and sweet skimmed milk mixed, until a week or two old, when the skimmed milk will be suf- ficient. As they become older, mill feed and oil meal can be added to their feed with good results. One gallon of sweet skimmed, or even sour milk, made hot, and a quart of mill. feed with a gill of ol cake stirred into it, then cooled to blood heat, and given a calf, will produce about as good results as fresh milk. Feed can be prepared in this way for anumber of calves and put in a trough, and it will not require a very great amount of teaching to have them drink in that way. As they become older this feed can be increased, or else fed some dry mill feed and oats, crushed corn, fodder, pumpkins, ctc., as the season may afford. Where pasture is plentiful, and calves are fed in this way, it is more profitable to keep the calves than to sell them to the butchers. Many a farmer has found him- self a hundred dollars richer, without missing the cust, by keeping calves instead of sending them away, and as a gen- eral thing, if properly conducted, it is more profitable to feed the milk to the calves or pigs than to make fifteen cent butter.).\"In weaning the calves, when fed in this way, or when they have been running with the cows, i / 4 ) Pi * %., fe + 5 é : % ~~ 79 ‘v a = ew pi ER ES 5 THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. 315 they should be fed some other good feed in the place of the milk, and kept growing right along, and not allowed to become poor and stunted; and as they increase in size and age, increase the strength and bulk of the feed, never forgetting that the road to success in stock raising is through early maturity. When calves are not intended for any other use than beef, they should be castrated at an early age—from one to four months. | THE FIRST YEAR OF A CALF. There is not a farmer in the country who raises his own calves but who knows that the future value of them de- pends upon the first year’s growth asa calf. Ifthe calfis half starved, stunted and ill-used, there is not one chance in ten that when it reaches the proper age it will make a good animal, either beef, bull, or milch cow. The calf must have the very best of food and enough of it if the object is to make the matured animal a first-rate one, and indeed it is necessary, too, that with yearlings and two- year.olds, attention should be given in such a manner as to insure the animal plenty of food. A calf that is intended for a bull, in order to make a first-class animal, should run with the cow till he is six months old at least. If weaned earlier, feed on new milk | | just from the cow three times a day till he is six months old, then twice a day till eight months old, then once a day for a month or so longer. At an early day, say a month old, if not on grass, give him a little fine hay to pull at, and later let him have some oatmeal, a little oil-cake, vegetables, etc., increasing the rations gradually as he grows older. Weaning from milk should be gradual and in pasture time. Teach him to lead at as early an age as possible, and ring his nose at eight months, and handle - 316 THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. him from that time on daily. After he is weaned feed as you would other cattle, to keep them in the best condition. — Often a young bull treated in this way will show his supe- — riority before maturity, and sell for a better price. In — leading him, do not handle him too much by the ring. Put on a head halter, run the stub through the ring, then the pull will come more direct upon the head than the nose, | | and still have perfect control of him. Use him kindly; © any abuse in any way only irritates him, and makes him ~ afraid and cross, while kindness insures success. ‘After — he has become older and more self willed, use a bull staff, with which to handle him. When twelve or fourteen months old, he can be allowed to serve a few cows, but he should not go to more than two a week, and should be well cared for as spoken of in the care of the bull. In growing heifer calves for the dairy, the important — thing to accomplish is to grow the frame and muscular — system, without laying on much fat. It is a rangy, well developed animal, with a vigorous digestion, that is wanted — in the milch cow. The profitable milch cow must be a large eater, and make the best use of her food, in order to produce a large yield of milk. In rearing the heifer, then, she should be so fed as to give her a full develop- ment of all the vital organs, and this will necessarily bring her digestive organs into special activity. Fat in the animal body seems only designated to serve as a cushion to the tendons and joints, to fill up and round out depressions, and, lastly, as a reserve of fuel to keep up animal heat in case of necessity. It is not the seat of any sensation, has little or nothing to do with the vital processes, and generally is merely inert ballast in the body. The food given, then, should not be designed to 5 oa B ‘sy “ * by t = > THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. 317 lay on fat—tfood containing an excessive amount of starch or oil should be avoided in feeding heifer calves designed for the dairy—but food rich in albuminoids and the min- eral constituents of the body, is what should be sought. ‘Therefore, if the heifer calves are taken from the cows at an early age and properly raised by hand, the results are as good as if allowed to run with the cows, and further- more, they become accustomed to being handled, and are rather fond of the presence of the keeper, an important feature with a milch cow. Kindness helps to create a quiet disposition, and this education must begin when the calf is young—any habits acquired when young, are apt to cling to the cow when grown. _ HOW EARLY SHOULD HEIFERS HAVE CALVES? There is a great difference in the practice of farmers in respect to how early heifers should have calves. For beef purposes, three years old is probably soon enough; but for a milker, I would have the heifer come in at two and one-half years old, or sooner. She is then old enough to become a cow. I would not, as a rule, allow her to go to farrow too long, but milk her up to within eight weeks of calving. A cow thus trained will give more milk and be more likely to hold out longer in milk, if her after care is judicious and liberal, as it should be.. Such treatment - tends to form the habit of giving milk, and,as we know, habit is a sort of second nature. ‘Tocouple the heifer with a bull one or two years older than she is, is preferable to a yearling, and better stock is likely to come from such. After the heifer has come in, her feed should be regular and liberal. In absence of good grass or hay, we must make up for what is lacking in some concentrated feed, such as oat-meal, shorts, oil meal or the like, but great 318 THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. care and judgment must be used not to over-feed or crowd, as the future cow may be ruined. Undue forcing i shortens the useful life of a cow very rapidly. | It is often the case when a heifer has her first calf that the farmer thinks she will not give more milk than will keep her calfin good condition, and lets them run together, to teach her the mysteries of being milked when she has her next calf. In this decision there are two mistakes that go far to spoil the cow for usefulness. Cows are largely creatures of habit, and with their first calf every- thing is new and strange to them, and they readily submit to being milked, and think it is all right; but suffer them to run with the calf the first season, and a vicious habit is established that they will hardly forget in a lifetime. If they ever submit to be milked quietly, it is evidently un- der protest. But there is a greater objection than this— — the calf running with the cow draws the milk every hour © or two, so that the milk vessels are not distended with milk, though the quantity secreted in a given time may be large. But-this is, the natural time to distend the milk ducts and expand the udder to a good capacity for hold- ing milk. When, with her next calf, you require the milk to be retained twelve hours, the udder becomes hard and painful, and the milk leaks from the teats, or more — likely nature accommodates the quantity of milk secreted | to the capacity to retain it, and the cow becomes per- manently a small milker, and very frequently learns the habit of holding up her milk. Much of the future char- acter of a cow, therefore, depends upon her treatment — with her first calf. Everything that disturbs the quiet- ness of a cow, impairs the milk, both in quantity and | quality. To obtain the best results, therefore, there — THE AMERICAN -CATTLE INDUSTRY. 319 should be a regular time and place of milking, and as far as possible the milking should be done by the same per- son. Any cow can be milked dry in a few weeks by ir- ‘regular milking, at intervals of twenty-four hours, and sometimes six. Separation from her usual company, a- change to a new location, a strange milker, and, above all,a blustering manner and a scolding voice, are sources of irritation that, more or less, impair the milking qualities of a cow. No cow under the influence of fear _ will give her full quantity of milk. - : UNRULY MILKERS. _ The habits that a great many cows form of holding up ‘their milk, kicking or jumping, and running when being - milked, are very annoying, and the “theories” of how to _ break them of these habits are “as plentiful as wood- ~ chucks in cherry time.” — ’ My experience in handling from thirty to fifty cows - daily, in the dairy, for several years, proved to me that _ the suggestions given in papers by different ones as to 7 the means for subduing these cows were only “theories. ” To lay a wet cloth or sand bag across their loins, or _ buckle a strap around them in order to make them give _ down their milk, or putting a chain to their leg, or some _ patent contrivance to keep them from kicking, are aJl in the _ tmind’s eye, as far as a cure is concerned. By such treat- ment they may be subdued for a short time, but it is only “a matter of time until the old habit is renewed. My ex- "perience with such cows was this: Unless very valuable as milkers, or for the blood that was in them for breed- ers, I would fatten and sell them to the butcher. When _ they were valuable as milkers, I would shut them up in | | | close quarters where they would be compelled to stand- i i ta | ‘i. 320 THE AMERICAN CATTLE INDUSTRY. This takes less time than to run after them. Then if. they kick or hold up their milk, change milkers. It is possible, very often, that a cow will object to one milker, but will immediately submit to another. Never abuse or speak harsh to them. Kindness will go a great way towards conquering them. When thus treated, and they will insist upon kicking, take a small rope, fasten one end in a snap; back of that eight inches, fasten a ring, by passing the rope through the ring and tying a knot in it; put the rope around the cow’s right hind pastern, and fasten the snap in the ring. Now tie the rope to a ring or post back of her, pulling the foot back far enough just so the toe can rest on the ground. Thus fastened, ~ she is compelled to stand quiet, and this will do more toward conquering her than abuse. When they will in- sist on holding up their milk, and cannot be subdued, I would keep them to raise calves, or fatten them. As a farmer said, “ A cow is.a curious animal. Like some other females, she has a nerve and a mind of her own, and when she gets nervous or makes up her mind, she will have her own way all the time and every time. In her tricks of kicking or holding up her milk, for in- stance; a cow can never be beat out of it, if she has once learned it. And just look at lier quietly and sidewise while you are vainly trying to get a drop of milk out of | her udderful, and notice her very peculiar expression. | She is looking at you out of the side of her eye, as © much as to say, ‘I guess you won’t.’” CHAPTER. XVI. MoperN Metuops oF DAIRYING. _ DAIRYING WITH PROFIT.—THE BEST DAIRY GATTLE.— HOW TO JUDGE A COW—NECESSITY OF STABLING COWS. —LESS VENTILATION AND MORE BEDDING.—HOW TO FEED AND MILK.—THE MOST APPROVED METHODS OF MAKING BUTTER. DAIRYING WIHT PROFIT. The dairyman of course wants to make his profits as large as possible. ‘This requires earnest effort and close attention to the details of the business. The making of good butter and cheese, and the selling of good milk, are the first requisites in this undertaking. There are many instances throughout the country of farmers making a grade of butter which sells at fifty cents per pound and upwards the year round, and in active demand even at that, while their. neighbors, with equal advantages, make -agrade of butter which is hard to dispose of at fifteen cents per pound. Here is where the dairy business is in- -jured, to a great extent, by the manufacture of so much mean, trashy butter, that it seriously affects the market and demand for the better grades. Another thing that must be looked into in making the dairy profitable, is to get a herd of cows suited to what is wanted of them; that is, a herd that will give a large quantity of milk, or a large yield of butter or cheese. The cow that is good for either one of these is scarcely ever as good for either 322 MODERN METHODS OF DAIRYING. of the others, unless it is for giving a large quantity of | milk which will make a large yield of cheese; and con-— sequently it 1s important that if a large yield of milk is what is wanted that butter cows are not kept, etc. The feed supplied should be adapted to milk secretion and to the secretion of the butter oils. If these poimts are at-_ tended to carefully, it would be of some advantage to — dairy interests. 3 THE BEST DAIRY CATTLE. % ) It would be very hard to say what breed of cattle is the - - most valuable for the farmer engaged in the dairy busi- ness. This would have to depend somewhat upon the situation, and the purpose for which they are used. The ideal general purpose cow, that is pictured out by some of the correspondents of several agricultural papers, will probably never be found; and certainly not among any one breed of cattle; but the farmer’s cow should be well-bred, | ) of large size, a asee breeder, and give a generous quan-— tity of rich milk. | Ww N\ f ee NT BaN Vihe iy HH WV i u)) f id iA THE HOLSTEIN. The Holstein breed of cattle, now so popular as dairy cattle, are of Dutch or Holland origin, and are one of the oldest established breeds known, though their intro- ne eel Ee ee—e er, _,s st S—S ta J MODERN METHODS OF DAIRYING. 323 auction into this country has been somewhat recent. They. have, as is claimed, four merits: first, as great milk pro- ducers; second, as good cheese-makers, third, good for butter; and last, for beef. While not as great in general for butter as the Jerseys, their general excellence in these respects places them in the front, as a general purpose breed without any rival, except perhaps the Short-Horns. In yield of milk they seem to be confessedly at the liead. _ One cow is quoted with a record of one hundred and _ twelve pounds in one day; another with 18,004 pounds in one year, or nearly fifty pounds per day, which is said _ to be the greatest yield on record, and the Holstein cow _ Mercedes, 1s credited with the largest yield of butter in _ thirty days, making ninety-nine pounds, six and one-half _ Ounces in that time. While we may not judge any breed of cattle by the merits of a few specimens, yet the Hol- _ steins are undoubtedly great milkers. The Ayrshire cow, owing to her docility, being very easily managed, is valuable; for dairy purposes, she is equal to any other cow of her size, but she is inferior to the larger breeds for feeding purposes. The Jerseys and Gurnseys, and especially the former, _ for quantity and quality of butter, have no superiors. They stand upon the same platform as the thoroughbred horse. . ‘They are each bred for one special purpose: the thor- _oughbred horse to run, and the Jersey cow for butter. No improvement can be made with either one, for’their purpose, by the infusion of other blood. But as said be- fore, in keeping cows for the dairy, or to give milk and make butter, keep only the kind that will give the great- est quantity of your speciality—butter cows, if it is butter; and if it is milk, then keep cows of one of the milk breeds. \ 324 MODERN METHODS OF DAIRYING. But no matter what breed you have, something further is — necessary in order to reach the best success. Ay UN \\N \\\\ha ly, \\\ AY a Wie AW \ \\\\" AY » AR\ \ NN AN it THE JERSEY. A good cow can generally be produced by good feed and care. A $5,000 Jersey cow will do poorly for butter on the care and feed that many farmers give their an- _ imals. HOW TO JUDGE A Cow. In selecting cows for the dairy, by close observation very often their character can be told by their coun- tenance, and their quality by their appearance. _ “Man is not the only animal which shows his character by his countenance. Nearly all kinds of live stock, and especially cattle and horses, have something significant in their facial expressions. Gentleness and docility on the one hand, and wildness and ferocity on the other, crop out al- most unerringly in the cast of the eye, or the pose of the head. An expert horseman can nearly always interpret the disposition of a horse from a square look into his eyes. Experienced dairymen also discriminate largely in the choice of milking stock by their knowledge of live stock oe iat ee. ee ee 5 (ew tie ’ ( bh | | ee MODERN METHODS OF DAIRYING. 325 phisiognomy. The same thing is carried into the fat stock markets. Butchers will nearly always scrutinize the countenance of a bullock before purchasing, and we have often seen them turn away from a handsome beef because. it had a “wicked eye,” which unerringly pre- saged trouble in getting it from the yards, through the streets, to the shambles. Stock drivers will, when want- ed to take charge of an animal, ask to see it, and after a momentary front view will consent or refuse with a promptness which shows confidence in their ability to judge in this way. A bullock will sometimes be avoided by several drivers in turn, and without connivance, too, because he has a villainous “phiz.” One who accustoms himself to reading the faces of cattle can soon become so expert that he can with difficulty be entrapped into an error of judgment.” | Having had considerable experience in handling stock, I have found the following description, as given by Mr. C. Bordwell, of how to judge a good cow, of value. As the character has a great deal to do with the cow, and we must judge that by her countenance, we will commence at the head, and first notice the eyes. Thse should be large and of a bright color, showing a mild disposition. “The muzzle should be rather large, but the head small and rather bony, with the face dished and wide between the eyes; horns rather small and amber color; ears small, thin and yellow; neck thin and long, with clean throat; neck will drop a little in front of shoulders, making what I call a ewe neck; shoulders sloping, not heavy, but lean or bony; back level, with good width of hips. ~The back-bone should be rough or loose- jointed. Iconsider this one of the best points. As you 326 MODERN METHODS OF DAIRYING. move your hand along the back the joints seem to be — farther apart and open. Barrel broad and deep at the — flank, with the back ribs wide apart. Rump long and ~ rather wide; thighs long, thin and wide apart, with legs short and bone fine; hoofs rather long but small; milk : | veins large, and where they enter the body you can stick _ your fingers in. Udder well forward and well up behind, with four good large teats set square and wide apart. Udder soft and pliable, and not fleshy, so that when the milk is drawn the udder is nearly gone. ‘Tail long and ~ slim, with a good switch. Skin should be soft and yellow, and covered with a good coat of soft, silky hair. The cow filling the alove FESCUE or nearly so, I have always found a good one.’ In buying a cow, find out for yourself if she is what you want. Don’t take anybody’s word for it. A mean cow ~ is such an intolerable nuisance that many men, and some- ~ times other members of the family, are strongly tempted — | to strain a point in order to get rid of her. | If possible, when she is in milking condition, milk her yourself, or see her milked, and judge her by the milk. To find out whether any individual cow is a profitable member of the dairy herd or not, a separate account should be kept of her milk and butter. If no such pains are taken it is not easy to tell just what the worth of a doubtful milker is. ‘The true policy is to throw out every one which does not yield a profit, and replace her with a better one. It costs just as much to feed a mean cow as a good one. “Better pay more for a good cow than ac- cept a poor one for a gift,” is a true saying with dairy- men. A good cow is one that will make from ten to twelve pounds of butter a week for ten months in the MODERN METHODS OF DAIRYING. 327 _ year, or one that will give from ten to 12,000 Ibs. of milk in the same length of time. A poor cow, such as is kept by the average farmer in nameless sections of the | country, to my knowledge, will make from two to four - pounds—average three—eight months in the year, and probably give in that time four thousand pounds of milk. New milk weighs eight pounds and eight ounces per gallon. The poor cow will require the same amount of food if kept up, as the good one, and therefore must be kept at - a loss. No man can afford to keep a poor cow for making but- | ter or giving milk. The best thing that can be done _ where one is saddled with cows that make only four _ or five pounds of butter a week each, or give but twelve or _ fourteen gallons of milk each in that time, is to raise stock and feed for the shambles. MILCH COWS SHOULD BE STABLED. Mr. J. A. Smith, a Western dairyman, writing of the _ importance of feed and proper treatment of dairy cows, _ gives some excellent suggestions on this topic. He says _ that “dairymen are often surprised at the light weight of _ their milk next morning after a cold rain-storm, through _ which their cows have suffered unstabled, and it is only a _ natural result of such treatment. The cow does not eat as much, for one thing; and another is, part of what she does eat goes to repair the waste of her system in with- * Standing the effects of the storm, and that keeps a per _ cent. out of the milk-pail, until she has recovered from _ the effects of such exposure. It is also true that a cow _ affected by short feed or painful exposure not only loses in the quantity of her yield of milk, but in the amount of fatty matter it contains. In a word, nature has so or- 328 MODERN METHODS OF DAIRYING.. ganized the cow that she revenges herself on her owner’s pocket, for cruel neglect and short feed; and a farmer might just as well try to dodge taxes and death, as to es- cape the unwise treatment of a cow. In point of fact, when thus treated, she takes the cream first, and gives the owner what skim milk she cannot assimilate. The only way to get a profit out of her is to fill her so full that she runs over, and take the surplus for your gold mine. ” These suggestions show the necessity of stabling the cows, so they can be better fed and milked. Milking in the barnyard is an old custom that should be abandoned. It is inconvenient and unclean. It should yo with the wooden pail and hairy butter, and never be heard of any more; gone and forgotten, too. It is a wonder that any farmer would permit it, and still more a wonder that farmers’ wives and daughters would consent to it. It is just as easy, and far more convenient, for the milk- ers to put the cows in the stable all times of the year, at milking time, as it is to leave them outin a lot; for in this way they are rid of the cold and mud, or heat and flies, and can remain quiet while being milked, instead of be- ing chased around through the mud and snow. It is no wonder that farmers’ daughters want to marry some city chap, who does not keep cows. If I were one—well, never mind; just try to build a cow-stable, so that the cows can be put up at all times to be milked, or at least when it is necessary, during a hot or cold time, and then see if the girls, as well as the cows, will not be in a better humor. There is a prejudice among many farmers against keeping cows tied up in the barn the greater part of even ‘ hy t ; MODERN METHODS OF DAIRYING. 329 the wettest and coldest days. It is claimed that the an- imals will not be healthy unless they are allowed the free- dom of the yard all day. I have seen herds of animals belonging to well-to-do farmers standing backed up to cold winter blasts, or vainly trying to obtain shelter from a storm. i have also seen cows, under the irritation of the cold, chasing one another around the yard during the greater part of the day, and cows yiving milk, too. Now this is not a rare occurence. There are a great many days in the winter when stock should not be out of doors longer than to give opportunity to drink. Muilk- men know that the flow of milk rises and falls in quan- tity as the temperature rises and falls during the winter season, unless the cows are so well sheltered and cared for that they do not feel the severity of the cold. The object in having a cow stable is not only to make it more convenient to milk, but to protect the cattle from cold and wet weather, as well as to aid the keeper to feed in the way that will be of the most benefit to the stock with the least expense of food. It is the care in feeding and keep- ing that gives the profit, and these points must all be kept in view when arranging a stable. No one can builda permanent cow stable without expense, but such a _ build- ing will soon pay for the cost it will incur. If built, tne _ merits will soon become evident. The owner will soon say that he cannot get along without it, and his only regrets will be that it was not built sooner. In building stables for cows, as well as for horses, there are so many different plans, that I will not attempt to give any; all that is required is to have them convenient, dry and clean. “There is possibly no more repulsive sight than a cow- stable, in which dirty cattle are housed. It has been 330 MODERN METHODS OF DAIRYING. demonstrated that cows neglected in this respect fail to yield a perfect flow of milk, and it is reasonable to sup- pose that such:is the case. The richest of food may be given to them, but if condition in the stalls is neglected they will not thrive. The foul odor of a filthy stable must necessarily permeate not only the animal’s hide, but it has been proven that the meat of stall-fed steers, fat- tened under these circumstances, is unwholesome; more- over, the milk, even during the period of milking, is liable to absorb the filthy emanations from such stables, and to become absolutely poisonous. It would seem, therefore, reasonable, that owners and dealers in cattle and milk should appreciate the importance of cleanliness and it’s — relation to health, even as a source of profit.” EXTRA VENTILATION RARELY NECESSARY. It is a rare thing to have a stable so tight that any ex- tra ventilation is necessary. Where this is the case, ventilators should be so placed that there will be no cold drafts upon the animals. In order to insure this, they should be placed as far away as possible from the stock. In no case should they be:placed on the windward side of a stable, but should connect, if possible, with another building to prevent draught, and one in which the air is somewhat tempered. The ingress and egress of air should be at opposite ends to insure circulation, and at the same time prevent a draught, which would be more likely when placed near each other. ‘The ventilators should be few and small, and should be latticed, overlap- © ping each other, which would prevent strong currents. There is but little danger if stables are daily well cleaned out, of the air ever becoming foul enough or close enough to injure stock. The necessity of ventilation is usually MODERN METHODS OF DAIRYING. 331 more of whim than a necessity. When a stable is cold enough to freeze, ventilators are never required. To my mind, cattle sleeping on ice or frozen chunks of manure, is a barbarism that a humane or economical farmer would not tolerate. One would suppose that the dreams of the farmer, tucked up in a feather-bed, on a winter night, while his cattle were obliged to rest on an icy floor among frozen manure, could not be very pleasant. GOOD BEDDING NECESSARY. It is economy to give the horse, cow and other stock housed through the winter, a good bed. It has much to do towards saving food and keeping stock in a thriving condition, to say nothing. of the obligations man is under to provide well for the dumb animals for him given to have “dominion over.” Better to give stock comfortable beds through the usual seasons of necessary shelter and stabling, as they can be provided with very little difficulty and expense. ‘There is usually refuse fodder, sraw or other matter, which can be utilized and made into manure _ by this process. A large amount of the excrements, by this practice, which would otherwise be lost, can be saved. Fine sand makes a good bedding material and a good dressing for any heavy soil. Sawdust is another article which can be used advantageously for the same purpose. There is no farmer who cannot provide plenty of litter, of some kind for his stock, and this by all means he should do and will do, if he understands his business and consults his own interests. HOW TO FEED AND MILK THEM. Cows, in order to be profitable, must not only be gen- erously and regularly fed, but their milking should be done at as regular hours as possible, winter and summer. 232 MODERN METHODS OF DAIRYING. The cows don’t have watches, but they know when busi- ness hours come around, and are fretful if the business don’t goon. Their feed, of course, will depend upon the time of year. During the best of the grass season, they may not need much if any feed, but if stabled at milking time, it is best to give them some dry mill-feed, as it not only prevents them from scouring, but entices them in the stable. When the grass is scarce or begins to get hard, the mill-feed can be increased in quantity and quality, or else some fresh grass cut and put in the stable for them. The main object in feeding summer or winter is to give a var- iety, at least enough of a change so that they will not get tired of any one kind. Cornis the great fat-producer, and should be mixed with the winter feed, but if crushed or ground, and mixed with cut hay and steamed, or fed wet, it is better than if fed whole. A rich fodder, as clover hay, needs less meal, while a poorer one, like straw or — corn fodder, needs more. Cattle that are being fattened should also recetve more meal than the heavy milkers. The feeder himself must regulate the amount given. He should be able to feed each individual one of the herd the quantity and quality necessary, and so keep them thriving by giving enough, but not too much. To aid in mixing their feed, there should be a large trough close to the hay cutter. This trough should also have a sheet-iron bottom, and be fixed for heating or cooking, if wanted for that purpose. It takes but little additional expense to have the apparatus fixed for cook- ing.. When so arranged small potatoes, turnips, pump- kins, and mangolds can be used to their best advantage. They are far more easily digested when cooked and do cattle more good. These and mill feed, barley or : § r ~ -_ a b wal ] ‘ a MODERN METHODS OF DAIRYING. 333 malt, mixed with cut clover hay or sheaf oats, form the — best of milk producing food, and it is considered settled that the quality of milk is controlled by the quality of ‘the food. How important it is then, to give to the cows none but the best and purest food. With no other stock is this so essential, for the reason that it has been fully demonstrated by competent authorities that the milk is a _ very prolific source of transmitting disease germs from impure food, and especially from impure water. Pure _ water—and no other kind should be tolerated under any - circumstances should be supplied to the cows, all they ~ will drink, three times a day. In feeding cows for milk it is a common practice to give each cow a pailful of water in which liberal quantity _ of bran has been stirred. This produces a large flow of _ milk, especially if the water is warm, but it is a big chore _ to feed a large number of cattle in this way. The im- _ portance of water requires that it should be handy, and a _ good plan is to have a tub or trough so arranged at the well asto protect it from frost in the winter; this filled with fresh well water and a liberal amount of bran and a little salt stirred in it, will help to promote a great flow of milk. A rapid, expert milker, who is at the same time | kind and considerate to the cow, can also do much to in- crease the yield of milk. Slow milking of cows never secures the full product. The cow becomes tired of re- _laxing the udder muscles, and after a time resumes the more natural position of contracting them. ‘This makes much stripping necessary, and a slow milker will never have patience to strip a long time. Partial milking soon dries the cow, and greatly reduces her value. Always treat your cows kindly, have quiet attendants, 334 MODERN METHODS OF DAIRYING. feed well, milk quickly and cleanly. Discharge all help that are noisy, or that would strike a cow. In driving the cows, never hurry them; as when their udders are full of milk, or they are heavy with calf, itis very likely to do them permanent injury. i Besides the suggestions already given I will say that | the way to make money in dairying is to keep the best © cows, give them first-class treatment, use the best methods — of cheese or butter making, and keep your eye on the market. Don’t keep a poor milker, and seldom sell your _ best cows. ‘The best cow for the dairy is not necessarily a thoroughbred; it is the one that yields the most milk or butter. “While I do not wish to lay a straw in the way of pro- gress of fine dairy cow breeders, and while I admit the excellence of the Jersey, Ayrshire and Holstein, yet I do protest against the constant revilement of our native cows. No animal on the farm is treated worse. Struggling among ragweeds in almost grassless pastures, furnishing blood for flies in the blazing heat of mid-summer, the effect of wrath, hail, snow, sleet, rain and polar winds, she still survives, ever patient and returning good for evil. If our abused native cow was treated half so well as her foreign cousin, perhaps she would be as famous as they.” MAKING BUTTER. | In making butter remember that it is all important to suit the tastes of your customer. Let your taste le sub- ordinate to theirs. In packing butter for the various markets, or furnish- ing it direct to customers, it should be salted and put up in packages to meet with favor. “One of the first essentials to a good package of but- 2 = ey MODERN METHODS OF DATIRYING. 335 ter is the use of a pure dairy salt, free from any injurious ~ . ingredients, and one that will retain the flavor and good- Keeping qualities of the butter. The use of poor salt, perhaps more than any other cause, has been the means _of more loss to the dairymen of this country than can be readily estimated, especially when butter 1s held in stor- age for a higher market, the poorer grades of salt im- parting a fisby or racid flavor, detracting in value from one to five cents per pound. “In salting butter, one ounce to the pound is what is generally used. Butter should be exposed as little as possible to the air from the time it is churned until packed tightly in tubs, fit for market. Care should be taken never to overwork butter, as the grain and texture should _ be preserved. This point should never be lost sight of. “Equally good results can be obtained by washing or working the milk from the butter, when skillfully ‘ done under favorable circumstances. In either case the only object is to free the butter from the milk, with as little injury to the flavor or grain of the butter as possible. In washing butter, the danger is mostly in injuring the - flavor by introducing foreign matter in the water, while in the other case, their is more danger in overworking, ‘and so injuring the grain. In localities where pure water ‘cannot be obtained, washing should not be resorted to, for butter is always sure io take up the impurities con- tained, as it will taint of any decaying vegetable or ani- mal matter that may be near. Many wells and Springs which are thought to be pure and good have in them decaying substances which render them entirely unfit for any use, much less to wash butter with. Decay- ing organic matter so introduced into butter acts very ay a ¢ 1 RAs! pe 336 “MODERN METHODS OF DAIRYING. much like yeast in dough; at least, it starts a fermenta-__ tion, so to speak, which soon destroys the butter. Allow: no surface water to get into the spring or well, or any filth to remain in them, and if they are not highly | charged with lime, mineral or salts of any kind, there is _ no better or easier method than to wash the milk out quickly and thoroughly before salting. _ “It is very difficult, if not impossible, to make good but- ter without having a good milk room. All the other con- ditions may be good, but if the milk be set in a room ~ where the temperature is not right, or the air bad, the result may be poor butter. This fact is too often over- © looked, but not as frequently as formerly. It is now very generally known that, to make good butter, milk must © not be kept in the same room with boiled vegetables or © other cooked food; or where there are vegetables, as in a cellar. But it is not so generally understood as it should © be that the milk room should not be where there is any © chance for disagreable odors to come from adjoining | rooms. ‘Too many settle down in the idea that if they | have a room expressly for milk, it is all that is required; | but this is a mistake. ‘Che milk room should be so far | away from the cook room that it should be impossible for | the odors which arise while cooking to enter it, — | the door is opened. : If the farmer smokes tobacco he should be very care- | ful never to smoke even in a room adjoining the milk | room, or to go into the milk room after smoking, until || the odor of the tobacco is out of his clothing, which, if || he smokes very often, will not be until he gets a new | suit. There are but few substances that absorb odors | like milk or butter.” of a ul : bs ; [ ‘ i BREEDS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF HORSES. 337 All buckets or cans that receive the milk should be kept clean and sweet. The milking should be done quickly and the milk put away immediately in the milk room. As soon as the cream separates from the milk, which is in forty-eight hours or less, according to the temperature of the room, it should be churned, and not allowed to stand and become rancid. Keep a thermometer with which to test the cream, and churn it at a temper- ature of about sixty-three degrees. Never try to secure the proper temperature by pouring water in the cream or testing it with the hand, but apply hot or cold water on the outside of the can, and get the temperature by the use of the thermometer. Wash the butter with pure cold water, add the proper amount of salt and coloring before commencing to work it. Avoid the use of the hand in working it. Use a ladle, or what is better, a lever. Don’t ‘spat it or draw the ladle over to smooth it, as that breaks the grain. As soon as the milk is all out it can be pre- pared for market by putting it in prints, or rolls, and wrapping each one separate in a clean muslin cloth, wet in strong brine. Use good ash tubs or scalded stone jars for packing. Butter should be packed in solidly, so that when turned out it will not be full of holes and loose. ‘Tubs should be soaked in good strong brine, or else thoroughly steamed, then weighed, and the tare marked plainly on each tub. “Fill to water measure.” Soak the cloths well in brine, and have them large enough to cover the entire top. It is now ready to goto market, or to be put in a cool place free from all animal or vegetable odors. : PACKING BUTTER IN BRINE. This method of packing butter for its more perfect 338 MODERN METHODS OF DAIRYING. preservation, and one which is very effective, has long — been in use in England. It is to pack the butter in cylin- | drical bags of muslin, which are put in a mold for the purpose. These bags hold about two pounds, and when filled are tied tightly and packed away in brine in tubs, pails, or casks, and are headed up just as pickled pork is. ‘The butter will absorb no more salt, is perfectly free from atmospheric exposure, is enveloped in an antiseptic — fluid, and is therefore entirely safe from change, except-_ ing so far as this may occur internally from within by — natural process called ripening. But this change goes on so slowly that the butter merely acquires a high and agreeable flavor, and no strong scent or taste is developed which would approach rancidity. 3 This manner of packing butter has long been in use in” some districts of England, and the supplies furnished to~ the large universities of Oxford and Cambridge have been put up in a similar way for many years. The butter is made in long rolls about two inches in diameter, and these are wrapped in muslin and the edge secured by some ~ stitches, the ends being tied. : Another method for packing butter, atid one which is well adapted for the general farmer, is to work or wash the butter until it is free of milk, then pack well in a good sweet jar or ash vessel; cover the top over with a wet cloth; press down close all around, and cover with salt some two inches thick. When wanting to add more but- ter, remove the salt and cloth, pack as before, then re- place the cloth and salt. Butter thus packed during the fall months will keep sweet and good until late in the spring. iy ab Lema tetnat S a> adel ee ro ‘® ae oe Obie cee a ee SA core Leal” eto "ie z — “ _ THE AMERICAN HORSE. A MODERN, PRACTICAL AND RELIABLE TREATISE ON THE HORSE, bi GIVING A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DIFFERENT BREEDS, WITH VALUA-. BLE INFORMATION ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS, AS TO BREEDING, ! REARING, HANDLING AND SHOEING, EITHER FOR THE FARM OR ROAD, FOLLOWED BY A PRACTICAL TREAT- MENT ON THE DISEASES OF HORSES, CAT- TLE AND SHEEP. h Ps ; we) et K . = £ ~ é - ’ 4e ' rate 4 : 3 é \ f : i f 5 , ° LS _ 7 ( 7 ; " ; t x y z , te ne, 4 s 3 $ ~ . te ta 1 A be 5 i ad . 1 ‘ a ue) oa i i i ' ‘ Pa i x . } ‘ z ' * Ee aa 33 | - i, f , ; \ ae ; f “ 1 } ne 4 if { ; a R > 3 reyikg y 4 F h. 7 : é y ‘ fal ch . 4 id ’ oS 7 ¥ . Le i h e? FEC? Pee eat é # + rey i 4 J ¢ ee ' \ x tes i ‘} 4 fit Re CPt ey e AOr yet f Nhs ek as & % os od [ f | f fat « é ye f , 1" As a P e é 2 . ) " J } a une : . ‘ # 3 ee on : 4 + i 4 : ? : M f + h. 2 7 4 F t ¢ i originated from the horses brought over from France by the first settlers of Canada. They possess the general characteristics of the Norman, without degeneration or any material change excepting that of size, which is at- a re BREEDS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF HORSES. 343 tributed by some to the cold climate and scanty food on which they have been raised, and by others toa cross of the Norman and the Arabian. They were the first draft horses bred on the western continent, and spread over the United States. ‘They are a valuable agricultural and general purpose horse, for a rough country, as they are active, easily kept, and grow fat at hard work. ‘They stand from fourteen to fifteen and one-half hands high; possess an iron constitution, with strong muscled quarters; large bone in proportion to size; sound feet and legs, free from spavins, ringbones, or other hereditary de- fects. ‘They perpetuate their strong points and leading characteristics to their issue, and when crossed with high- bred trotters or thoroughbreds, increase the bone. Many of our now noted trotting horses possess the blood of the Kanuck, as obtained through Old Pilot, a noted pacer brought from Canada to New Orleans, by Mr. Chas. Barker, in 1835, and from there taken to Louisville, Ky. He was a black horse, fourteen and one-half hands high, and could pace exceedingly fast. It is claimed that he _ paced two miles in 4.27;-but was such a lugger on the ayer t= iS. Dit that he had to be worked with a peculiar rigging at- tached to the saddle, in order to hold and control him. This rigging consisted of a stout crupper extending from the saddle to the tail. Attached to this was a regular _harness breechen. Long, line-like reins extended from the bridle bit back through the rings in the brichen, then back again through the rings in the bridle bit, and then up to ‘the saddle. ‘Thus rigged, the little “black ram,” as he was called, could fairly fly, and from his loins, through his grand daughters, have such trotters as Maud S., 2.934, and Jay-Eye-See, 2.10, been produced. \ 344. BREEDS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF HORSES. . 4 The breed of horses which now prevail, and are so __ established in the United States as to deserve particular _ description, are the thoroughbred race horse, American — trotting horse, Norman, Clydesdale, English cart, and } Shire horses. THE THOROUGHBRED HORSE. As ordinarily applied by breeders, the word «thorough bred” simply means purely bred, or of unmixed lineage, and in this strict sense none of- our domesticated animals can justly be called thoroughbreds, except the English race horse, because they all have more or less composite ancestry. When, however, that a certain strain or race” has been bred within itself, without outcrosses to other or different strains, for many generations, until a marked and peculiar type is uniformly produced, that race, or strain, or breed is said to be thoroughbred, or purely bred. The term thoroughbred was first applied only to horses — in great Britain, bred especially for racing purposes, and was adopted as the name of the breed, and is still used for that distinctive purpose. Consequently, when one — speaks of a thoroughbred horse, all intelligent horsemen © understand that the race horse is ment. No horses are ~ recognized as Thoroughbreds in this country that do not | show an unbroken line of ancestry, on both sides, to an- imals recorded in the English Stud-book. No intelligent horseman will speak of a thoroughbred Morgan, a thor- oughbred trotter, or a thoroughbred draft-horse, because, as before stated, the term, when applied to horses, be- longs only to one particular breed, the running horse, I called Thoroughbreds. Mr. Youatt says: “There is much dispute as to the © origin of the ‘Thoroughbred horse. By some he is traced | oe Se Ws $$$ . J oe : i; 3 C he ; ‘ * . : ' } ‘ i” : ; j e .: RY ; t , i Pt gervol 4 Pa , , * ] acer * Wi \ = t i ‘ 4 { p *. 4 ‘ . y le ; ke , , , aa | ‘aa | { r i ' } ey : t ; ff f } \ . > ‘i ae ) BREEDS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF HORSES. 347 through both sire and aes to Arabian origin. Others believe him to be the native English horse improved and _ perfected by judicious crossing with the Arabian horse, the Turk, Bard or Beduin, which, without doubt, is his true parentage.” England is entitled to the credit of originating and per- fecting the thoroughbred in his present form. The Dar- ley, Arabian, Godolphin, Barb, Byrley, and Turk, were among the most distinguished progenitors and founders of the breed. The Stud Book, which is an authority ack- nowledged by every English breeder, traces all the old racers to some Eastern origin, or Arabian horse. If the pedigree of an English racer of the present day be re- quired, it is traced back to a certain extent, and ends with a well known racer, or in obscurity. For an American Thoroughbred, it traces to a well known race or an im- ported ‘Thoroughbred. It must, on the whole, be allowed that the present English Thoroughbred horse is of foreign _ extraction, improved and perfected by the influence of the climate, and by diligent cultivation. The beautiful tales of Eastern countries of somewhat remoter days, may lead us to imagine that the Arabian horse possessed marvel- ous powers, but it cannot admit of a doubt, that the Eng- lish —Thoroughbred horse is more beautiful, far swifter and stouter than the famed courser of the desert, and those bred in America have proven themselves equal to, or superior to those bred in England. In former days the race horse was not brought upon the course until matur- ed, generally at five years old. ‘The consequences were _ that they remained sound, competent to train and run well at an advanced age. Now the system ischanged. The majority of breeders start their colts at two years old, so ¥ ‘ va / \ we 7 348 BREEDS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF HORSES. as to give them a reputation for early maturity, and they train off or break down at three or five years of age, and the majority go off crippled into the stud. Whether the introduction of two year olds upon the race course, so they may astonish the public by their fleetness, is best, 1s a question which more concerns the sporting man than the agriculturist, and yet it concerns the agriculturist, too, to some extent; for racing is prin- cipally valuable as connected with breeding, and as the test of breeding. But the breeding of the Thorough- } bred horse is a business that. belongs to men of ample time and means; for it takes plenty of both to make it a suc- cess. That the breeding of Thoroughbred horses is legitimate, in which any farmer may honorably be engaged, is too plain to admit of denial. It becomes simply a question of how far this almost universal passion may be carried. But whether it is wrong to run them at so early an age as two years, and cripple or ruin them for life, as is often the case, is a question that is easily an- swered in the affirmative, and is a practice that should not be tolerated by the breeders. The horse is as suscep- tible of pleasure and pain as ourselves. He was committed — to us for our protection and for our use; he is a willing and devoted servant. Whence did we derive the right to abuse him? Self interest speaks the same language as reason in prompting us to take care of him. THE AMERICAN TROTTER. This celebrated and valuable breed of horses 1s of American origin, and is thoroughly composite. It is made up of different elements of blood of the Thoroughbred horse crossed with the native American mares, and their produce so inbred, that now the trotting horse is a dis- BREEDS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF HORSES. 349 tinguished breed, and more valuable than any other known. The horses which were most noted as the founders of the breed, and which became famous, are, Juston Morgan, Rysdyk’s Hambletonian, An- drew Jackson, Mambrino Chief, Blue Bull and Pilot Junior. Further on, I will speak of these horses named, and give their breeding as given in history with a few brief remarks on their value as sires, but cannot give the history of the families in full; to do so, would re- ; - quire a large volume in itself. THE FOUNDER OF TROTTERS. The founder of the best trotting families was the im- _ ported horse Messenger, brought from England to Phila- _delphia, in 1778. The lineage of this noble sire traces back in the male line to the Darley Arabian, the sire of Flying Childers, but with the suspicion of an out-cross through his great grand sire Sampson. On the side of his dam the strain reaches Code, by Godolphin Arabian. From all accounts, Messenger was a horse of superior, ‘though not handsome form, and _ possessed extraor- -dinary power and spirit. His color was grey, which became lighter with age; was fifteen hands, three inches high, with a large bony head, and a rather short, : Straight neck. His windpipe and nostrils were nearly twice the usual size, while his withers were low, and Shoulders upright, but deep and strong. His loins were Strong and the quarters very muscular, while his hocks and knees were very large, yet the cannon bones were flat and clean. He carried his legs under him, and was always ready for action. This description shows but | little of the form of the Thoroughbred, yet is typical of | the form of his trotting descendents. This form, as : ' | a 350 BREEDS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF HORSES. well as the extraordinary vitality and endurance peculiar to him, he impressed upon his progeny, which — being persistently driven and trained to trot, became more > intensified and habituated regarding gait, until we haveas” the result of this skill of man, and this strain of blood, the final development of the trotting horse of America, the. pride of the turf and road. Messenger died on Long Is land, in 1808, at the age of twenty-eight, and stood for fifteen years in the vicinity of New York City. The road- sters and trotting horses throughout that section show the | impress of his blood. PROMINENT SONS OF MESSENGER. The following were the prominent sons of Messenger, | to whom we trace many pedigrees of the fastest trotters: © Mambrino, Bishop’s Hambletonian, Ogden’s Messenger, Engineer, Commander, and Winthrop Messenger. Some | of Messenger’s daughters have contributed to the differ- ent families qualities which have given them prominence. |} The grandam of young Bashaw, the source of the | Bashaws and Clays, was the daughter of Messenger. PROMINENT GRAND SONS OF MESSENGER. Among the grand sons of Messenger, Abdallah and -Mambrino Paymaster stand pre-eminent. Of this king || of stallions, Abdallah, “rough to look at,” a son of Mam- | brino, and a grandson of Messenger, out of the mare” Amazonia, too much cannot be said. In life he was not” appreciated; in fact, was so neglected as to yield no™ profit in the stud, and was sold for $35 to a fisherman, who, not being able to work him on account of his tem- i| per, allowed him to starve to death. His greatest laurels | were reaped years after in the honors bestowed on his | sons. During late years his blood has been highly prized | i"4 BREEDS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF HORSES. 351 in the pedigrees of trotting horses, either through male. or female line. Mr. Wm. F. Porter, in speaking of him, _ says, “Abdallah was foaled on Long Island, and was a rich mahogany bay, and measured about fifteen hands _ three inches, under the standard. He had a star and very _ possibly one white foot. He is presumed to be Thorough- _ bred, but the pedigree of his dam was lost. Rysdyk’s Hambletonian, a son of Abdallah, was the _ greatest progenitor of trotters the world ever saw, and by right of acknowledged pre-eminence, claims our con- ' sideration as the first on the list of great stallions. He _ was foaled in 1849, and died in 1876. His dam was.by imported Bellfounder, his second dam was by Bishop’s Hambletonian, son of Messenger, and third dam by Mes- -senger. He is described by Mr. Holmes, who knew him _ well, as a strong, compactly made horse, close to sixteen hands high. His coat was ordinarily of the brightest bay, “his legs black, the black extending above the knees and f hocks, with white socks behind (in size _ precisely alike), and a small, white star in the centre of his forehead. - His pictures are all utterly inadequate to convey any cor- rect idea of the horse. ” F After the get of Rysdyk’s Hambletonian began to show promise as trotters, and especially after Shark, one of his sons, came out and trotted several wonderful races “under saddle, from 1862 to 1866, making a mile in 2.28%, ‘and two miles in 5.00%, and Dexter, another son, who came out a year later, and swept everything before him, and in 1867 made a record of one mile in 2.1714, which |for so many years stood as the best performance on record, the “Old Horse,” as he has long been called, | became very popular in tlie stud, and was extensively re =] Se ; arr 352 BREEDS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF HORSES. patronized. Another of his sons, George Wilkes, came out nearly at the same time as Dexter, winning many races, and in 1868, made a record of 2.22, which stood for many years as the best stallion record. Then Gold - _ Smith Maid and St. Julian, granddaughter and grandson, — appeared upon the turf and electrified the world with ‘their wonderful speed for many years. And they kept coming thicker and faster—first, the sons, and then the daughters, then the granddaughters and grandsons, then’ the great-grandsons and Cavehccrs, until his descendents © became the most noted ia y © ‘rotting horses known, and the irresistible logic of trotting statistics to this day has clearly demonstrated the superiority of the Hamble- tonian blood over all others. __ Hambletonian commenced service in the stud at two years of age, and continued successfully until two years before his death, when he proved no longer fertile. He served 1,833 mares, and got 1,325 colts. During the first three years he stood at $25, to insure; the next niné years at $35; the next year at $75; the next at $100; the next at $300; and since then at $500. His earnings in the stud amounted to $185,125. | Of his get, 37 have trotting records of 2.30 or better, or one 2.30 trotter out of every thirty-five colts. From this it can be seen that from the number of foals he pro- duced, the percentage of 2.30 trotters were small. Some of his sons and grandsons in this respect, and also in the production of horses of great speed have surpassed him. Among those that may be mentioned that stand pre-emi- nent as great sires are Voluuteer, George Wilkes and Harold. But it must be borne in mind that they have had the advantage of being coupled with better bred jie BREEDS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF HORSES. 353 trotting mares, and the colts the advantage of the skill and knowledge of man as to how to educate the trotter. It has been practically demonstrated that neither Rysdyk’s Hambletonian, nor many of his sons, have produced sensational trotters when crossed on Thoroughbred mares, although three-fourths of all the sensational trotters be- long to the Hambletonian family, but have been produced by the cross of Hambletonian sires with well-bred trot- ting or pacing mares. This is not only true of the Hambletonian family, but with all other trotting families, that there are but few fast trotters that have been pro- duced by breeding strictly Thoroughbred mares to trot- ting sires, or trotting mares to Thoroughbred sires. Less than twenty with records of 2:30 or better, would cover the entire list. IMPORTED BELLFOUNDER. Bellfounder was imported from England, in 1822. He was a remarkably fast trotter for a Thoroughbred horse, and has contributed a most valuable strain of blood to the trotters of this country. At three years old he trotted two miles in six minutes, and at four years old made ten miles in thirty minutes. -'The Bellfounder cross is high- ly prized, and is found in the pedigrees of the Hamble- tonians, Clays and other families. Rysdyk’s Hambleton- _ian’s dam was by this great horse, and her speed, at four years old, was very great, seldom equaled, even in these fast times. She was a handsome dark bay mare, and queen of the road of New York City for many years.” Mambrino Paymaster was another noted son of Mam- _brino, and his dam was a large black mare, breeding un- Known. Mambrino Paymaster was the sire of Mambrino Chief, the founder of the family which bears his name. 354 BREEDS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF HORSES. This strain of blood has become very fashionable and will be found in the pedigrees of some of the most noted sires: or dams of sensational trotters. MAMBRINO CHIEF. | «“Mambrino Chief, br. h. 16 hands, was a very fast trotter for his day, having trotted a mile in 2:36, in the year 1854, after having made a season in the stud. Bu besides being himself a fast trotter, he possessed the most remarkable power of transmitting the ability to re- produce trotters to his descendents. He was foaled in 1844, and spent the earlier part of his Ilfe in New Yorks where his opportunities in the stud were limitted. He was | afterward taken to Kentucky, and after making but seven seasons in the stud, died in 1862, at 18 years of age, and just at the beginning of the war, which hindered the de- velopment of his get for many years. In spite of this, and notwithstanding the fact that the development of the trotting horse was then but little understood, ten of his get trotted better than 2:30. Amongst these was the great Lady Thorne, who beat all the great trotters of her day with the utmost ease, including the renowned Gold- smith Maid, whom she beat every time she met. Her ‘best record was 2:181%4, but those who knew her best, 9) say that this was no measure of her speed, she being able : to trot much faster.” She was credited with trotting a mile in 2:08 in a trial, driven by the veteran driver Dan Mace, and this long before forty pound sulkeys or shin boots, etc., were known. After the trial, Dan said to the parties that timed her, “We will never live to see that mile } trotted again.” ‘y The opportunities of Mambrino Chief as a sire, were vastly inferior to those of Hambletonian. His services in| a R al S x BREEDS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF HORSES. 355 the stud were comparatively limited; he died before his © fame was established, and his get had to contend with great disadvantages. But notwithstanding this he was to the West what Rysdyk’s Hambletonian was to the East—the fountain head of a great trotting family. And history establishes the fact beyond question that no other stallions ever lived, of which we have any record, who possessea the power, to a greater degree, of transmitting to their descendents, running through successive gener- ations, the ability to reproduce trotters, capable of the very best performances, with unerring certainty as the great stallions Mambrino Chief and Rysdyk’s Hamble- tonian. Ih (1 i | rs 1) \ i) | AW AY MEN : By 3 SS This cut, as calles from life, represents the standard bred trotting stallion, Mambrino Hambletonian, and his general appearance shows the characteristics of the two families which he represents. He is a dark bay horse, 1534 hands high, and weighs 1,125 pounds. Sire of Stranger, record 2:22%; two miles 4:59. Coal Dealer trial, 2:24, dead; Red Jacket, stallion, trial, 2:26. He was 356 BREEDS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF HORSES. sired by Ashland, by Mambrino Chief; rst dam Blinker mare, by Rysdyk’s Hambletonian; 2d dam by Young — Patriot, sire of Volunteer’s dam; third dam the Chas. Kent mare, the dam of Rysdyk’s Hambletonian. Ash- land’s dam, Utilla, by imported Margrave; 2d dam, Too Soon, by Sir Leslie; 3d dam, Little Peggy, by Gallatin, | he out of imported mare Mambrino, by Lord Governor’s — Mambrino, sire of imported messenger. THE MORGAN FAMILY. , To this celebrated family of trotting horses, too little at- tention has been paid of late years. They in former days obtained much celebrity as a family of fast and fine road or track horses. But owing to but few of them being able to obtain records of 2:20, or better, and on account of their size, being rather small, they have lost consider-— able of the celebrity they once obtained. As a family of trotting horses with records of 2:30, or better, they no doubt are entitled to second place, the Hambletonian family holding first honor in this respect, as well as the honor of claiming all the kings and queens of the turf. As to the pedigree of the Morgan horse, there is some — doubt, but the one as given by Mr. Justin Morgan is ac- cepted as the one entitled to the most credit. The horse, Justin Morgan, the founder of the Morgan family of ~ horses, was foaled in Massachusetts, in 1793, and brought 7 from Springfield, Mass., to Randolph, Vt., in 1795, where é he was kept for many years, and became celebrated asa _ | sire of fine horses. Justin Morgan, ch. h. 14 hands, | was sired by True Britain, by Traveller. Dam by %j Diamond, by Wildare, Thoroughbred. He was exten- || sively patronized, and left a numerous and valuable pro- | geny. ‘There were but four of his sons left entire: Re- | ES _ BREEDS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF HORSES. 357 venge, Sherman Morgan, Bullrush and Woodbury, or _ Burbank. The last three became distinguished sires. _ But as to the breeding of their dams, little or nothing is _ known. Sherman Morgan was probably the best son of | Justin Morgan. He was the sire of Vermont Blackhawk, Sherman Blackhawk, and Vermont Hero, who perpetu- | _ ated the blood of their sire through a long and illustrious line of trotters. Blackhawk was the sire of Ethan Allen, _ whose brilliant career on the turf gave him a record of one mile in 2:25, and with running mate of 2:15, but his _ fame in the stud far eclipsed his successful career of the turf. He was the sire of a great many fast trotters, and also the sire of Daniel Lambert, the sire of twenty-five 2:30 trotters, and the grand sire of H. B. Winship, with a record of 2:06, with running mate. Vermont Hero was the sire of Gen. Knox. Both their dams were of Hamble- _tonian blood. Gen. Knox possessed more Messenger blood than Morgan, and his progeny show it by their rec- ords. Woodbury Morgan became famous as a sire of horses suited for martial display, on account of their beau- tiful form and graceful action. This is characteristic of the Morgan family, and very noticeable with horses pos- sessing that blood. THE BASHAWS, CLAYS AND PATCHENS. The Bashaws descended from an imported Arabian stallion. Grand Bashaw was imported from Tripoli in 1820, and sired Young Bashaw. Young Bashaw was ‘the sire of Andrew Jackson, who was the most famous trotting stallion of his day, and as a weight puller was un- “surpassed in speed. His dam was of unknown blood. She was taken to Pliladelphia in a drove of horses from the West. From the loins of this great horse, Andrew 358 | BREEDS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF HORSES. Jackson, have descended the Bashaws, Clays and Patch-— ens. He was foaled in 1828, and died in 1846. He sired Long Island Blackhawk, who was the first horse to trot a mile in 2:40, to a two hundred and fifty pound wagon, { and from whom descended Green’s Bashaw, the Mo- hawks, and many other trotters of note. Henry Clay, the origin of the Clay and Patchen branch, or family, was a son of Andrew Jackson, and was foaled in 1837. The dam of Henry Clay was a trotting mare of unknown blood, but was both fast and game. Henry Clay was possessed of great speed and endurance. Cassius M. Clay, son of Henry Clay, and sire of George M. Patchen, has done Be most to establish the Clays and Patchens. MESSENGER DUROC. a Duroc, son of the Thoroughbred Diomed, and the sire | of Messenger Duroc, whose dam was a daughter of Mes- senger, is a noted strain of blood, and is found in the pedi- : grees of the American stars. Mares of this blood are very valuable to cross with Hambletonian sires. B THE PACING ELEMENT. An important addition to the trotting element to pro- duce trotters of great speed, is the pacing elements, which — have been brought out within a few years, the chief ele- ments being the descendents of Young Columbus, the sire of Phil Sheridan, and Old Pilot, the sire of Pilot Junior; also the Copper Bottoms, Red Bucks, Cadmuses, Hiateg- as, Tuckahoes and Blue Bulls. All have representatives among the fast pacers, and some of the families have as- sumed the trotting gait with great readiness, particu- larly the Pilots and Blue Bulls. Their tendency to that gait is shown in the fast horses that trace back to them. The trotting gait with the greatest speed has been produced ess *“NOITIVLS NVWYUON V BREEDS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF HORSES. 361 by the crossing of Pilot mares with Hambletonian stal- lions. Breeding of this kind produced Maud S. and Jay- _Eye-See. THE DRAFT FAMILIES. The American Draft horse consists of a combination of the Norman, Clydesdale, English Cart and Shire, crossed with the native mares. The importation of these breeds from their native homes, of late years, has been very heavy, and pure bred ones of either kind or sex are now becoming very plentiful, and being bred pure in this country, as well as in their native country, and on account of the tempting prices offered for the best speci- mens of the respective breeds. America, no doubt, has now as good Draft horses, as well as running, trotting or pacing horses, as any other country known. THE NORMAN. The Norman is a native of France, and a descendent of the war horse used in that country in the early days. The improved Norman horse, known as the Percheron- Norman, as now bred, is from sixteen to sixteen and one- half hands high, and weighs from 1,600 to 2,000 pounds. They are strongly built, with heavy shoulders and pow- erful hind quarters; big, sound, bony legs, and good feet. They are claimed to be a cross of the old Norman and the Arabian, by the use of the Arabian stallion with the heavy Norman mares, which, judging from their appear- ance, is no doubt true. They are a very active and quick moving horse for their size; good disposition, and gener- ally of a gray color. In regard to the origin of the old Norman war horse, nothing is known. They have exist- ed in France for centuries, and have a fixed type that must have been bred in the family for many generations, 362 BREEDS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF HORSES. because it stamps its imprint so faithfully upon its off spring. The Normans have formed the basis of all the | draft breeds that exist in Europe or America. | THE CLYDESDALE, THE ENGLISH CART AND SHIRE. The Clydesdale horse is a native of Scotland, and a very superior breed of horses for draft purposes. ‘Their color is generally bay or brown, with frequently white marks upon the legs or face. ‘They are larger than the Norman horse, and more rangy. Their legs are large and heavy haired, bone very strong, and free of flesh, well set on to a good foot. Asa breed of Draft horses, for vitality, pow-_ er and endurance combined, they are unsurpassed. uy The English Cart horse is a native of England, and about _ the largest breed of Draft horses known. In color and — make up they resemble the Clydesdale very much, but — generally show the white marks about the legs and face — : more, are heavier, more cumbersome and slower, but are © valuable for heavy draft purposes about the cities. The Shire horse is also a native of England, and also the Cleveland Bay. The Shires resemble the English Cart in color and form very much. The Cleveland Bay was formed by crossing the Thoroughbred stallion with Clydesdale or Shire mares. ‘Then in-bred through them- selves until a family was formed, resembling each other in ‘color and form. ‘They were about extinct at one time, but of late years they are being revived and brought to America. They are a bay horse, full sixteen hands, very rangy and fine in form in front, but often deficient in the hind quarters. Though an effort is now being made in the direction of their preservation and restoration as an acknowledged breed, the animals now being registered are selected rather for type than breeding. tila er wsniiiahg * ees aT! al SSS S— SSS SSS SS SSS - os — THE ENGLISH CART HORSE. GHAPTER XIX. THE BREEDING OF HORSES A SCIENCE. THE ART OR SCIENCE OF BREEDING.—RULES AND ERRORS » IN BREEDING.—SPEED THE MAIN POINT.—A STANDARD _ BRED TROTTER.—POPULAR SIRES OF TROTTERS.— REC- | ORDS OF 2:14, OF less: FAST RECORDS ALL DISTANCES. | —THE GENERAL PURPOSE HORSE. THE ART OR SCIENCE OF BREEDING. _ Probably in the breeding of no other domestic animal, is the art or science of breeding called to as severe a test in the breeding of horses, and especially of fast horses. the breeding of all our other domestic animals, the art of feeding can be called upon toa great extent, to cover up lefective points, but this is of little availin the art of breed- “ing fast horses of any kind. Here the science of com- ‘Dining the fast elements of blood, that have proven suc- “cessful in producing the kind of horse wanted, has to be used with the best of judgment. The characteristics so lerived in breeding, running, trotting, pacing and saddle horses, more so than in breeding any other animal, comes 3 low, and any mistake made, either by accident or other- wise, is hard to undo. Therefore, the inexperienced breed- €r, when contemplating starting in this business, should ; st give the subject careful study, as any mistake at this pj cture may cause him to abandon the business in dis- “gust. In the breeding of good horses of any kind, the i \ 366 THE BREEDING OF HORSES A SCIENCE. both stallion and mares, and the better the so derived blood lines are, running back through several generations, | the more valuable it will be, and the more it can be relied © upon when called into action. I will herein give a list of © rules for the breeding of horses, as gathered from practical © breeders, which may prove of value to those contem-— plating embarking, or already engaged in this business. | If they are committed to memory, borne in mind, and | adopted, they will save some serious mistakes in this most | valuable business. RULES FOR BREEDING. ai First, determine exactly in your own mind the kind of } horse you wish to produce, and never lose sight of it. Second, avail yourself of any opportunity that offers to | produce the finest animals and blood that will suit your | purpose. a Third, avoid unhealthy animals at all times, and un- | sound animals, unless the blemish is caused by an acci- | dent. Ill-tempered'or vicious animals are also dangerous. | Never forget that if the good qualities are transmitted, the evil ones are sure to be. oq Fourth, horses that are greatly dissimilar in their breed | and shape, should not be mated to breed. For example, big stallions and very small mares should not be mated,’ or a large, rough Draft mare and a very small horse, as. that cross would no doubt prove a failure. | Fifth, avoid the use of a course, loose-made stallion o any kind, or one that out-looks his size, or a half-bred | one of any breed, if the use of a pure bred one can be ob-| tained, and do not breed from mares and horses, which,|| "|| having been mated once, produced bad colts. A brood THE BREEDING OF HORSES A SCIENCE. 367 “mare that has produced a bad colt, if bred again should be bred to a well bred horse that is exceedingly good in the points that the colt was deficient in, and if that union ‘proves successful she can be bred back again with safety. Tf the mare is deficient in any way, select a sound, well- ‘bred horse which is good in the points where she is de- ficient, whether it be in endurance, body, limb or temper. _ Sixth, to breed half-bred horses, select good native- ‘bred mares. ‘Che better bred they are the more valuable they will be. They should be young, sound, well-shaped, with good temper, and good action, or a tried mare that “has been a successful breeder. ' These mares, coupled with a thoroughbred stallion, which is of good size, compact, well-shaped, sound, ‘healthy and vigorous, with good temper and action, or one that is the sire of good running horses, capable of ‘carrying heavy weight, will produce a good class of horses for the saddle, road or light work. The same } mares bred to a pure-bred Draft horse of any breed, will produce a Sapit class of horses for the farm, truck, om- would be valuable to ied . a standard ied trotting (stallion, to produce a good horse for the farm or road. nt of this kind coupled with a good trotting stallion, which i is sound and close to 16 hands high, strong and compactly made, of good color, action and disposition, and is so bred that he is capable of transmitting his good qual-_ ities to his progeny, when coupled with all classes of mares, would prove a valuable horse to use; as this breed- ‘ing should produce a large stylish horse of good color, speed, action and disposition, that is eagerly sought after, \a always commands a long price. XN 368 THE BREEDING OF HORSES A SCIENCE. ERRORS IN BREEDING. | A great many valuable and well-bred mares are ruined every year by the thoughtlessness or carelessness of thei aj owners in lpreeding them for the first time to a Jack 0 Draft horse. Mares thus bred the first time, invariably prove worthless from which to raise a fine bred trotting or running colt, for some years afterwards, as each colt, for at least five years afterwards, will show more or less of the characteristics of the horse to which they were. firs bred. Knowing this to be the fact, it shows how impor tant it is to breed all well-bred trotting or running mares or mares that are expected to be used toraise trottng 6: running colts, to a well-bred trotting or running Be the first time, and continue to do so as long as the are expected to be used for raising that class of hon es. Afterwards, if they are used to raise draft horses, they vil prove more valuable for that purpose, as the colts wi | show the characteristics of the well-bred horse in color ¢ r | action to a great extent. Large native-bred mares Oo draft mares that are suitable for raising draft horses ca be bred if so desired, the first time to a Draft horse, suf should be a pure-bred horse of good color. When oncé mares of this kind have raised a draft colt, it is best tol continue to raise that class of horses with them, for anyy attempt to raise a fine trotting or running colt from suc mares, can only result in disappointment. And the same _ may be said of that class of mares, even if they have nevemy been bred, when an attempt is made to raise a fash running horse from them, by using a Thoroughbred sire | ‘The only way to raise a fast running horse is to bree¢ a Thoroughbred, or at least a good half-breed a A 7 toa Thoroughbred horse. The same may be said di i) | | re a 4 ae | Se" See , | .» a te THE BREEDING OF HORSES A SCIENCE. 369 breeding fast trotting horses. The only successful way is to breed well-bred trotting or pacing mares to standard bred trotting horses. | SPEED AN ESSENTIAL POINT. In breeding trotting horses, it is the speed and not the horse that brings tlie fancy price. There are hundreds of horses in the country that are as fine looking, have as good dispositions, and are worth as much money as any of the fastest trotters, for ordinary purposes, yet they do not bring a tenth of the money, because they have not the necessary speed. If you are breeding for trotters, breed for the best, but try to combine the speed with size and beauty. | The American people have a natural love of beauty, as well as speed, and the majority would rather have for road use high form, with good size, with a reasonable amount of speed, than the ungainly form, with a high rate of speed. The qualities of style, beauty and vitality will also commend the fillies or mares for the harem, and the young stallions for the stud. This is becoming more noticeable every day. The people who go out every pleasant day for recreation, are rapidly substituting the handsome, symmetrical horse of good size, for the smaller or plainer one. The horse that is to supply this demand, must be the well-bred trotting horse, bred for size, speed and beauty. He then has the instinct to trot, and the best ones of this breeding are as liable to go to the front as a more homely or smaller one. Whereas the breed- ing of trotting horses is now only begun, the breeders should try to avoid defective formation, and try to com- bine the speed with a larger and more symmetrical form. If they do this, the disasters and failures will not be so 370 THE BREEDING OF HORSES A SCIENCE. numerous in the future as they have been in the past. A STANDARD-BRED TROTTER. According to the rules, a standard bred trotter is one that has a record of 2:30, or better, and his sire or dam has a record of 2:30, or better, or traces direct to a sire © or dam with a record of 2:30 or better. Again, the animal — may not have a record of 2:30 or better, or its sire or — dam, or even grandsire or grandam, but they have — been the ancestors of horses that have records of 2:30, or _ - better, and the animal woula become standard under that rule. : What is termed a standard horse, is one whose breeding does not trace to a standard sire or dam, but has a record of 2:30 or better, or has produced a colt with a record of 2:30 or better. Fast horses never come by accident, but inherit the speed from their ancestors, and the more ca- — pable they are of transmitting great speed, combined with — other good qualities, as color, size, beauty and disposition, the more valuable are they as breeders. ‘This particu- larly carries its lesson to young, or inexperienced breed- ers, and others who are looking for some lucky accidental wonder. Expected accidents do not happen, and would not be accidents if they did. But it is the famous blood lines coming together, through sire and dam for genera- tions, that produce great and fast horses.” ‘Therefore, in order to raise a trotting horse, use a standard bred trot- ting stallion. POPULAR SIRES OF TROTTERS. As it may be interesting as well as profitable to the many readers of this book, I will give the names, de- scription and breeding of horses that have sired ten or more two-thirty trotters, with the number they have oe tert ee wenn vee F in the two-thirty, two-twenty-five and two-twenty list. . THE BREEDING OF HORSES A SCIENCE. 371 I will commence with Blue Bull, who was without doubt one of the marvels of the age in siring speed, and _ who stands pre-eminently at the head of the list of all _ Stallions as the sire of two-thirty trotters, of which he has fifty, twenty of which are in the two-twenty-five class, - and one in the two-twenty class. He was fifteen years in _ the stud, served 1,380 mares, and got goo living colts. He began his stud career as a teaser for a Jack, and died the king of sires. He was as. h., 15% hands, foaled in Kentucky, in 1858. As to his sire, there is some doubt. He _ is credited to old Sam, as well as Pruden’s Blue Bull, the sire of many fast pacers, he by Merring’s Blue Bull. _ Dam by Blacknose, son of Modoc, out of Lucy, by Orphan; second dam, Lady Grey; third dam, Maria, by Melzar. Old Sam and Pruden’s Blue Bull, as well as Blue Bull, - were fast Pacers. Rysdyk’s Hambletonian, b. h., 1534 hands, by Abdal- lah, by Mambrino, by imported Messenger, dam by im- ported Bellfounder, comes next to Blue Bull as a sire of two-thirty trotters, having 37 in the two-thirty list, 15 in the two-twenty-five and two in the two-twenty list. . But _ Hambletonian’s ability of transmitting to his descendents, running through successive generations, the ability to re- produce trotters, capable of the very best pseduant ein - far exceeds Blue Bull’s. oun George Wilkes, br. h., 1514 hands, by Rysdyk’s Ham- bletonian, dam Dolly Sarther, by Henry Clay, comes next with 35 in the two-thirty list, 21 in the two-twenty- five list, and 7 in the two-twenty list. Almont, b. h., 15 3-4 hands, by Alexander’s Abdallah, by Rysdyk’s Hambletonian. Dam, by Mambrino Chief; 372 THE BREEDING OF HORSES A SCIENCE. second dam by Pilot Jr. This rich bred trotting horse’ is the sire of twenty-eight in the two-thirty list, thirteen of which are in the two-twenty-five list, and five in the two-twenty list. | Volunteer, b. h., 1534 hands, foaled in 1854, by Ryall dyk’s Hambletonian, dam Lady Patriot, by Young Pa- | triot, of Diomede and Messenger descent, ranks fifth in i the list of great trotting sires, judged by the number of — his get in the two-thirty list, of which he has 26, while | he has 15 in the two-twenty-five list, and 5 in the 20 list. ~ - But judged by the quality of his sons and daughters, as shown by the total number of heats won by them in two- ~ thirty, or better, he has eclipsed all other stallions, as. 4 his get has won six hundred and seventy-eight heats in” two-thirty or better, an average of 26. Their aver- age record is 2:23%. | Aberdeen, b. h., 1534 hands, by Rysdyk’s Hamble- tonian, dam Widow Machree, by Seely’s American Star, has thirteen in the two-thirty list, seven in the two-twenty- five list, and three in the two-twenty list. Belmont, b. h., 16 hands, by Alexander’s Abdallah, by Rysdyk’s Hambletonian, dam by Bellfounder, has ten in the two-thirty list, six in the two-twenty-five list, and two in the two-twenty list. Green’s Bashaw, bl. h., 15% hands, by Veranl’s Black- hawk, by Long Island Blackkawk. Dam, Belle, by Tom Thumb; second dam, the dam of Rysdyk’s Hambletonian. Has fourteen in the two-thirty list, seven in the two- twenty-five list, and one in the two-twenty list. : Electioneerer, b. h., fifteen and three-fourths hands, by — Rysdyk’s Hambletonian. Dam, Green Mountain Maid, — by Sayer’s Henry Clay. This great sire has eleven in | THE BREEDING OF HORSES A SCIENCE. 37a the two-thirty list, eight in the two-twenty-five list, and_ two in the two-twenty list. He was the sire of Hindo - Rose, a horse which had the fastest record for a colt one or three years old; also of Wildflower, which had the best two-year-old record as a filly; and Fred Crocker, the noted two-year-old stallion, and of Albert W., a horse with the best four-year-old stallion record. ‘This places him as a great sire of colts of early maturity. Daniel Lambert, ch. h, 15% hands, by Ethan Allen, by Hill’s Blackhawk. Dam, by Fanny Cook, by Tread- well’s Abdallah. This great sire has twenty-five trot- ters in the two-thirty list, 11 of which are in the two- twenty-five list, and one in the two-twenty list, which places him sixth in the list of great sires of trotters, judged by their two-thirty representatives. Dictator, br. h., 15% hands, by Rysdyk’s Hamble- tonian. Dam, by Seely’s American Star. Has only ten representatives in the two-thirty list, six of which are in the two-twenty-five list, and four in the two-twenty list, but this places him as one of the most popular horses of America as a sire of fast horses, being the sire of Jay- Eye-See, two-ten, and Phallas, two-thirteen and three- fourths, which is considered the fastest trotting stallion in America. Edward Everett, b. h., by Rysdyk’s Hambletonian. Dam, Fanny, by imported Margrave. Has eleven in the two-thirty list, nine of which are in the two-twenty-five list, and one in the two-twenty list. General Knox, br. h., 1534 hands, by Vermont Hero, _ by Sherman’s Blackhawk. Dam, by Searcher. Has eleven in the two-thirty list, five in the two-twenty-five list, and two in the two-twenty list. ey) 4 THE BREEDING OF HORSES A SCIENCE. Whipple’s Hambletonian, ch. h., 16 hands, by Guy Mil- ler, by Rysdyk’s Hambletonian. Dam, Martha Wash- — ington, by Washington, of Messenger descent. Hastenor © more inthe two-thirty list, three in the two-twenty-five 1 list, and one of two-nineteen. | ; Wood’s Hambletonian, ro. h., 1514 hands, by Alexan- der’s Abdallah. Has ten in the two-thirty list, and six in ‘ the two-twenty-five list. | . Happy Medium, b. h, 1534 hands, by Rysdyk’s Hambletonian.. Dam, Princess, by Andrus’ Hamble- — -tonian, by Bishop’s Hambletonian, by imported Messenger. Has twenty-two in the two-thirty list, ten in the two-twenty-five, and two in the two-twenty list. Strathmore, b. h., 16 hands, by Rysdyk’s Hambletonian. Dam, Lady Waltermire, by North American; second dam, by Harris’ Hambletonian. Has sixteen in the two-thirty list, seven in the two-twenty-five list, and two in the two- twenty list. Woodford Mambrino, b. h., 1534 hands, by Mambrino Chief. Dam, Woodbine, by Woodford (Thoroughbred). ~ Has ten in the two-thirty ‘list, four in the two-twenty-five list, and one in the two-twenty list. | Young Columbus, b. h., 15 3-4 hands, by Old Columbus. Dam, Black Maria, by Harris’ Hambletonian, by Bishop’s Hambletonian. Has eleven in the two-thirty list, and three in the two-tweny-five list. Mambrino Patchen, (brother to Lady Thorn, two- eighteen. and one-fourth) bl. h., 16 hands, by Mambrino Chief. Dam, by Gano, by American Eclipse. Has twelve in the two-thirty list, and three in the two-twenty-five list. | Tempest Jr., ch. h., by Tempest, by Red Bird. | Has THE BREEDING OF HORSES A SCIENCE. (375 ten pacers in the two-thirty list, five in the two- anlae list, and three in the two-twenty list. Unless I have overlooked the list, these twenty stallions are all the sires that have ten or more two-thirty repre- sentatives, of which twelve belong to the Hambletonian family, three to the Morgan family, two to the Mambrino Chiefs, and three to the pacing element. Following this I will give the names of all horses with records of two-fourteen, or less, trotting or pacing, one mile in harness, also the fastest records trotting or pacing, all distances, and all ways going. _ RECORDS OF 2:14 OR LESS, TROTTING IN HARNESS ONE MILE. | | | Time, 2:0934. Maud S., ch. m., 1534 hands, Queen of the turf and Empress of all the trotters, was foaled in Kentucky in 1875. Sire, Harold, by Rysdyk’s Hamble- tonian. Dam, Miss Russel, by Pilot Jr., by Old Pilot. At Lexington, Ky., Nov. 11, 1884. Time, 2:10. Jay-Eye-See, bl. g., 1434 hands. This celebrated gelding, which ranks next to Maud S., with a record only one quarter of a second slower, was foaled in Kentuckey in 1878. Sire, Dictator, by Rysdyk’s Ham- bletonian. Dam, Midnight, by Pilot Jr. At Chicago, Illinois, July, 1884. Time, 2:11%. St. Julian, b. g., 16% hands, foaled in New York in 1870. Sire, Volunteer, by Rysdyk’s Ham- bletonian. Dam, by Sayer’s Henry Clay. At Hartford, Connecticut, August 28, 1880. Time, 2:13%. Rarus, b. g., 16 hands, foaled in New “York in 1869. Sire, Conklin’s Abdallah, by Old Abdal- lah. Dam, by Telegraph. At Buffalo, New York, Aug. 3, 1878. ; Time, 2:13%. Maxy Cobb, b. s.,15% hands, foaled \ 376 THE BREEDING OF HORSES A SCIENCE. in Kentucky in 1877. Sire, Happy Medium, by Rysdyk’s Hambletonian. Dam, by Clark Chief, by Mambring Chief. At Providence, Rhoad Island, September 30, 1884. This is the best stallion record. Time, 2:13 3-4. Phallas, b. s.,15 3-4 hands, foaled in Kentucky in 1877. Sire, Dictator, by Rysdyk’s Hamble- tonian. Dam, by Clark Chief, by Mambrino Chief. At Chicago, Illinois, July, 1884. a Time, 2:14. Goldsmith. Maid, b. m., 1 5% hands, for many years the Queen of the turf and Empress of all the trotters, was foaled in New York in 1857, and is still living. Sire, Alexanders’s Abdallah. Dam, by Old Ab- dallah. Alexander’s Addallah, by Rysdyk’s Hambleto-. nian. Dam, by Bay Roman. PACERS WITH RECORDS OF 2:14 OR LESS, ONE MILE IN HARNESS. Time, 2:061%. Johnson, b. g., 15 3-4 hands, foaled in» Michigan in 1879. Sire, Joe Basset, by Billy Bashaw. At Chicago, Illinois, in 1884. Time, 2:11 3-4. Little Brown Jug, br. g., at Chicago, Ills. in 1881. Also the three fastest consecutive heats: PrigoR-A, 2.11 3-4, 2 ti 2 a2: 2:12. 1-4 Sleepy Tom (Blind Tom), ch. g. At Chica- go, Illinois, in 1879. This horse was considered the ) pacing wonder—being stone blind—and one of the sen- sational pacers of those days. He was foaled in Ohio mm }) 1867. Sire, Tom Rolf. Dam, by Sam Hazard. 2:12 1-2. Buffalo Girl, b. m. Pitttsburgh, Pa. 2:12 1-2. Mattie Hunter, s.m. Pittsburgh, Pa. 2:12 1-2. Rich Ball, br. g., Pittsburgh, Pa. 2:13. Gem, b. m., Cleveland, Ohio. 2:13. Roudy Boy, bl. g., Rochester, N. Y. pis THE BREEDING OF HORSES A SCIENCE. a0 2:13. Flora Bell, bl. m., East Saganaw, Mich. 1334. Fuller, b. g., Maysville, Ky. 1334. Westmont, ch. g., Chicago, Ill. fe, pike. Db. 2., at Buffalo, NY. 14. Sorrel Dan, s. g., at Saganaw, Mich. 14. Lucy, g. m., at Chicago, Il. 14. Sweetzer, g. g., in California. aie rare eS FASTEST TROTTING AND PACING RECORDS—-ALL DISTANCES AND ALL WAYS GOING. One mile, by a yearling filly—Hinda Rose, San Fran- cisco, Cal., Nov. 14, 1881, 2:36%. One mile, by a yearling stallion—Nutbreaker, Lexing ton, Ky., Oct. 14, 1884, 2:42%. One mile, by a two-year-old ee San Francisco, Oct. 22, 1881, 2:21: One mile, by a two-year-old, stallion—Fred Crocker, San Francisco, Nov. 20, 1880, 2:25 %. One mile, by a three-year-old filly—Hinda Rose, Lexington, Ky., Oct. 10, 1883, 2:19%. One mile, by a three-year-old stallion—Steinway, Lex- ington, Ky., Aug. 28, 1879, 2:2534. One mile, by a four-year-old filly—Sallie Benton, San Fransisco, Dec. 13, 1884, 2:1734. | One mile, by a four-year-old stallion—Albert W., Oak- fend, Cal., Sept: 5. 1882, 2:22. One mile, by a four-year-old gelding, Jay Eye see, _ Chicago, Sept. 23, 1882, 2:19. One mile, by a five-year-old filly—Trinket, Dover, Del. Sept. 30, 1880, 2:19 4%. One mile, by a five-year-old stallion,_-Santa Claus, Sacramento, Cal., Sept. 11, 1879, 2:18. ee — a 378 THE BREEDING OF HORSES A SCIENCE. One mile by a five-year-old gelding—Jay Eye See, Providence, R. I., Sept. 13, 1883, 2:1034 One mile, over a half-mile track—Rarus, Toledo, O., July 20, 1878, 2 Two miles, Monroe Chief, Lexington Ky., Oct. 21, 1882, 4:46. Three miles— Huntress, Prospect Park, L. I. /Séat: 245 FOR 2, Ferry Four miles—Trustee, eds Course, fe I, June 13, 1849, 11:06. Five miles—-Lady Mack, San Francisco, April 2, 1874, 13:00. Ten miles—Controller, San Francisco, Nov. 23, 1878, 25234. Twenty miles—Captain McGowan, Boston, Mass., Oct. 31, 1865, 58:25. Fifty miles—Ariel, Albany, N. Y., May 5, 1846, 3:55:40). One hundred miles—-Conquerer, Centreville, L. L., Nov. 12, 1853, 8:55:53. One hundred and one miles—Fanny Jenks, Albany, N. Y., May 5, 1845, 9:42:57. | TROTTING TO WAGON. One mile—Hopeful, Chicagu, Oct. 12, 1878, 2:16%. One mile, drawing 1,000 lbs—Mountain Maid, Long Island, 1865, 3:42%. | Two miles—General Butler, Fashion Course, L. L, June 18, 1863, 4:56%, and Dexter, Fashion Course, L. L,:~ @ Oct. 27, 1865, 4:56%. Three miles—Prince, Union Course, L. I., Sept. 15, he 1857, 7:53. THE BREEDING OF HORSES A SCIENCE. 379 Five miles—Little Mac, Fashion Course, L. L, Oct 29, 1863, 13:43 %. Ten miles—John Stuart, Boston, Mass, June 30, 1868, 28:02 4. Twenty miles—Controller, San Francisco, April 20, 1878, 58:57. Fifty miles—Spangle, Union Course, L. E, Oct. 5. 1855, 3:59:04. ) _ TROTTING UNDER SADDLE One mile—Great Eastern, Picea Park, N.-Y¥%, Sept. 22, 1871, 2:1534. Two miles—George M. Patchen, aa Cope: L. I., July 1, 1863, 4:56. - . ‘Three miles—Dutchman, Beacon Chiesa N. J., Aug. 1, 1839, 7:32}. | Four miles—Dutchman, Centreville Course, L. I., May, 1836, 10:51. TROTTING AND PACING, DOUBLE TEAMS. One mile—Maxy Cobb and Neta Medium, New York, Nov. 13, 1884, 2:1534:) Four in hand—W. J. Gordon’s team, 2:40. One hundred miles—Master Burke and Robin, 1834, 10: ay 22. TROTTER WITH RUNNING MATE. One m:le—H. B. Winship and Gabe Case, Providence, R. 1, Aug. 1, 1884, 2:06. Three miles—Ethan Allen and running mate, 1861, 7 10334. | PACING IN HARNESS. One mile—Johnston (gelding), Chicago, Oct., 3, 1884, 2:06. 380 THE BREEDING OF HORSES A SCIENCE. One mile—Buffalo Girl, Pittsburgh, Pa., July 27, 1883, 2:12%. One mile—Cohannet (stallion), Providence, R.I., Sept. 9, 1884, 2:183%4. Two miles—Defiance and Longfellow, Sacramento, Cal., Sept. 26, 1872, 4:47%- Three miles—James K. Polk, Centreville, L. I., Sept. 13, 1847, 7°44. : Four miles—Longfellow, San Francisco, Dec. 31, 1869, 10:34. Five miles—Onward, San Francisco, Dec. 11, 1874, 12:54%4. PACING UNDER SADDLE. One mile—Billy Boice, Buffalo, N. Y., Aug. 1, 1868, 214%. Two miles—James: K. Polk, Philadelphia, June 20, 1850, 4:57%4- Three miles—Oneida Chief, Beacon Course, N. J., Aug. 14, 1843, 7:44- PACING TO WAGON. One mile—Sweetzer, Chico, Cal., Nov. 21, 1878, 217%. One mile—Pocahontas, Union Course, L. I., June 21, 185s, drawing 265 lbs., 2:17 %. Two miles—Hero, Centreville, L.. 2B, Oct. 17, 1855, 4:59. PACING WITH RUNNING MATE. Westmont, ch. g., by Almont, dam by Cattrill Morgan, with running mate, paced a mile at Chicago, Ill., Oct. 31, 1884, in 2:0134. Minnie R., b. m., 2:0334 BREEDING DRAFT HORSES. The breeding of draft horses in America of late years THE BREEDING OF HORSES A SCIENCE, 381 has become a very extensive one, and is a business that the farmer who has good, large mares, though only of ordinary blood, can safely invest in, for the breeding of such mares to pure bred draft horses, cannot fail to pro- duce profitable results at once, whereas, to breed them to any other stallion, might prove a failure. The idea that a great many breeders have, that the breeding of draft horses will be overdone, and the market stocked so they cannot be sold, is an error. The demand for good horses of any kind, draft and road horses especially, will always exceed the supply, and that idea, like any other foolish one, the sooner it is abandoned the better, for the de- mand is all the time calling for more and better horses. The pet theory witli some breeders—and especially the owners of draft horses, that the breeding of draft horses is a safer business, commanding surer profits than the breeding of road, coach and track horses, has caused a great growth of favoritism for mammoth horses, and the Norman, Clydesdale and others have added vastly to the wealth of the United States, but this theory, like others that are harped upon so much will not always hold good. _ The man who is breeding ordinary cold blooded farm horses or any other class of horses, on a hit or miss’ prin- ciple, who is not educated in the more modern art of breed- | ing horses, and who is opposed to reading either books or papers upon the subject, cannot do better, and will cer- tainly increase the earnings of his farm by the introduction of any pure draft blood, for when so doing he has taken ya long step in advance. But the man who has standard | trotting blood of approved families and is engaged in breeding trotting horses, or may possess a few, or even : ’ 382 THE BREEDING OF HORSES A SCIENCE. one well bred trotting mare of good action, does not take a forward step when he introduces the draft blood upon such mares, for the average price paid for good track horses, of any age, broke or unbroke, is above the price paid for good draft horses, and the average price paid for weil-bred geldings, or mares, is far in advance of that paid for heavy geldings or mares, and for every “draft stallion that has been sold in the United States for 5,000, there has been five trotting stallions sold for $15,000,” and as great a difference has been obtained for — good brood mares. Again the price obtained for the service of a good standard bred trotting stallion, is always in advance of that obtained for a draft stallion. This has been one of the great drawbacks with the average farm- er, Who, slow to see, or rather omit, and adopt the use of a well bred horse, at a reasonable price, plods along in the same old rut, breeding scrubs, or else breeds his valuable trotting mare, to a draft horse or likely a jack. Again the average farmer seems to think—or at least such has come under my observation very often, that they can- not raise a good trotting colt, for if they do, they must have it educated to the road, and track, and _ probably have it trained to trot, and that is expensive, where if they raise a draft colt, they can work it themselves, or sell it unbroke. Now that is only anidea. It is no more trou- ble, nor expense, to raise or break a trotting colt, than it is adraft colt, if properly conducted. But on account of being of good blood—or at least ought to be—they will not stand the abuse that the cold blooded colt will, and if not properly handled are harder to control. But once ed- ucated to do what you wish them to do, let that be what “HIVGSHGATO HHL SZ, —— 7 ea I) ae i .\ 6 i ” 4 y i THE BREEDING OF HORSES A SCIENCE. 385 it will, do the work of the farm or roaa, they never for- get it, and are always ready for whatever they are called upon to do, more willingly, more capable, and far more trusty, than the cold blooded horse, and because a farmer may raise a good trotting colt, is no reason that he should spend the worth of it with some professional trainer, un- less desired. It will sell without track work for more than the average draft colt will, at the same age, and my experience and observations are, if properly couducted, the average farmer can raise both draft and trotting colts, providing he has suitable mares, and at a better profit than he can to confine himself to either one alone. PACERS AS SADDLE HORSES. The spirit of the farm says: “The impression prevails among those not familiar with the subject that any fam- ily of pacers are saddlers. Thisis a mistake. There is no animal of the equine race more abominable under sad- dle than a scrub pacer, in whose ancestry for a dozen years Or more, nothing but cold blood can be found. A brute of this kind would require as much time and space to turn in as a cow, would stumble on a wax floor, and, if he failed to break his rider’s neck in this way, would jolt the life out of him in arough pace. From this fam- _ ily of pacers no good can ever come until they are crossed with some blood that wlll give them action. But there is another class of pacers that stand pre-eminently above all other species of the horse kind, from their loins have come the kings and queens of the trotting and pacing turf and the best saddle horses of the country. ‘These show the clean limbs and supple action of the thoroughbred blood that has nicked so kindly with their pacing ancestors. It 386 THE BREEDING OF HORSES A SCIENCE. is from stallions of this kind, with two, three, or four pac- ing crosses on top of a thoroughbred foundation, that tle best saddle horses will come when coupled with one-half or three-quarters thoroughbred running mares, so that the produce will have trom 30 to 4o per cent. of thor- oughbred blood in it. It is generally conceded that a thoroughbred can live longer and go further under the saddle, with weight up in proportion to his size, than any other horse. Nature seems to have intended him espec- ially for this purpose. But in breeding the saddle horse as described, man has improved upon nature, and secured not only a more serviceable animal, but one that will stand more constant riding. Asa rule a pure thoroughbred has no inclination to go any of the artificial saddle gaits, and when forced out of a walk goes into a trot, and out of this into a gallop. On the other hand a well-bred saddle horse will glide along five or seven miles an hour, in a smooth, frictionless running-walk, or fox-trot, without a jar to himself or rider; and at either of those gaits will go further with less fatigue to both horse and rider, than a thoronghbred carrying the same weight and moving at the said speed in a trot. The thoroughbred will last, and upon this line we rely for courage, activity, capacity, and willingness to yo. But he is not inclined to the saddle gaits, and takes them with an effort when compelled to. When, however, his blood is mixed with that of a well- bred pacer the produce has a natural disposition to saddle, in addition to the valuable qualities of the runner. For ythis reasongit is necessary to unite the two lines of blood “n one animal, in order to get the best material that nature THE BREEDING OF HORSES A SCIENCE. 387 | can give, and out of which a first-class saddle horse can be made.” «The memory of man extends to the day when the boys on the farm were proud to ride a fine young horse to church or tosee the girls. They took pride in the colts, and taught them to move freely uuder the saddle, and above all, when the colt was broken he was taught to walk. Now the boys must have a fine buggy and har- ness, and the colt must show his style and speed all the time. The boy is in too great a hurry to allow the colt to walk. The colt, buggy and boy, are soon a used up set by fast driving. If we could return to the fashion of riding on horseback, we would save millions to the farmers, and the bovs and girls would develop better forms and have better health. Any lazy lout can ride in a buggy, but to be a graceful rider on horseback, one must have some energy and get up in theirnature. There is life and health in riding on horse- back. The whole system feels the invigorating effect of it. The rider and the horse catch the fire of sympathy and excitement in the run or fast paces, and every nerve and muscle of the body is brought into healthful, invigor- ating play. The farmer will find it to his interest to raise a class of colts that the boys would like to ride. He can raise three or four fine saddle colts for what one buggy and harness will cost, and a fair saddle horse will always sell at a good price.” THE GENERAL PURPOSE HORSE. The diversity of opinion among horsemen, upon this question, as how the general purpose horse should be bred is as great, probably, as upon any other one question in 388 THE BREEDING OF HORSES A SCIENCE. the art of breeding horses. Some breeders claim that the best general purpose horse, is one produced by a cross of a high-bred racer, or trotter upon large cold blooded mares. Others claim right vis. vesra to this ; while oth-— ers claim that the only way to produce such a horse, is by the coupling of large trotting or pacing bred stallions, with mares of the same kind. And if ever a general purpose class of horses are produced, one that can be relied upon as to its characteristics, my opinion is that the last men- tioned way is the best way, and the only way it will ever be done. That the gerieral purpose horse should be com- posed of good blood, that will give him action and stamina as well as size, no intelligent breeder will dispute, for without this, how would anyone expect him to fill the numerous wants of man and serve him at home on the farm, in the plow or wagon, on the road, in the carriage or under the saddle. A general purpose horse, like a gen- eral purpose cow, may be classed under the handy kind of animals, suited for a great many purposes under divers circumstances ; but to his value as a_ selling animal, he cannot be rated very high, for as a general thing the class of people that want him are not willing to pay a large price for a horse. Those that have the color, ac- tion and style combined with size enough for carriage use, full 16 hands high or more, are the horses of this class, that brings the best prices. Any intelligent breeder of these days need not be reminded of the value of breed- ing for some special purpose. What we need is not more horses so much as better ones. “ A hint to the wise is sufficient.” 3 | ‘CHAPTER XX. GENERAL INFORMATION Upon ithe Honse. ‘MANAGEMENT OF THE STALLION. —BROOD ‘MARES "AND, COLTS.—FEEDING, WATERING AND GROOMING. a SHOEING. - EDUCATION OF HORSES. ) In speaking of the various subjects as to the general management, of the horse, I shall endeavor to make it as. brief as possible, and only give such information as I think may be of benefit to the mass of readers of this work. _ Being an admirer of the horse, an extensive reader and close observer, with many years experience as to their management, if the rules as herein given are closely ob- served, they will be of great benefit to the experienced as well asthe inexperienced horsemen. | MANAGEMENT OF ‘THE STALLION. First I will speak of the management of the ‘stallion; which, if understood, is very often neglected by the owner. and groom. His stable should -be a_ box-stall not less. than twelve feet square, well lined) inside, with a box and manger snugly fit in one corner for the feed. The doors should be strong and securely fastened, ceiling high and the ventilators well up so as to prevent any strong draft of air upon the horse. Ina stall of this kind, the horse should have perfect freedom. and not tied unless. during the day. The stable should be cleaned once, or oftener every day, and never allowed to become foul, 390 GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE HORSE. This is something that should be observed in every stable, if you wish healthy horses. HOW TO .FEED. The food should be mainly good, sound oats—nothing is better’; but this should’be ‘varied ‘by’an occasional ra- tion of corn or barley ; for horses, like men, are fond of variety in their food, and an occasional change ot diet is conducive to health. Wheat bran is an invaluable ad- junct to the grain ration, and can never be dispensed with. It is the cheapest, safest and best of all regulators for the bowéls,-and it is especially rich in some of the most impor- tant elements of nutrition. No specific directions as to the quantity of food can be given. Some horses will require nearly twice as much as others ; and the quantity that may be safely given will depend somewhat upon the amount of exercise in any given case. Some ‘horsemen recommend feeding three, and others five times a day; but in either case, no more should ever be given than will be promptly eaten up clean. If any food should be left in the box, it should ‘be at‘once removed, and the quantity at: themext time of feeding shouldbe reduced accordingly. As:a’rule,it:will*be:safe to feed as much:as'the horse will eat»with:apparent:relish ; and:'then :with plenty of:exercise,. hewillnet ‘become overloaded with ‘fat. The hay, as the prain ‘fed,:should be‘sound, and ‘free from mould :and dust,:and ithe. stall»should ‘be: athe clean, well lighted and ~ perfectly ‘ventilated. The:amount of-exercise to ‘be given ‘will vary some- what «with ‘the:conditionand ‘habit of the horse. If he is thin in ‘flesh, :and it is thought best to fatten him up, the exercise:should be lighter thamitsotherwise would'be; sand, ~ \ | | GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE HORSE. 391 on the other hand, if there is a tendency to become too fat that may be corrected by increasing the amount of exer- cise thatis given. ‘The exercise given the horse shoud be such as will be expected of his colts. Draft horses should not be led or driven faster than a walk in taking their exercise and they will require much less of it than the roadster or the runnig horse—three miles a day generally being suf- ficient, while the roadster and running horse may safely have five miles, which should in some cases be increased to eight and even ten, ata much more rapid gait than the draft horse. ‘The point to be aimed at in the stable management of the stallion, is to so feed, groom and exercise as to keep the horse to the very highest possible pitch of strength. and vigor. The idea which prevails among many stable grooms that feeding this or that nostrum will increase the ability to get foals, is sheer nonsense. Anything that adds to the health, strength and vigor of the horse will increase his virility or sexual power, simply because the sexual organs will partake of the general tone of the system ; and on the contrary, whatever tends to impair the health and vigor of the general system, will have a deleterous effect upon the sexual organs. HIS EDUCATION. While the temper and disposition of the stallion are largely matters of inheritance, yet much depends upon his education. It is easier to spoil a horse than to cure him of bad habits when they are once formed. If thereis any appear- ances of a disposition to be “ headstrong” and unruly, he should never be led out except by a bridle that would en- ye . ‘ 392. GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE HORSE. able the groom to exercise complete control over him. _ It requires some skill and a good deal of patience to teach a stallion to behave himself properly when brought out to servea mare. He should never be allowed to. go on her with arush; but. should be led upon the near side of the mare, to within about ten feet of her, and made to stand with his head towards. the mare, about. opposite her head, and, when he is ready, he should be led towards her and made to commence the mount when at her side, instead of going a rod or so, with his fore feet sawing the air, as is oftenthe case. By observing these directions, there will be but little danger of injury to the stallion by a kick from the mare when he is mounting, especially if a good man is at her head to prevent her from wheeling towards the horse when. he approaches. The danger to the horse is always the greatest when he is coming off, because many mares will kick then, that will stand perfectly still when he is mounting. To obviate this, it is always best for the groom who holds the horse to seize the mare by the bit with his left hand at this moment, and bring her head around towards him by a sudden jerk as the horse is: coming off. But in most cases, indeed all cases where there:is: not absolute. certainty that the mare will stand perfectly quiet, the hob- bles should be used, and then there can be no danger. WHEN THE MARE SHOULD BE TRIED. A point upon which there is great diversity of. opinion — is, when and how often a mare should be tried after she has been served by the stallion. A mare will almost: invari- | ably be “in heat,”on the ninth day after foaling, if she is” . healthy and-has received no injury in giving berth to her — - GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE HORSE. 393 foal ; and in most cases it is best that she should receive the horse at that time, if itis desired that she should be _ kept for breeding purposes. We can remember when it was the almost universal custom to try mares every week after they had been served, but that is not the present practice of many experienced horsemen. The rule now _ that receives the most general sanction, is, not to try the ‘mare again after service before the lapse of 14 days, then the eighteenth or twenty-second day after service, and then, if she refuses the horse, she should be tried every week for some four weeks ; and then if she doesn’t come within that time, it is reasonably certain that she is in foal. She ought to be closely watched, however, for some weeks afterwards, because in some cases mares will pass over a period of one ortwo months, or even longer, without any appearance of heat, and yet not to be pregnant. Again there are other mares, and they are _ more numerous than one would suppose, that will appear to be in heat and will freely receive the horse when they _areinfoal, and even up to almost the time of foaling. _ Such mares are always very annoying both to their owners and keepers of stallions. | LT _ Again mares that are uncertain breeders should be bred early in the spring, and carefully watched in the summer. If amareis not with colt she will usually come in season again from 14, 18 or 22 days, and mares that receive the horse when taken to him but fail to catch after repeated trials, should be examined and _ oper- ated upon. By examination, very often with mares of that. . kind, the mouth of the womb will be found closed, and unless it is opened they will not get in foal. This is 394 GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE HORSE. contrary to some theoretical writings that I have read, but according to practical results that I have tried in my years of practice in the business. This is not a very hard operation to perform, and not a dangerous one. The hand should be well greased and the examination made with some caution. Another practice used with mares of that kind is, not to let the horse try them before service, if they are known to be in heat, but bring the horse out and allow him to mount at once, in this way she will be served before “her amorous desires are arrousedto so great a heat, and thus will be more apt to become pregnant. Again the practice of allowing two services only a few hours apart, or one in the evening and again in the morning, or vice versa, often proves successful, especially with young mares of nervous disposition. There are two other practices used by some horsemen, and which I have practiced with good results, upon uncertain and annoying mares. Oneis, when the mare is Known to be in heat, give her a good brand mash with two ounces of sweet spirits of niter in it, in the evening, and early in the morning allow the horse toserve her. The other is by bleeding freely either from neck or mouth. Both practices are calculated to relax the system, and reduce their amorous desires. Any of the methods given here can be practiced by any practical horse- man, and will prove successful, and are valuable to those owning uncertain and annoying brood mares. THE NUMBER OF MARES TO BE SERVED. The number of mares that a stallion may be permitted to serve during a season has long been a subject of discus- sion among horse breeders. It is generally held that the two-vearr-oli stallion will be all the better for not serving GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE HORSE. 395 any mares at all, that a three-year-old should be limited to fifteen or twenty services, and that a four-year-old should not go beyond twenty or thirty. It is very desirable, at the earliest possible stage in the life of a stallion, to ascer- tain what his qualities as a foal getter are likely to be, and with this object mainly in view I consider it wise to let the two-year-old serve a few choice mares, merely enough to show the character of his get. Asa three-year-old, I should, with the same object in view, permit him to serve a larger number, which may thereafter be increased with each succeeding year until he is fully matured, when, if properly taken care of, with reference to food and exer- cise, eighty mares may safely be served during the year, but this number in my opinion should never be exceeded. With the young stallion that is toserve but a few mares, I should prefer that these should all be served within the space of a few weeks—say two or three a week until his limit for the season has been reached—and then let him _ be withdrawn entirely from the breeding stud. He will soon forget all about it—will cease to fret after mares, and will have nothing to do but to grow until the next sea- son. But when it comes to doing business with the stal- lion, he should rarely be permitted to serve more than twice a day ; and even this should not be kept up for any great length of time. One a day during the season is better; but the groom cannot always do just as his judgement dictates in this matter. Another thing is that people suppose that they can compensate for a great deal of service by an enormous quantity of stimulating food or drugs, and no exercise. This is an error. Good sound food, given regular in the 396 GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE HORSE. right quantity, with some grass or green burdock— nature’s own remedy—plenty of moderate exercise, and ~ good grooming is the kind of treatment he wants to prove successful. EFFECTS OF AGE UPON THE QUALITY AND FERTILITY OF THE GET OF THE STALLION. Another point upon which there has been much discus- sion 1s, the effect which age has upon the fertility of a stallion ; and according to the information gathered from experienced breeders, it seems that the age of the stallion has nothing to do with his fertility. Hence the conclu- sion is that in the number of mares served, so in the mat- ter of age, the reproductive powers of the stallion appear to be almost entirely a matter of condition, and that age has no effect whatever upon the percentage of foals from a given number of services. There has also been much speculation as to the comparative value of foals got by a stallion at different periods of life. The statistics of the trotting horse furnishes us with abundant evidence to prove that here also, the age of the sire has but little or no effect. If any difference is observable, it is in favor of the more aged stallion, generally those inthe teens. . CARE OF BROOD MARES AND COLTS. : The next question to be considered is, how shall the mares be cared for while being bred, or while in their pregnant state? This I consider of as much importance as any other point in the art of breeding, for the wip reasons: 7 Re E First, upon the mare’s condition when served,’ depends largely, as to whether she’ will become pregnant‘ or not. For in poor health when served, she is not as apt to become GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE:HORSE. | 397 pregnant as if in good health and condition, but she should not be over fat. In the second place, it depends very much on the mental condition, when brought to the horse. Ifthey have been rode or driven hard for a long distance, and are hot or excited, they are more liable to fail, than if cool and quiet. Again, mares that have been used for along time on the road, and kept upon dry feed, are much harder to get with foal, than those that have run out and received all kinds of food, and the same may be said of quite young mares, two and three years old, or quite aged mares, as they arealways more annoying than those of middle age: Last, but not least, is the manner’ in which the mare is kept while in her pregnant state, for upon her health and ‘condition,: while in foal, depends the : growth, constitution and vigor of the colt. RULES To BE OBSERVED. First, be sure the mare is in good health when bred: | and give her such care and feed afterwards, as to keep. her in good health, and a thriving condition. For this’ purpose there is nothing better than to turn her out in a good blue grass or timothy pasture, and let her run at leisure, or if in use, on the farm or road, with a reason- able amount of work, good feed and care she will do just as well, and will thus pay her way. Her feed should consist of oats, midlings and corn, and if possible a run at grass of nights, or when not in use, for by this means the digestive organs will be kept in a healthy condition. Second, avoid heavy salting and clover pasture, espec- ially in wet weather salt should be given twice or three times a week, and in small quantities, or what.is_ better, keep rock salt where she can get it when wanted, or. use 398 GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE HORSE. soda in place of salt, a tablespoonful at a time. Clover pasture if used at all should be avoided in wet weather, as it is the cause of a great many mares failing to get in foal, or losing their colts when once pregnant. | Again, avoid pulling, hard riding or driving. The last two months of pregnancy, she should be fed liberally with a bone and milk producing food, good oats, mill feed, oil cake, hay, if not dusty, and some corn, and should be used regular at. slow light work, or else be turned out in a lot away from other horses during the day, and ifin the winter or early spring provided with a box-stall sufficiently large and well secured to prevent accidents, to run in during nights and stormy days, but if during warm weather there is no place better than a grass lot or field well fenced, and then often several mares can be turned together without any danger. Mares treated in this way, rarely have any trouble at foaling time. But on account of the colt being born as it is, many times, with the head covered with the placental envelope, which will smother the colt in a few moments if not removed, safety demands that they be watched by some person of good judgement, and capable of render- ing assistance if needed. A _ little attention at the proper time would save the lives of many valuable colts. A mare usually goes about eleven months, but the time varies considerably. By close attention, the time can be foretold quite accurately. A few days before foaliny, there will bea perceptable shrinking of the muscles about the loin and back of the hips, the teats will fill out plump to the ends, and not unfrequently there will be a discharge of milk from the udder. As soon as these symptoms Occur, the mare should be closely watched, as the foal may then ——-- ean "Ss GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE HORSE. 399 be expected at any time, whether it be more or less than the usual period of eleven months. THEIR CARE AFTER FOALING. After the colt is foaled, the mare should receive for a week or more, light, easily digested food,as mentioned before, and if possible, a run at grass—or if in early spring turned on rye wheat for an hour or more at a time with a rest, free from work of any kind. When the grass is poor, or the mare is not a good suck- ler, she should receive such food and in such quantities as will cause her to furnish milk as the age and growth ofthe colt may demand it. The first few weeks of a colt’s life is the most critical time of its existence. It is then that it needs careful attention. The mare should receive such attention inthe way of care and food that will promote good health. Her food should be so regulated _ that her bowels will be kept in a healthy condition, for if they become impaired, their condition is soon transmitted _ to the colt, which is the cause of the death of a great many, they should be closely watched in this respect, and if ailing, promptly treated according to the instructions as _ given upon this subject in the veterinary department. If a rapid growth in the colt is desired,it is important that it should be full fed from birth, and in case the dam does not yield milk enough to give a strong and steady _ growth, this should be supplemented by cow’s milk, and also by teaching it to eat oats and midlings. The colt can easily be taught to eat any kind of soft food, or sweet, warm skim milk, with occasionally a little oatmeal in it, will produce just as good a result. 400 GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE HORSE. When it becomes necessary to wean such a foal, it is only required to increase the amount of feed. WEANING TIME. The colt may be weaned at five or six months of age which is best done by keeping it from the dam fora few hours at atime, increasing the length of time at each separation. It willin this way learn to depend upon itself and be better for the mare. No rules can be given for feeding, pasturing, stabling, - grooming and handling colts. The breed, age, size and — disposition of the colt, together with climate, locality and surrounding circumstances, and last but by no means least, the good practical common sense of the owner should govern in each case. A few suggestions may be made, not as a guide, but only as the result of some experience and observation, and a good deal of reading and thinking upon the subject of horse breeding. Study nature, and conform to her laws as nearly as pos" sible ; but still bear in mind that you are rearing one of the most domestic of all animals. One of the first de- mands of nature is freedom in the open air. No course of exereises can do the colt or horse so much good. He will give full play to every muscle in his body, and ex- pand every air-cell in his lungs. And not the least valu- able part of this development is a good roll on mother earth. A horse that has been deprived of this privilege for most of his life cannot be said to‘be well developed. Another demand of nature is friendship. The well bred colt wants to be your friend. Treat him kindly and he will be one. Kindness will demand comfortable quarters, with abundance of sound food, and pure water. He ~ gk ee ee ee — GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE HORSE. 401 should at all times have free access to salt. In case his appetite fails, smaller rations for a time, or change of feed, willlikely be better than drugs ; but if showing much illness should receive prompt medical treatment. The horse colts if not castrated, should be put in a grass lot by themselves in due time to prevent accidents of any kind that may occur by leaving them run with brood mares or fillies. This should be attended to at the age of one and a half years, or before, as a well bred colt, or an _ early foal, often becomes troublesome during the second year. WHEN TO CASTRATE COLTS. The proper time to castrate colts, is something upon which there is great diversity of opinion, while some breeders prefer castrating them quite young, at the age _ of one year, and some even at six months or younger, others claim that they should be allowed to partly mature : first. But practical results has proven that the castration of colts should be governed more by their development thanage. Ifa colt has made a rapid growth at one year of age, and is well developed in front as to the head, neck _ and body, or if he shows a deficiency in the hind quarters, being light, he had better be castrated than allowed to go . a year or two longer, as early castration with a colt, as with any other animal, refines the fore part and develops the hind part. When the colt is to be kept for a stallion, ! he should be kept the same as any other colt, allowed | freedom in the open air at all times when the weather | will permit, and not kept penned up like alion. When two | or three years of age he should be allowed to serve a few \mares so as to test his breeding qualities, and when off 402 GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE HORSE. duty should be used very much the same as any other horse when it can be done with safety. ‘The heavy horse should be used on the farm, but the light horse should be used at just such work as his colts will be expected to per- form. His feed should be just enough to keep him in good condition, but not fat. Beware of over fat stallions, they are not sure brace and often some serious defects are hidden under super- abundance of flesh. | It has already been suggested that no exercise 1s so good as freedom in a paddock, a pick of grass, a bite of earth, anda good out doors roll, and an opportunity to romp and play and be a colt again. Therefore every stallion owner should have a paddock, enclosed with a safe fence and large enough for a good run. FEEDING, WATERING AND GROOMING HORSES. There is probably no other work on the farm which the farmer will find so much difficulty in delegating to others as to the care of the horses. The average work hand will over-feed with grain as well as with hay, but the watering of the horses and the clean- ing of them, as well as the cleaning of the stables, and to the many little things looking to the health and good con- dition of the horses, are neglected with impunity. Unless the owner is convinced that his hand understands the management of horses better than he does himself, he should attend to the feeding of the horses, and see that the horses and the stable are kept perfectly clean. A consideration of the anatomy of the horse’s stomach affords useful indications regarding feeding and watering. When convenient, horses should be fed and watered at — GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE HORSE. 403 short rather than long intervals. This is an obvious indi- cation, for the small size of the stomach precludes the horse from rapidly ingesting a quantity of food sufficient to serve for a long period. In the treatment of horses, the nearer we follow their natural inclinations the better. This is more forcibly brought to mind, when it is remem- bered that nature makes no mistakes. The horse should be fed in proportion to his_ size, and the labor he is required to perform. Andno more should be fed than it will readily digest. It is not what is eaten, but what is digested, that furnishes the strength and mus- cle. A horse that is not working hard every day does not require the amount of feed that one does that is kept busy. High feeding, unless the animal is heavily used, is a positive injury. Itis better to under-feed than to over-feed a horse. The first is only a temporary evil, but the last permanently injures the faithful animal. A fat horse is liable to indi- gestion, sun-stroke, cold, flatulence (colic), and ever so many other ills, which a horse in condition is not only free from, but if properly fed, cleaned, and worked, is not liable to get. Night is the only time when hay should be fed heavy, especially to animals used for quick work. Even the slow plow teams should have but little hay at morning and noon feeds, but give them a generous supply at the even- ing meal. By doing this, your horse will keep in better spirits and condition, and be free from any tendency to ‘“‘pot-belly” which horsemen so much dislike to see. ‘The best and cheapest way to salt horses, is to keep a piece of rock salt in the trough. They are then liable 404 GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE HORSE. to get all they want, and when they want it without waste- ing it. bai VALUE OF GROOMING. To all appearances a horse may be in good health and in a thriving condition, but little attention paid to him in the way of cleaning and rubbing, but it 1s evident that no horse can be in the best condition without a thorough grooming at least once a day. Don’t think that you have properly groomed your horse, when you have succeeded in scraping the dirt off so that your neighbor cannot see it across the field and laugh at it. ‘Too many curry their horses merely because others do, or because others might make fun of them if they did not make a_ pretension toward keeping them clean, and were they sure that no one would see them they would never use the comb or brush. They forget or never knew that while cleanliness is one of the objects of grooming, it is not the only or greatest one. The entire system of the horse is affected by the amount of rubbing it receives and the condition its skin is kept in. A beautiful coat of hair adds greatly to the value of a horse, and no one will doubt for a moment that grooming materially affects this part at least. Don’t be afraid of killing your horses with cleanli- ness—many a horse has been unfitted for work a month or two from a sore shoulder caused by dirt under the collarthat it would have taken but a few minutes to remove. ‘The feet of many a horse have been completely ruined by the shoes becoming imbedded in them, that it would have taken less than a quarter of an hour to have removed. ‘There are many little matters pertaining to the general welfare and comfort of horses on the farm that | : | ) | GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE HORSE. 405 might be mentioned, but to the thinking man they will present themselves, and by the successful horseman they will be attended to. SHOEING HORSES. Upon this subject—the shoeing of the horse—is one that volumes of information could be written; but the author will confine himself to such information as he thinks will be of value, and shall offer only a few hints which he hopes may prove beneficial. Horse-shoeing, like any other profession, requires study and practice. If it is worth doing at all it is worth doing well, and if the horse-shoer be bent upon improvement, his practice will be worth more to him than all the written rules in the world. Let it be his aim to dowhat he does, well, and if he be suited to his profession, he will soon acquire that knowledge of horse-shoeing by reading and practice that will enable him toexcel. Not all the fault of the bad or disordered feet of the horse lies with the horse-shoer, but owners of horses, and grooms are often responsible for many of the diseases which is found to lurk about the feet of horses, and they should see that their horses are properly cared for, and when necessary to be shod, that it is properly done. The shoeing of the horse is a very necessary evil. In his natural state the horse possesses a foot answering to all his wants, its growth being equal to wear ; but as soon as_ he is engaged as servant to man, there are but few horses, when in full work, whose feet will stand the wear and tear of road work ; hence the necessity of protecting them with a shield of iron. The comfort and value of the hurse very much depends on good or bad shoeing, in the ‘ —s. a 406 GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE HORSE. same way as a man walking in good or bad-fitting boots. If at ease the horse will show his natural energy and buoyancy of spirit, in contrast to the sordid, and dejected appearance of one traveling in pain; the one after work feeds with appetite and rest, the other is dejected, eats, and rests but little. These difficulties are discernable by those who are accustomed to horses and regard their wel- fare, whether he be master or yroom, and any defect should at once be amended. In shoeing the horse, as well as the man, the shoe should fit the foot, instead of trying to change the forma- tion of the foot to fit the idea of a shoe. One of the most important and least observed points in shoeing is the tread ; that is the proportion throw on dif- ferent parts of the shoe. On a _ well-balanced foot the wear of the shoe is tolerably even all round, except the toe, where there is naturally an increased friction and wear. The shoe should be evenly worn and the farrier on tak- ing off an old shoe should observe this and prepare the foot accordingly, for the chief thing to be accomplished is the manner in which a shoe is put on, rather than the pat- tern. Inchoosing a shoe the points to be aimed at are lightness and narrowness of irun, consistent with the class of horse and work; it interferes less with the natural struc- ture of the foot, and gives firmer foothold with less slip. A plain broad shoe without groove is the strongest,but allows free slip ; but is suitable for road use in summer, or for farm work and _ horses of heavy step. is HORSES WITHOUT SHOES. The advice to allow horses to go barefoot during work on the farm is of paramount importance. It will do more’ a GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE HORSE. | 407 good toward curing contracted feet than all other remedies. It will prevent contraction toa certain extent. Many severe cases of contraction by this simple and quite inex- pensive process can be permanently cured. Horses should be allowed a time to expand the hoof, and recoup by going barefoot. I mean alland every kind of horse, no matter how or where worked, if he can be spared for afew days where the work demands shoes. Let your horses go barefoot whenever you can ; at least two months a year they should be unshod. SHOEING COLTS. Colts should wea be shod light at first, and if the roads are such as to permit it, with tips. That is a plain shoe running: from the toe to front part of heel, and thicker and wider at the toe, than at the heel, Such ashoe comes nearer nature and is free from calks which may cause the colt to stumble or cut itself. Heavy shoes upon a colt and especially if they have calks, must feel cumber- ‘some and cause a difference in its action, also makes its legs weary in traveling, causing it to forge, cut its quarters, etc., while if it be shod as directed, there will be little or no difference in its motion. All colts when first shod should be driven with care. If it be desirable the second set of _ shoes may be heavier than the first. PARING THE FEET. ' Before fitting the shoe the foot should be dressed prop- erly, and made perfectly level ; this will best be made level with a rasp ; the shoe may then be fitted to the foot. This should be nicely done, so it has an even bearing upon the foot, the heels of the shoe should come close to the frog, but not so close as‘to touch it or interfere with it. 408 GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE HORSE. In shoeing the bars of the foot should not be cut out with the knife, or the frog interfered with, but let nature do her work with these. The art of shoeing consists of fixing a shoe on the foot in such a manner as to preserve the natural tread whereby the freedom and elasticity of action will not be impeded. This skill is accomplished or not according to the skill with which the shoe is put on, more than to any particu- lar style of shoe used, whether it be plain or with calks. The suitability of either depends on the strength, of foot, the nature of roads, and the kind of work required from the horse. So also with regard to the frog bearing on the ground. In a strong foot with strong, healthy frog, it may be allowed ; but :f the frog be soft or spongy it would be injurious, and lead to lameness. Under no circumstances should the frog be prominent beyond the surface of the shoe. The frog is constructed of a very elastic material. It forms an elastic pad, diminishing concussion and allowing a limited expansion, giving some freedom tothe action of the joints situated in the foot. Maintaining these parts of the insensitive foot in a healthy condition is of the utmost importance to insure a long life of usefulness. Carelessness albout horses feet produces much trouble. They should be closely looked after, and kept properly shod or trimmed, shoes should not be allowed to remain on to long, and when removed the clinches of the nails should be well cut and see that they are all removed and not allowed to remain in the foot to cause an injure. EDUCATION OF HORSES. Upon the education of the horse depends his. value. GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE HORSE. 409 Therefore it is necessary that he should be thoroughly and properly educated, and the person who undertakes this calling should first learn to pay attention to the most important factor of a true horseman, namely,“self govern- ment.” . Prof. York says: “The greatest study of mankind is man, and the greatest triumph is to obtain the mastery over ourselves. A hasty temper has permanently injured or absolutely ruined thousands of horses, man is superior to the horse only so far as he exercises that superiority of intelligence, and the moment he allows his passions to have full sway, his superiority ceases. Whenever the operator becomes heated and nervous, he should at once rest from his labors, and when he is cool and not excited, he will accomplish more in ten minutes, than he can in an hour of frenzied attempts at control. Strive from your first approach to obtain confidence of your subject, which once gained and never abused, will insure complete suc- me CESS. - REMEMBER THIS, You can teach the horse only through two senses, sight and feeling,and he can learn but one thing ata time. There- fore teach that one act alone. Make-sure by repetition that he unerstands you, and be careful that you remem- ber how you taught him. © It is the act in man that causes the act in the horse, and any change made by you in the manner in conveying to him a knowledge of your will, is sure to confuse, and he may fail to conform to your wishes from want of a conception of what you really mean, and not from a_ disposition to do wrong or rather not todo what you desire of him. Show your 410 GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE HORSE, horse exactly what you want him to do, and endeaver to use the patience and reason in teaching and controling you would at least believe necessary for yourself to under- stand if placed in like circumstances. Make your horse a friend by kindness and good treatment. Bea kind mas- ter and not a tyrant,” CAREFUL ‘TRAINING FOR HORSES, The education of the colt should be commenced at an early age and thoroughly followed up until old enough for use, One of the most serious mistakes that farmers make in training their young horses is in not doing their work thoroughly. When once undertaken the work should be made complete. To stop and start at certain words, to turn to the right or left at other words, or sig- nals, should not be enough, although many men who have the constant handling of horses are entirely satisfied with these results. The fact that horses are capable of learning these rudiments in training with as little teaching as they do only proves that they are capable of further training which may be carried to a considerable degree with profit as well as pleasure. It isnot necessary to occupy the entire day with a colt, or give it a lesson every day, but an occasional lesson at not two long intervals, will go a long ways toward his education. The colt should be trained and developed to make him as nearly perfect in his class as possible. The heavy draft horse should be true and steady, and move off with his load at a square vigorous walk, The trotter, pacer or runner, should have a free honest gait, which is more valuable than a record, gained perhaps at too great a cost to his physical powers, or by being forced past an honest gait. One of the most HSUOH ONILLOUL NVOIMANV AHL = ~ = ~ RS —— SSS NS SSVOIRD 0 UW ESU7T “V An OF LAO WAGO@ ~ONA ~ SS SAY ee _———- ll at EERE Ai ieee i Si eee See See se tt EES eee . _ 7, GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE HORSE. 413 important lessons now is for him to learn that he is becoming a horse, and that he should act like a good, sen- sible one, and not always be getting himself and master into trouble. And, above all, do not permit ignorant or brutal grooms to crush out that noble characteristic of every good horse, which Josh Billings calls “good horse sense.”’ Horses with high mettle are more easily educated than those of less or dull spirits, and are more susceptable to ill training, consequently may be good or bad according to the training they receive. Ifa colt is never allowed to get an advantage it will never know that it possesses a power that man cannot control ; and if made familiar with strange objects it will not be skittish and nervous. A gun may be fired from the back of a horse, an umbrella held over his head, a buffalo robe thrown over his neck, a railway engine pass close by, his heels bumped with sticks, and the animal take it all as anatural condition of things, if only taught by careful management that he will not be injured thereby. There is a great need of improvement in the management of this noble animal— less beating wanted and more education. Timidity in a horse is a fault which usually can be cured, but only by a course of kind and patient treatment. Rough usage will never accomplish that end, but is only calcuated to make trouble more deep-seated. If he scares at any object, speak to him kindly and let him stop and look at it ; give him a few gentle strokes on the neck with your hand, speak kindly to him all the time, and gently urge him toward the object he scared at ; be care- ful not to urge him too hard at first ; above all do not , a . ne i > ¥ + 414 GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE HORSE. whip him ; give him time to see that he is not going to be hurt ; when you can doso let him smell of the object, pro- — vided it is not some offensive carcass ; he will not scare at it again. When this has been done several times, he will have gained confidence in you and in himself. The timidity will soon wear off and your horse will be cured. Avoid teaching bad habits for the reason that it costs more to correct one, and form a new one in its place than it does to teach ten good ones. So in the care -and treat- ment of the horse that is sound and healthy, it is much less expensive to provide against accidents and disease, than to furnish medicines and treatment for repairing injuries*or curing diseases. AndI will invite your atten- tion to some ounce packages of Preventitives as given by Prof. York and others: To avoid accidents, educate your colts andaged horses as well, very thoroughly. Make your control absolute, and thus avoid many serious accidents, as they are termed, but are often the result of negligence, or, to be plain, laziness. All the theory in the wide world, without prac- tical illustration thereof, is of no avail. Do not sit down and wish this or thatdone. Arise and do that which is needful, thereby increasing the value of your horse and adding to the safety of yourself and others. ‘Take time to examine-your harness and vehicle and keep them in per- fect order. Many a life has been sacrificed and much property destroyed through negligence of this duty. Adjust your harness carefully to the horse, and avoid galls, soreness, and subsequent atrophy of muscles swell- ing. Ill-fitting collars often cause these affections. Be sure that your horse is adapted to the work you . ey (aes “_ Ran —— a “ —_ | 2 | } GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE HORSE. 415 design him to perform, in size, form, and particularly as to disposition. Do not forget that the horse must go on foot while you ride, and avoid injuries from hard driving. Do not allow him to stand without covering when warm, in severe weather or in a draught of air, but cover him with a good blanket, and especially his front parts instead - of his hind parts, and thus escape colds, pneumonia and rheumatic affections. Do not censure another person for neglect of something you ought to have attended to per- sonally, namely, as to care, feeding, watering, or groom- ing, and discharge all help that neglects, or abuses your horses. Provide suitable shelter, food, and pure water. Allow but a small quantity of water at a time when your horse is heated. Feed but very little corn especially in hot weather. Fevers assume a more aggravated form in horses fed entirely upon corn. Oats, clean and bright, and good timothy hay are good enough for any horse.” Give each horse twice a week, a tablespoonful of soda, and the chances are they will never be troubled with colic, worms or bots. Do not increase allowance of food in anticipation of a hard day’s work. or drive, also avoid change of food after such. Commence a long journey at amoderate rate of speed and increase it if necessary towards the end, and not stop the horse to cool out before reaching the stable, where you are sure of care. Attend personally to that care. Before you tie in stall examine its floors, and remove everything from the manger and see that there are no holes for the grain to escape. Do not let your pride overrule your judgement. I believe a strict observance of the foregoing rules will save many a person ina great measure, from the expense of surgical or 410 GENERAL INFORMATION UPON THE HORSE. veterinary aid and prolong the life of many a good horse. Retain the horse that is kind, and in which your family have confidence, and increase your care with his added years. Do not sell him, to suffer from neglect and hard usage in hisold age. ‘A merciful man is merciful to his beast.” And now having enumerated some of the most important preventives as to the care of the horse, I will give a treatise on their diseases, and also those of cattle and sheep. ‘This I will make as plain and brief as_possi- ble, avoiding all superfluous or technical language so the average person may quickly find, plainly understand and adopt their use. In this department as in all my for- mer writings, I shall not make use of any teachings except those that I know from practice, observation, or good authority, can be relied upen. This treatment, as well as the entire book, is intended to give the stock owner such information as will enable him to dispense with the unprofitable and perilous services of ignorant pretenders, and to apply rational means of cure when he happens to be beyond the reach of the accomplished vet- erinarian, and this, it is confidently hoped, it will accom- plish, for all who will intelligently study its pages. CHAPTER XXII. VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HorsEs. INTRODUCTION.—TREATMENT OF THE VARIOUS DISEASES, AND INJURIES TO WHICH THE HORSE IS SUBJECT.—FORMU- LAS FOR MEDICINES.—MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. INTRODUCTION. In discussing this subject I propose to depart from the usual method adopted by other works of this kind and instead of discussing at length the different treatments of stock, with a long article relative to pathology, symptoms and diagnosis of each case, which causes delay and tends to weary the reader without conferring any lasting benefit, to proceed, and give in as briefa way as possible the treatment for some of the most common and frequent ail- ments of stock, first among horses, and then cattle and sheep. In this part of the work, as well as in all other parts, itis my object to be useful rather than offend, or appear learned, and in offering to the public the informa- tion herein given, I shall do so with candor. I do not claim to be the originator of all the treatments given, but have in many instances tested the most of them, and know them to be of value. As medicines are only used to assist nature to effect a cure, those methods that will assist the most should be used, and my experience is that for inter- nal treatment, the proper medicines administered in sma! 418 | VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. doses, is far better than a heavy dose, and a proper appli- cation externally in most cases is far better than severe blistering or fireing. . Kind treatment in the way of good nursing will do more toward restoration of a sick animal to health, than so much strong medicine. Medicines, powerful in their nature, for good or evil, are often administered in large doses, when little or none is necessary, and such treatment is often prescribed by those not knowing what ails the animal, or without any knowledge whatever of the effect that such a mixture may produce upon the system, and strongly urge that it be administered, simply because somebody else had used the like, and the animaldidnot die. ‘This is all wrong. The first business, when called to a patient is to ascertain the cause of trouble. ‘Think for yourself, uninfluenced by the opinion of so many others, and give the patient prompt attention as is thought best, when such cases occur that are not properly understood and cannot be properly treated by the inexperienced, promptly employ some practical veterinary to attend to it. HOW TO OBSERVE DISEASES. The question is often asked: How to tell what the dis- ease is that this or that animal is affected with, as it cannot speak. ‘To this question I might repeat nature has but one set of weights and measures and these only should be used. ‘Thus, if a horse or other animal has corns or an injured foot, they will be as sure to go lame as they would with an ordinary sprain. The uneasy eye, the anxious expression, and the sharp peculiar look, tell its tale of suf- fering, and the description is so plain and true, that every one should learn to interpret them. Often the suffering Pe ae ee ee eee es _ Picky VETERINARY ‘DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. 419 can be told by the pulse, which is felt on the inner angle of the lower jaw, as being the most convenient place, the state of the pulse tells the condition of tlhe heart, whether the disease is of an exhalted or depressed character or whether sickness is at all present. The pulse is more frequent in the young than in old animals. In the full grown and healthy horse, it beats from 32 to 38 in a minute ; in the ox or cow, 35 to 42; inthe sheep, 7oto 75. For inflamation and fever the frequency of the pulse 1s 1n- creased, in the debility and depression it is slower, but sometimes quicker than natural. As the pulse varies so much it takes some practice to determine and understand it. A healthy horse breathes once to three of the pulse beats. When the breathing is not natural it indicates disease, but both the pulse and breathing can be quick- ened by exposure to heat, or the hot sun. Hence the advantage of placing animals in a cool and airy place when unwell, as it assists nature to cast off the disease. TREATMENT OF DISEASED AND INJURED HORSES. Co.ic.—Spasmodic and Flatulent.—Colic with horses is not an uncommon thing, and most every person who is in the habit of handling them, is acquainted with the cause and symptoms of this disease. Cause—-a change or exces- sive amount of food or water, or some similar unknown cause, which is the result of acute indigestion. Symp- ptoms—rapid breathing, uneasiness, pawing, lying down and rolling. With spasmodic colic the pain is more severe, and death occurs quicker than with flatulent colic, which is slow in its work, often the horse living for sev- eral days, and becoming partially or altogether blind. Treatment: Take tincture of aconite, and belladonna in 420 VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. equal parts, give on tongue from fifteen to thirty drops at a dose every twenty minutes, until relief is given. A colt will not require as much as a large horse. In a severe case when this dose does not give relief, the third dose, take sweet milk, one-half pint, turpentine, two table- spoonsful, and give as a drink. Give an injection of soap, salts, and warm water, and apply mustard and warm water to abdomen. The animal should never be urged out of a walk, and must be kept warm. In case the aconite and belladonna cannot be prookids | laudanum and ether, thirty to sixty drops at a dose, or twice the amount of spirits of camphor, in a small amount of water, or in one-half pint of whisky. Never resort to heavy drenching, puncture or violent exercise, such treat- ment has killed more horses than the disease. After the animal has recovered give him light food and avoid too much cold water at a time when recovering from a severe attack. Measures must be taken to tone the stomach, for this purpose use the condition powder. | Norr.—Every farmer should keep a bottle of aconite and belladona in the house for immediate use, for you will see by this work that it is very valuable, not only for colic and other diseases with horses, but for milk fever with swine, cattle and sheep, and hoven or paralysis when used as prescribed. | Borrs.—Symptoms and treatment the same as in colic. DYSENTERY OR SCOURS. This is something that occurs frequently with horses, and especially with road horses or colts. Treatment: If where, no other remedy can be pro- cured, take wheat flour, one pint to a gallon of water and VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. 421 give it as a drink, where they will not drink use one-third the amount of water, to which add one fresh egg, and use as a drench, if it can be procured, to this add one table- spoonful of ginger, and from fifteen to thirty drops of laud- anum, ora gillof whisky. Give every two hours until relieved, give light food, such as oats, bran, and sweet hay. INFLAMMATION OF THE LUNGS. PNeumMoniA.—This is a common and fatal disease with horses, and is caused very often by abuse and neglect which causes them to take cold. By riding or driving a horse until very warm and then stopping them in a cold draft to cool out, or by leaving a window open in the stable during a cold and sudden change, are some of the most fruitful catses. Symptoms: The first attack 1s rather slow, the breath- ing is more or less laborious, and the patient dejected and down spirited. The coat is rough, the body and legs cold, and bowels constipated, the patient stands with head and ears drooped and legs apart as if to prevent falling. On examination, by placing the ear against the side of the patient, over the lungs, a grating or tearing noise can be heard as the patient breathes, then prompt treatment must be given. Treatment: First make the patient as comfortable as possible in a good warm box-stall, well bedded, if in win- ter, and kept dry and clean if in the summer. ‘Then give on tongue twenty drops of belladonna, which will regu- late the pulse. Then make a thick solution of mus- tard and rub it wellintothe hair along the throat, chest, and over the lungs ; cover with an old blanket and leave 422 VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. it on for some time, if in cool weather put a blanket over the patient to keep it warm, wash the legs m vinegar and salt as warm as can be applied, and rub vigorously with the hands until dry to get up a circulation, then ban- dage with flannel. If the patient commences to recover with first treatment discontinue the use of medicine, if not continue to give once or twice a day the aconite and _bel- ladonna, and keep the patient warm ; as soon as it can be induced to eat, give soft food with the condition powder in it twice a day, and give a tablespvonful of tincture of iron in the water once or twice a day. Care must be taken not to give too much food until recovery is com- plete. OVER RIDING OR DRIVING Very often brutal or thoughtless persons ride or drive a horse so hard as to cause congestion on the road. Often the horse will reel and fall in its tracks, or upon stopping a thumping noise can be heard several feet away and they » can hardly stand. Treatment: Bleed freely in the mouth or neck, a drop of blood now is worth a pint in an hour, give a small amount of salt water at first and as soon as possible thirty drops of aconite and belladonna, repeat until relief is given, bathe head with cold water and keep the body warm to prevent chilling. If any evil effect is observed afterwards, use cleansing powders in soft food and turn on grass. INFLAMMATION OF BLADDER AND KIDNEYS. PROFUSE STALEING. This is somthing that horses are troubled with consid- VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. 423 erably, and. it is caused by bad food, or exposure to cold, rains, storms, etc. Treatment: Use the cleansing or condition powder freely for some time, and give one ounce of sweet spirits of nitre or evacuate the bladder with catheter, or for horse press into the passage the pith of an onion, and for mares introduce a little black pepper—this will produce staleing ina few moments. Foul sheath.—All horses are troubled more or less with foul sheaths, and they should be looked after and cleaned by washing in warm water and castile soap, then oiled with fresh lard or sweetoil. Either of these troubles can be told by the difficult staleing. COLDS AND DISTEMPER. These two diseases are of frequent occurrence with horses, but neither one at all dangerous if promptly attended to. Colds occur more with matured. horses than colts, and are caused by exposure and neglect. Distemper is a colt disease, but frequently old horses are troubled with it. Treatment: For colts give the condition powder in soft food twice a day, steam the patient well by placing a bag over the nose which has been filled with some hot hops and bran and then pour hot water in to keep up the heat, or put some tar in an old shoe that has a hole in the toe, set the tar on fire, and the smoke will come out of the toe of the shoe which can be held under the patient’s nose, and in this way well smoked. In bad cases bathe the throat well with mustard lini- ment, or distemper liniment, then smoke as directed. For distemper: Give the same treatment, smoking or 424 VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. steaming well every day, and using the distemper liniment until a free discharge from the nose is started, then occas- ionally to keep them running free, if they gather under jaw open with knife, as soon as ripe, which is as soon as the lump becomes soft. To hasten the gathering, apply under the jaw or throat a poultice of hops and bran. If - this simple treatment is effectually carried out, using good sanitary means to keep the patient warm and dry in the winter, and feeding soft food with the condition powder, and in summer allowing free access to grass. The chances are that you will not lose one horse in a_ lifetime with these diseases. EPIZOOTIC——-PINKEYE. This is a contagious disease. ‘That occurs once in a while in an epidemic form through the country, and kills or injures a great many horses. Symptoms: The attack is usually sudden and the horse soon drops its head and ears, and stands with back arched and braced legs as if to bring relief. ‘These symptoms are always accompaniea by a hoarse dry cough, rapid breathing, scanty, high colored urine, and hard muscus covered dung. ! ‘Treatment: Bathe the throat, chest and over the lungs well with mustard, and cover well with a cloth or blanket, give the condition or cleansing powder freely in soft food, smoke as in distemper once a day -and take tincture of gentian root and tincture of iron in equal parts, give on tongue three times a day a teaspoonful, use moderately in warm weather or turn out for exercise, and place all feed on the ground, which will cause the horse to keep its head down thus giving relief. This disease being contagious, it © VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. 425 is best not to bring the sick animal in close contact with the well, and by thoroughly cleaning the stable, using asa- fetida in the troughs, and feeding the condition or cleans- ing powders once a day to the well ROsseh it can be pre- vented from spreading. HEAVES. Heaves with the horse is similar tothe asthma in the human family. It can be observed by difficult breathing, wheezing and frequently acough. It iscaused by feed- ing too much hay, especially dusty or clover hay. This statement has been confirmed, as it is seldom known in the West where clover is not used. Treatment: Feed good sound grain, sweet timothy, or prairie hay, or corn fodder, and give twice or three times a week indigo water to drink. A piece of indigo the size of a large nut in one gallon of water, or use powdered alum, one pound ; oil of origanum, two ounces; arsenic, half ounce ; dose, teaspoonful twice a day, or smartweed juice, given as a drench, one-half pint at a time, twice a day for a few days. GLANDERS. The best treatment for this fatal disease, is to lead the patient to a suitable burial place and destroy it. Then thoroughly disenfect the entire premises by cleaning up every possible thing, and using whitewash and carbolic acid freely. No pains should be spared as this disease is highly contagious to both man and beast. BRAIN FEVER—BLIND. STAGGERS. Treatment, the same as for congestion. Paralysis: Bleed freely in the neck, and give three or 426 VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. four doses, one hour apart, of aconite and belladonna. FISTULA AND POLL-EVIL. These terrible diseases of the horse are of frequent occurrence, and very annoying and hard to cure, but the treatment given here can be relied upon, or at least it has been successfully used in many rae ee and highly rec- ommended. Fistula appears at the top of the shoulder blade, and on either side or both, at the same time, and also occa- sionally on the hips. Poll-evil occurs on top of the neck just behind the ears. Both these diseases are caused by a bruise. | Treatment: When they first make their appearance they can be observed by a swelling and soreness, and up to the time that matter begins to form, the corrosive lini- ment will be found very effectual to drive it away. (See prescription, how to make it.) This is a powerful medi- cine, and in using it the horse must be fastened so he can- not rub or bite the afflicted parts, as it will burn for a minute or two. Apply every morning with a smal! mop, for some three days, and then take fine powdered gun powder, mix heavily in lard, grease the part well and let go three days, and repeat the treatment over again three times. If this fails to check it, the treatment will have to be changed and one used to cause heavy suppuration. For this purpose use May apple liniment. (see receipt.) A thin coating should be spread over the afflicted part every morning and carefully washed at night, and then greased. This treatment should be continued until matter forms, and as the pass begins to ooze out, increase the amount of liniment and the length of time between dressing up to eC ‘ A ey ————— VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. 427 twenty-four hours, but not longer. ‘This treatment should continue for some three weeks, and always cleansing thoroughly with warm soap suds before dressing, but in using the corrosive liniment, never wash. In some three weeks after using the May-apple liniment, omit its use and make a liniment as follows: ‘Turpen- tine and ammonia each, one anda_ half ounces, croton oil, one-half ounce, mix, cleanse the wound thoroughly, and apply internally until healed. BONE, BOG OR BLOOD SPAVIN AND THOROUGH-PINS. These are ailments of the back and joints and are hard to do anything with, but with time and close attention they can be partially cured. | Treatment: Use the corrosive treatment as given for fistula, continue treatment for three or four weeks, and then let go for two weeks, and if necessary repeat, mean- time feed soft light food and the condition powders occa- sionally and turn loose in a box-stall or use at slow moder- ate work. Where this treatment fails have it properly treated by fireing or fatten and trade off. Beware of bogus quacks offering to cure these blemishes. RING-BONE AND CURBS. Ring-bone isa bony substance or growth that appears just at the top of the hoof, and extends clear around. It is caused by a strain and if neglected makes the horse very lame, and soon becomes hard and hard to remove. A curb is a long bony substance on the back part of of the leg just below the hock, -_ the same one be said of itasof ring-bone. | Treatment: For ring-bone the same as_ spavin. Another good preparation is corrosive sublimate, Spanish 428 VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. fly and venice turpentine in equal parts, to this add twice the amount of lard, apply once a day. For a curb if the afflicted part is feverish, first reduce the fever by applying the cooling lotion, [see receipe, | then use the corrosive liniment, bathe once a day, then wash with soft soap and hot water, continue treatment for a week, then leave go a week, if necessary repeat. ‘This same treatment will remove any splint or callous. CRIBBING—WIND-SUCKING. This strange habit of catching hold of some object with the mouth, and sucking wind is very common and no cause can be attributed for it, and no effectual cure. Some prevent it by buckling a strap tight around the neck, and others by running a fine saw between the front teeth, but a horse of this kind is frequently subject to colic and should be avoided. LAMPASS. This is something that horses and especially colts are troubled with a great deal, it is simply an inflammation of the muscles in the front part of the roof of the mouth, and have the appearance of ridges or bars. Treatment: Puncture them well with a sharp knife, and apply copperas matter. SCRATCHES AND GREASE HEEL. These are two. of the dreaded diseases of the American horsemen, although similar in their characteristics, grease heel is the most obstinate to cure. They appear on the back part of the leg, extending from the heel of the foot to the fetlock, and in extreme cases often reaches up to the knee or hock. The scratches begin with a scabby VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. 429 covering of the skin, coming in patches and continuing to spread until the leg is one mass of sores. Grease heel commences by the flesh bursting open, and an offensive matter oozing out. If neglected it spreads rapidly and becomes very sore. Treatment: Wash clean with soft soap and dampen afflicted parts with Dexter liniment for three days and grease with lard and gunpowder. This will cure any case if kept out of the water and mud. Dry snow makes nu difference, it is good to help to reduce the fever. In all cases turn on grass or feed soft food, and the condition or cleansing powder, to cleanse the blood and system. THRUSH. This is a disease of the foot caused by neglect, damp filthy stables, and also by a bruise or injure of any kind. It often becomes very bad before the inattentive owner or groom notices it, which is observed by a very offensive smell. Treatment: Clean out and pare away all the diseased part ofthe foot, then use the treatment as given for thrush. |See recipe.]| Apply once a day for two or three days and keep the foot dry and clean while under treatment. This will soon effect a cure, or clean out and apply salt and wet blue clay as a stuffing. DRESSING TO SOFTEN FERT. Sliced onions, one pint; oat meal, one quart; char- coal, one half pint ; boiling water, sufficient to form a stuffing ; stuff the feet and fasten in with a cloth poke if you have no boots. Thisis excellent for feet either sound or unsound, is valuable in case of founder. | INJURED FEET. In case an animal injures its foot with a nail or snag of 430 VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. any kind, examine the foot carefully and if possible find and remove the article, then clean out the foot well and apply turpentine or sea salt to the wound, cover with a tarred rag, and he sure to cleanse and dress every day so as to keep the wound open, after two or three days use the Dexter liniment in place of the turpentine or salt. In case of graveled foot, keep the foot encased in a poultice made of oat-meal, bran and warm water ina _ sack _ until open, then cleanse with soap and water and apply ibe Dexter liniment until healed. FOUNDER. Bleed freely in the neck and inthe small warts under the pastern joints. Take powdered alum, one-fourth pound ; sunflower seed, two ounces ; jimson seed, two ounces ; mix, dose, one tablespoonful twice a day for two days. If the pastern joints become inflamed and_ swollen, use sweeting liniment. (See receipe.) Feed oats and bran mashes, with condition powders and new potatoes in absence of grass, and re the onion dressing to the feet for a week or more. | For corns, pare out the foot well and apply the dressing or foot oil until all soreness is removed. : SWEENEY. What is known as Sweeney, (atrophy) is located in the shoulder or hip, it is frequently caused by a strain or wrench, in some way injuring the muscular tissues, and sometimes by diseased feet, which causes the muscles of the shoulder to perish for want of exercise. Treatment: Apply twice a day for several days some of the liniment made as follows: Oil origanum, four ounces; oil hemlock, four ounces; oil spike, two ounces; VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. 431 oil sassafras, two ounces; chloroform, three ounces; pow- dered camphor gum, two ounces; olive oil, six ounces; al- cohol, one quart. Mix, and shake well when using, Give quiet work or turn out for exercise, and keep the skin loose by pulling at it every day. Some cure this by taking an old and well smoked hog joal, fry it out, and in the grease obtained mix gun powder, then grease. with this. SPRAINED TENDONS. The horse is liable to sprains of the tendons, by accident or fast or reckless driving. Treatment: Apply hot water to remove the fever. Then use the Dexter liniment. SWELLED LEGS AND ANKLES. This is caused by the feet being diseased, or by impov- erished blood. | Treatment: Put the system in good order by the use of proper food and the condition powder, and bathe the legs with strong copperas water. If the feet are diseased treat them as for thrush, or apply the dressing. SURFEIT AND MANGE. These are skin diseases, caused by a weakened condi- tion of the system, or blood. Treatment: Use the condition powaer with soft food, and moisten the parts where the spots or lumps appear with coal oil, one half pint; lard, one half pint; carbolic acid, one tablespoonful. Water Farcey isanother skin disease that appears under the belly, and frequently gatliers, and water oozes out. Treatment: The same as for mange, or bathe afflicted parts with strong hot salt water, or use the Dexter lini- ment. 432 VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. Lice.— Treatment: ‘The same as for mange, except omit the carbolic acid. | HIDE-BOUND. This occurs when a horse becomes poor or neglected and system entirely deranged. Treatment: Use freely in soft food the cleansing powder, and if possible give grass and special attention to grooming. 7 SADDLE OR HARNESS GALLS, OR BOILS, These are so frequent and annoying to both horse and man that the proper treatment for them is of value. Where the horse can be allowed to go idle it should be done until well, but where this can not be done, then other means must be resorted to. First, the saddle or harness should be so padded as to take the bearing off the afflicted parts. ‘Then wash clean with warm salt water, and bathe with Dexter liniment and meat fryings or pudding grease, equal parts, which will heal any common gall, or paint over with white lead, or cover with a court plaster. Where a large collar boil has formed, cut it open and cleanse it out with warm water, then bathe it internally and externally with the Dexter liniment, by the use of a feather. A cheap application for bruises and galls, and to reduce external inflammation is a decoction of smart weed, two parts, and strong vinegar, one part. Make hot, pour over bran, and apply as a plaster, as hot as the horse will bear. BLIND OR WOLF TEETH. This is something that occurs with most all young horses, a small tooth that comes out by the side of the jaw tooth. Some people have great fear of them, think- ee ee ae | ‘ ' VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. 433 ing they cause week eyes. Some think not, but at any rate they are of no use and can be very easily removed, and are better out than in. But beware of the man that goes through the country pulling horse’s teeth, and be sure the horse’s tooth needs to be taken out before allowing it pulled. Occasionally a horse has a tooth that wants re- moving, as it is decayed or injured in such a way that it is annoying to the horse, and very frequently they need dressing, which any good veterinary surgeon can do, or you can do yourself by procuring a tooth, rasp. A VALUABLE EYE WASH. Take eee fresh hen eggs and break them in a quart of cold rain water. Stir until a thorough mixture is ef- fected. Boil over a slow fire, stirring occasionally, adding one-half ounce of sulphate of zinz (white vitrol) to the mixture, remove and the curd will settle to the bottom, and the liquid rests on top. This liquid strained, makes a valuable eye wash for man or beast. The curd applied to the eye will draw the inflammation out. The liquid, if strained free of any sediment and bottled will last a long time. The curd can be applied to the eye of the horse by making a hood so it fits tignt over the eyes, or one eye, and cut a hole for the other. Or take tincture of arnica, one ounce, laudanum one-half ounce, sugar of lead one- _half ounce, bathe several times a day wil! remove inflam- mation or soreness caused by a blow or otherwise, or where the inflammation has caused the haw to appear, what a great many call hooks, and what ignorant pre- tenders cut out, claiming it is a disease. Use either of the washes and they will effect a cure. ‘To remove slight in- flammation take cold salt water and bathe the eye, or belladonna, one part, water three parts, make fresh each A34 VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. time, will ‘soon remove it. If you wish to bleed, bleed below the eye. To remove dirt, etc., from the eye, in- sert flax seed. To remove film, finely powdered burnt alum, or equal parts honey and hen’s oil, applied with a feather, is excellent. CATARACT LINIMENT. | For a cataract of the eye, try the egg eye wash, or the honey and-chicken grease, if these fail to effect a cure I would recommed the following liniment: Sweet spirits of niter, camphor gum and oil organum, each one-half ounce; ammonia, one ounce; alcohol, four ounces; rain water, four ounces; apply twice a day for two days with a soft eye brush or feather, and keep the horse quiet for: the time. This was recommended to me by an old veter- inarian to be a successful treatment, and is worth trying,” for if neglected the horse is no better, if not worse, than a blind one, as it so effects the sight as to cause them to shy. COOLING LOTION. Chloroform, alcohol and Golard’s Extract, each two © ounces; mix,‘take one third the amount in a quart of rain — water, bathe twice or three times a day. ‘This is very cooling, and is used by a great many horsemen in rubbing out race horses, or on receiving a bruise to prevent cal- louses.: Another good and cheap one is, copperas, one- half pound, rain water, one gallon; use twice aday. Will remove fever and soften the skin. White oak bark ooze is also good, made by boiling the bark until a strong liquid is obtained. ‘To one-half gallon of the liquid add a hand full of salt, and apply twice or three times a day. LEG OR BODY WASH. Cider vinegar, three quarts; alcohol, I pint; ammonia, — i fea aig ?, VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. 435 2 ounces; chloroform, 2 ounces; sal. moniac, 2 ounces; tincture of arnica, 2 ounces; shake and apply to the limbs, then bandage; when applied to the loins or shoulders, and cover with a blanket; will stimulate and remove all soreness. FOOT OIl.. Oil of cedar, oil of hemlock and sweet oil, each 2 ounces; American oil, one gill; Neatsfoot oil, one gill; barbadoes tar, two gills; organum oil, one ounce; apply to frog and foot; will promote health and growth. | TO REMOVE CALLOUSES. Strong hickory ash soft soap applied once a day, wash- ing with hot water before each application will remove most any callous or splint. Fora hard and long standing case, use the soap and corrosive liniment. Another good preparation is soft soap, four ounces; spirits of camphor, two ounces; aqua amonia, one ounce; apply daily. A good general liniment to remove callous is, Dexter lini- iment, 2 parts; spirits of camphor, one part; apply once or twice a day, and wash off witli hot water and soap. The hotter the water the better, it softens the skin and opens the pores. THRUSH. Oil of cedar, oil of sassafras and gum of camphor, each one ounce; corrosive sublimate, one scruple; linseed oil, three ounces; keep the feet dry and apply once or twice a day. 7 MAY APPLE LINIMENT. Make a strong syrup of May apple roots, while boiling add one-fourth as much strong lard as syrup, keep stir- ring all the time to prevent burning, cool and put away for use. This is used for poll evil or fistula in their sec- 430 VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. ond stage when matter has formed, it will draw it to the . surface. CORROSIVE LINIMENT. Take one-half pint of turpentine, one ounce of finely pulverized corrosive sublimate, and one ounce of gum camphor. Let stand for a week, shaking every day, when © it will be ready for use. Always shake well when using, pour in an earthen vessel and apply with a swab, never the finger, and keep it out of the way of children. WORM POWDER. Ginger, eight ounces; black antimony, six ounces; fenugreek, two ounces; worm seed, two ounces; capsicum, two ounces; mix; dose, one tablespoonful once a day. A change of diet is always desirable. Pin worms, which always inhabit the rectum, and occasion persistent rubbing of the tail, may be most eftectually removed by the in- jection, every morning for a week, of three ounces of lin- seed oil and one-half ounce of spirits of turpentine, the agents to be thoroughly blended by shaking and injected into the rectum; or take salty lard and grease the inside of the anus. FEVER POWDER. Powdered gum camphor, two drachms; powdered opium, one-half drachm; powdered ipecac, one drachm;. cream of tartar, one ounce; mix. Dose, one tablespoon-. ful once or twice a day. ‘This is excellent to abate fever, COUGH POWDER. Pulverized blood root, lobelia seed and licorice, each 4 ounces; nux vomica, 2 ounces; mix. Dose, teaspoonful —— eS ie VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. . 437 on tongue three times a day. ‘This is very valuable for any cough. | CONDITION POWDER. For general use: Glauber salts, one pound; ginger, half pound; blood root, quarter pound; powdered golden seal, quarter pound; powdered licorice, quarter pound; sulphate of iron, quarter pound; mix thoroughly. Dose, one tablespoonful once or twice a day, as the condition may require. This is worth a bushel of the condition powders you buy. CLEANSING POWDER. For general use in all cases of blood disorder, hide- bound, etc., it is worth its weight in gold: | Spanish brown, 2 pounds; ginger, I pound; cream tartar, 1 pound; black antimonia, 1 pound; blood root, % pound; skunk cabbage, % pound; fenugreek, % pound; worm seed, % pound; indigo, 4% pound; copperas, 4% pound; salt-peter, Yy pound; mix thoroughly. Dose, same as the condition powder. | DEXTER LINIMENT. Oil of spike, vil of camphor, oil of stone, oil of British, oil of America, oil of opodeldoc, each one ounce; turpen- tine, one pint. This is the best general liniment I ever knew, either for man or beast, as it is invaluable for heal- ing galls or sores, either fresh or chronic cases, removing collar boils, callouses, etc., with horses, and all cuts or bruises, chapped hands, burns, etc., with the human fam- ily. Will also remove the soreness of corns or chilblains, and a great benefit with rheumatism or weak back. In using it for chapped hands, burns or fresh cuts, take lini- \ 438 VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. ment one part, sweet cream, fresh butter or vaseline, three parts. HEALING POWDER. Burned alum, one-half ounce; powdered chalk, I ounce; pulverized gum camphor, one drachm; calomel, two drachms; mix. Sprinkle on sore, will heal quickly, and is good to remove proud flesh. ; TO PRODUCE PRESPIRATION. Tincture aconite, in ten to twenty drop doses every twenty minutes. Clothe warm. STRAINED STIFLE OR WHIRLBONE. Fine salt, one tea cup full; ground black pepper, two ounces; spirits of turpentine, two ounces; white of six eggs. Mix and apply,.and heat with hot iron until dry. TO STOP FLOW OF JOINT WATER. Crocus martis, two ounces; sulphate zinc, one ounce; molasses, one pint. Use with a swab. Capped hock— When first injured, apply the cooling lo- tion every hour for one day, then three times a day for one week. If of long standing, apply Dexter liniment. Blisters only aggravate the injury and thicken the skin. 7. foe ii CANKER, SORE MOUTH AND TONGUE, ‘Inject solution of pulverized borax, alum and _ strained honey, each one ounce; warm water, one pint, several times per day, and give condition powders on tongue twice per day. Another.— Sugar of lead, bole ammoniac, and burned alum, each four ounces; good vider vinegar, three quarts; use as a wash twice or three times a. day, and keep the bit out of the mouth. SWEATING LININENT. Take two gallons of mullen leaves and one gallon of a a eS ee - —— ‘J 2h 4 cde Ms eed _ SSP tt ee EEE SS ——————— SE VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. 439 water. Boil until half gallon of juice is obtained; strain, to this add one quart of cider vinegar, one half pint salt, two ounces oil organum, one large beef gall; apply hot. This is one of the best preparations for injured whirl bone, or deep seated strains I ever tried; also for caked bag (garget) with cattle or sheep. When applied, dry in with a hot iron, or cover with blanket. ‘Che maullen liquid, vinegar and salt alone is good for swelled or in- flamed udders. TONIC PREPARATION. To make an old horse feel young and nimble, take tinc- ture of asafetida, cantharides, oil of annis, oil of cloves, oil of cinnamon, fenugreek, each one ounce, and black anti- mony, two ounces, put this in two quarts of Brandy, let stand ten days. Shake well, and give ten drops to every pail of water. This is better tllan ginger, whip or spur. Another good one is common soda, one pound; gun powder, one fourth pound; jimson seed, three ounces; mix. Dose, tablespoonful once a day for a week, in soft food. ‘lo prevent driving horses from chilling and con- tracting cold during the winter, feed them a tablespoonful of mustard seed twice or three times a week. CARE OF TAIL AND MANE. In order to thicken the mane or tail, wash well with soft water and castile soap, then dampen with common coal oil, One part, and whiskey two parts. This will prevent rubbing. Brush often with a soft brush, and see that the trouble is not caused by hen lice. ‘To make the mane lay down smooth, or on either side, wet and brush it often, and plat, or weight it. | PARTURITION. The natural presentation in birth of young animals, is \ 440 VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. when both foreteet are presented at the same time, with the head lying extended between them, or when both hind feet are presented, thus forming a gradual wedge with an easy delivery, rarely needing any assistance from man. In some cases one fore foot only is presented, or the hind foot, or the forefeet may be presented, with the head turned on the side, over the back, or doubled on the breast. In cases of this kind assistance is necessary to save the life of the dam, or at least severe injury. To give assistance, oil the hand and insert it until the knee or hock is felt, then partially return, double closely, extracting the knee or hock, then the foot. When the head is miss- ing, partially return, until the head can be straitened, then give assistance, always aiding when the animal strains, pulling downward as well as backwards. Very frequently it is necessary to attach a rope to the legs, or a hook in the eye socket or jaw, in order to give assistance, and may then take the force of two or three men. When it is necessary to cut away the limbs in order, to save the dam, the amputation must be either at the hips or shoulders, strip away the skin, leaving it attached to the body, the dissected parts being taken away, the balance will follow easily.. When it is necessary to turn the young, always turn down, not up. _ If flooding follows the delivery, apply cold water to the loins, and give injection of alum water. If the after birth is retained, oil and insert the hand and remove it with the fingers, when protrusion of the womb occurs generally, it turns wrong side out. Wash it off well in Castile soap and water slightly warm, oil it, then gently with your fingers, press from the center, constantly working from outside to center, and it will soon go back ‘VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. 441 naturally, and in most cases, remain without.any artificial restraint. Inflammation of the womb.—If this sets in it will cause shivering fits, and colicky pains, arching of the loins, vulva red and swollen, accompanied by a fetid dis- charge. . In cases of this kind the womb is dilated with a fluid, and highly inflamed. This fluid must be drawn -with.a.catheter; through which must be injected a wash -of warm. water, one quart, laudanum, one ounce. When ‘much: fever..prevails give 15 drops of aconite. at a dose every hour until relief is obtained. | _ DISEASES ‘OR INJURIES OF COLTS. Colts : are arobled: more or less with cecal diseases, ‘such as costiveness or diarrhoea, and those of the urinary organs, and very often prove fatal.’ Treatment: When colts are only a day or so old, they should be closely watched to see if their passages are natural. If consti- pated, take a piece of tallow candle two inches long, point it and carefully insert it in the anus, or give an injection of oil; if this fails to give relief give as a drench raw flax seed oil, one gill; croton oil, five drops. If the bowels are loose give as an injection, water 4 pint; laudanum, tea- spoonful; charcoal, tablespoonful; for older colts increase the dose, give the mother good, sweet food, of the nature the colt requires. If they cannot pass water give one tablespoonful of sweet spirits of niter. In case of injury to the navel by the string being tore off, to close up, caus- ing the water to leak out, cover the navel with cotton, over which pour collodion. This will form a coating, and can be kept in place by a wide muslin bandage being pinned around the colt, the bandage should be looked after every day and not be allowed to become very tight. Where the 442 VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR HORSES. navel ~— is not torn off, to close up, tie a string around it. “WOUNDS OR CUTS. ; All bad wounds or cuts should..be immediately. setihid up: This is very easy to-do, by putting a twitch ‘on the nose of the horse, also hobbles; or by throwing them, then taking a silk: thread and a spaying needle, and thus close the wound, then take lard and sufficient turpentine to-cut it well, take of this one part, Dexter liniment or coal oil one part, and:keep oiled. This will cause the wound’ :to slough off, and heal nicely without scarring. Ina great ‘many cases it can be quickly healed with a carbolic wash, water, one. quart; carbolic acid, one tablespoonful, keep ‘bathed. Or by the use of arnica, which is very valuable, or vaseline one ounce, carbolic acid, 30 drops. CHAPTER XXIL VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR CATTLE AND SHEEP. SORE EYES. —MILK FEVER. — GARGET. — BLACK-LEG. — _PLEURO PNEUMONIA, ETC.—GRUB.—SCAB.—FOOT. ROT, ETC., WITH SHEEP.—REMARKS AND REFERENCE. SORE EYES. A disease called sore eyes has prevailed to some extent among the American cattle of late years. The disease attacks herds very suddenly and without apparent cause, and seems to be infectious or contagious, both eyes. be- come very sore, and frequently they go blind in one or both. It, like the epizootic with horses, spreads through- out the country and causes considerable of trouble. To treat this, separate the sound from the unsound and from the building or yards where the disease has appeared, Give the affected a half pound of the Scotch powder at a feed in wet bran once a day, and bathe the eyes with the arnica wash for the eye. If possible keep the animal in a dark place during the day, or attach a cloth to the horns so it will hang down over the eyes. Some bleed below the eye, or apply a fly blister to the cheek, either, or both are beneficial. Great precaution should be used to pre- vent the spreading of this disease among the rest of the herd, or to the sheep. With common inflammation, or injure to the eye, with cattle or sheep, treat the same as ‘with horses. SCOTCH POWDER. Epsom salts, 3 pounds; soda, 2 pounds; ginger, 1 pound; charcoal, 2.pounds; sulphate of iron, 1 pound; powdered 444 VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR CATTLE AND SHEEP. resin, I pound; oil meal, 2 pounds; mix thoroughly. Dose, from ‘one tablespoonful to one-half pound, as directed. This powder is very valuable to use with all kinds of stock, with the following diseases: With hor ses, ‘for colds, distemper, epizootic, urinary trouble or. loss of. appetite. With cattle for hoven, dry or bloody murrain. With sheep for hoven, colds, catarrh, or in all cases of.:constipa- — tion or dysentary trouble, inflammation of the bowels. or kidneys. Also all milk trouble, such as milk fever, garget, inflamed bag with any kind of stock, and Bore wef swine or poultry as a tunic powder. BP a oe): : -HOVEN. For hoven with cattle, take a half pint of powdered charcoal; one tablespoonful of turpentine; and if at hand, 30 drops of aconite; stir in a quart of water and give as a drench. Hold the meee open with the hand a minute and the wind will escape as from a bellows. In case ‘the ‘articles named can not be had immediately, give the Scotch powder, one pint, or the swine tonic powder, one pint, and the turpentine as directed. For sheep u use the same treat- ment, only one fourth the amount: | MILK FEVER -OR GARGET. Garget, (caked bag) is one of the most common, “dine eases among cattle, often occurring. in. the spring, just after calving, or it may be induced by high feeding at other times, or even when running on good grass later in the summer, and it may be induced by eftorts to dry. off a cow too rapidly. Symptoms and treatment:—The;udder is hot, swollen and very tender. ‘First one teat will become -hard, then the others. The best remedy is to bathe the udder frequently with hot vinegar and salt, «ribbing it VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR CATTLE AND SHEEP. 445 gently with the hand, then make a fire with corn cobs. or chips in an iron pot, take a large cloth, and put one end around the udder, letting the other end hang down around the pot, thus smoking it well. One or two applications will give relief. Give in soft food one half pint of Scotch or condition powder, or in absence of this, the same amount of epsom salts once or twice a day until the fever is reduced, then give less for a day or two as they may require it. The better plan is to adopt preventive meas- ures. Examine the udder frequently before calving, and if it becomes filled with milk it should be drawn out. Feed the. cow sparingly with fresh hay, and milk her fre- quently after calving. Milk fever and its cause.—The conditions under which milk fever exists, or is caused, are various. The disease is seldom observed in the cow before the age of five years. It is more frequently found to attack animals in a plethoric condition. It more frequently affects the pure breeds than others, and is also more fatal with them. It seldom occurs subsequent to three days before calving, but always occurs, as a rule, after calving, and previous attacks favor its recurrence. Although the ewe is sometimes afflicted with the disease, and also the sow, and mare occasionally, it is more prevalent with the cow than any class of ani- mals, and undoubtedly is a local inflammation of the womb, which rapidly extends to other parts until the entire system is affected, and true puerperal or milk fever ensues. The animal becomes restless and uneasy, the eyes are red, the horns and head hot; the cow is irritable, finally becomes weak in limbs and unable to rise, and dashes her head about, sometimes with such force as to (446 VETERINARY DEPARTMENT. ‘FOR ‘CATTLE.AND SHEEE. - breakher-horns. ~The diseasesis not ito’ be. trifled, with, and as:soon:as the Symptoms are noticed give one pound of. epsom. . salts and a pint of raw linseed. oil, ag the bowels. must be opened, Cover the entire. body with a wet sheet t or blanket, and give aconite and belladona, 30 drops | ata dose. every, half hour until relief ; is given. “odd : necessary. repeat the dose of salts and oil in two hours until relief,j a6: obtained. _ Then feed soft food with the Scotch powder, as they may require ate okt their bowels are. loose : and regular, it will. require but little, if not, use it freely. ‘Keep. the milk. drain off by: milking often. . A pint of raw “Tinseed oil given ‘the day. before calving will prevent this dreaded disease. Another cure which Mr. William Hart- ey; of.Wisconsin, says he has used with good success, is “one: pint: and a halt of lard, one-half pint of coal oil given with, new milk warm, and repeat in two or three hours. It has. mever failed to effect a cure in the ten cases which | have ‘known it to be used.” This, no doubt, is very good ‘and. worth trying, and especially where the other can not ‘be, adopted, as others, as well as ‘Mr. Hartley, say they have, used it with success. ABORTION WITH cows. “Aeyortion; or premature’ birth among cattle is considered 4 disease, but I do not consider it a contagious one. The “Calf is invariably lost; ‘and not unfrequently the cow. If the ‘cow's survives, ‘she is almost sure to drop her-next calf at ‘about the samme period. Some have great faith in: “preé- ‘venting this, and’ contagious ‘diseases with horses. and -cat- ‘le by: ‘keeping a ‘goat: about the-barn. I have more faith tin” asafetida® given in ‘doses of ‘a'teaspoonful once’ or twice “a ‘month. -“A“month before the expected return time, and “ih Casé one cow loses’ her calf; it may-be wel! to give-other ~~ VETERINARY.DEPARTMENT FOR CATTLE ANDSHEEP. 447 ‘ones that are heavy with.calf some attention, for where this occurs, very often. 1t»is. on account: of some local ‘trouble, and calls for a change of food and care. The affected: animal should. be removed from the rest of the herd.as soon as she slinks her calf, as well as s should be at evidences ‘of the trouble. . COW POX. | This Guiendd may appear spontaneously among the cows .on the farm or in a.neighborhood, or may be communi- cated. by the hands. of the milkers from one cow to another. _It seldom ends fatally; but, while it lasts, it may -occasion considerable inconvenience, on account of the dis- charges and the inflammation of the bag and teats, which often occurs in this disease. In the beginning of the dis- ease, it will be proper to sive soft and cooling food and a ‘laxative of half a pound of epsom salts, or the Scotch ‘powder. Bathe the udder with warm vinegar and salt, “and ‘smoke as’ for garget. The milk should be drawn often, and, on account of the great soreness of the teats, as well as to avoid injuring or breaking the skin, the milk ‘should be withdrawn by means of a milking tube, carefully “inserted. After the milk is drawn bathe the sores with “the Dexter liniment, one part, lard, one part, or with raw ‘linseed oil, and to prevent it spreading, always milk the ‘affected cows last; or wash the hands well before milking “other Cows.’ ’ This is something that is more or less troublesome in’ “every dairy, or with farmers that keep ’ very many cows. CHOKE. es ° When an: animal is choked very frequently it can be told : ener the choke is, by its action. With high choke the ‘animal-holds its head: very high and often strikes with its 448 VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR CATTLE AND SHEEP. front feet, while with low choke it holds its head lower and keeps more quiet. Treatment: Give as a drench some oil, then if possible, get the animal to eat some soft wet food. This will cause it to swallow, and thus often remove it. If this fails for high choke; very often, if it is an apple, it can be felt, and mashed by holding some solid article against it on one side, and striking it with a mallet on the other side, or by taking the large end of a buggy whip and fastening a sponge to it, dip this in oil and push it down the throat. In fact, this is about the only remedy for low choke. ‘Toprevent choke, be care- ful in feeding apples, roots or pumpkins, and keep the cattle out of the apple orchard. EGAT, SMUT POISON OR MURRAIN. These diseases are of frequent occurrence with cattle, and often prove fatal, either by permanent injure or death. Inthe corn growing districts they occur more fre- quently in the fall of the year than any other season, and the probability is, that nineteen out of every twenty of such cattle so found dead, died from one or both of two promi- nent causes with which smut was not even remotely con- nected. One ofthese is the gorging of the animals’ stom- achs with an enormous quautity of highly stimulating food, much of it difficult of digestion, directly after their having been kept on meager, frost-bitten pasturage, or the scant nourishment of a straw stack, which was to tide them over from grass to such time as the corn would be out of the field. | Such a sudden and violent change could scarcely do otherwise than demoralize the entire digestive. _ system; and death, equally sudden, violent and unlooked ~_ for, ensues. The other promipent cause is the eating E VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR CATTLE ANDSHEEP. 449 largely of dry frosted grass or forest leaves, or -the woody, fibrous corn stalks and shucks—more especially the former—later :n the season when the better portion of the food has been consumed, and but little else remains, and insufficient water is taken to soften and float it up as it must be before the processes of digestion can be com- pleted; the mass comes to a stand-still, owing to impac- tion, forms a sort of blockade in the manifolds or third stomach, inflammation sets in and the animal becomes very sick and often past help. Treatment: As soon as the trouble is observed, which can be told by the animal separating from the herd, be- coming restless, lying down, then arising and moving slowly about, standing with a staring look, suddenly starting forward, and in doing so, often fall upon their Knees. Something must be done immediately if you wish to save the animal. The first result to be obtained is a physic. This can be obtained by giving lard, one quart; raw oil, one pint; or brewers yeast, one quart, or epsom salts, one pint, dissolved in aquart of warm water. Then to this add one pint of raw linseed vil, and either prepa- ration givenas adrench. The latter 1 consider by far the best. Ifthe animal seems to be suffering with much pain, give the usual dose of aconite and belladona or twice the amount of laudanum. In case there is any suspicion that the other cattle are affected, give the Scotch powder in soft wet feed twice a day for a day or two, to prevent any further trouble. . BLACK-LEG Is a contagious disease that occurs among young cattle occasionally, and often destroys whole herds, and spreads 450 VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR CATTLE AND SHEEP. over an entire neighborhood unless such means are used that will check it. One of the peculiarities of the disease is that it. generally attacks the most thrifty animals first, and proves very fatal, the animals often being found déad in the field before notice has been had of them being sick. There is no doubt but what it is to some extent, caused the same cause as murrain. 7 | ’ Symptoms: High fever, lameness, excessive tender- ness of the skin in spots, with deposits of black tar hke blood, and gas among the tissues, which gives forth a crackling sound when the spot is pressed upon by the hand. ‘The disease takes difterent forms, sometimes a bloody discharge oozes out of the sore, while again they dry up and crack open, or it may take an internal form, with bloody discharges from nostrils, dung or urine, the same as one: form of the swine disease, and like it, soon proves fatal. | in aan Treatment: Like swine fever, cholera in its worst form, but little can be done for it, except to treat the more mild cases, and adopt such measures that will prevent its spreading. Separate the sick from the well ones, and bury the discharges of the sick, and burn the carcasses of the dead. Give the well ones soft food twice a day, in which use the Scotch powder, and some recommend inserting a seton six inches long from the brisket upward, both treatments to be discontinued as soon as the danger is past. Give the affected ones the powder in larger doses, and also insert the seton wet with turpentine and bathe the sores or any swollen parts with any good stim- VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR CATTLE AND SHEEP. 451 ulating liniment, and avoid the use of the milk or meat of all affected animals. FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASES. Frequently cattle are troubled with sore feet and mouths, and become very lame or weak, and, if allowed to go uncared for. soon depreciate in flesh, or milk, and in that way proves a loss to their owner. With sore feet, the animal is generally attacked in the hind feet first, and they become very sore between the hoofs, and can be observed by the animal shaking the feet and refusing to stand upon-them. | Treatment: Clean and keep dry and apply the wash the same as for foot rot in sheep, or the Dexter liniment. Or run boiling hot tar into the sore, repeat every day until well. Treatment for sore mouth, the same as for sore mouth with horses. PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. This terrible disease among cattle, which has caused millions of dollars of a loss among the cattle of some of the foreign countries, has begun to gain a foot-hold among the dairy districts of America, and is to be feared as much, or more, than the swine plague. It is caused by a paracite germ, the same as contagious diseases, and by damp, filthy stables and yards, and is very contagious, and certain death. There seems to be no mode of treat- ment yet discovered, that proves successful, except to kill the affected animals and disinfect the stables and premises thoroughly, then quarantine the farm or neighborhood to prevent any animals that may have been exposed to the © disease from being sent abroad. This is a sensible, effect- 452 VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR CATTLE AND SHEEP. ual and lawful way of contending with this dreaded dis- ease, and one that should be thoroughly enforced by the American people before it has gained a strong hold, for then it may prove too late. HIDE-BOUND. With a poor and dilapidated, or hide-bound cow brute, treat same as for a horse in the same condition. Feed well with rich soft food, and use twice a day the condi- tion powders to cleanse the blood, tone the system, and aid the digestive organs. If in the winter or early spring, a good warm dry stable will be found to be very beneficial. URINARY TROUBLE. Cows are just as much subject 10 urinary trouble as horses, and can be observed the same way, by their repeated efforts to stale, but unable to do so. To treat this give as a drench sweet spirits of niter, one ounce; water, one pint, and then use the condition powder in soft feed. : SCOURS WITH CALVES OR LAMBS. To check this trouble, take sweet milk, put it over the fire long enough to come to a boiling heat. Let it cool, to one gallon of milk, add a cup of wheat flour, one table- spoonful of ginger, and one fresh egg. Give twice or three times in one day. GRUB IN SHEEP. An intelligent shepherd gives the treatment for this trouble, which he guarantees to work, if the sheep is not too far gone: Pour a few drops of turpentine in their ear, and to prevent this trouble, every year about the first week in June, tar their noses well, and give them a spoon- ful internally. Repeat the operation in July, August and September. If this advice is followed out, there will be VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR CATTLE ANDSHEEP. 453 no trouble withthe grub. For catarrh, use the Scotch powder once a day for a short time, and give the sheep good dry quarters and good feed. THE MAGGOT. The maggot, so called, is a formidable enemy of the sheep. The eggs that form them are deposited by the common blue fy. When sheep are wounded by accident, or are allowed to become filthy when troubled with diar- rhoea, the eggs or larva are deposited in vast numbers; the maggots soon become active, and spreading from their quarters and attack the skin, which they irritate and Cause to secrete a serious fluid. In time the skin is pierced, and the flesh suppurates and wastes away, being devoured by the multitude of maggots which crawl upon it. In wet seasons the mischief is greatly increased. To prevent them it is necessary to carefully remove the wool from about the tail so that filth may not gather; to watch for any accidental wound; and in warm wet weather, for any dirty tags of wool upon which the flies may deposit eggs. In case any maggots are found, there is no better application than common crude petroleum and turpentine, both of which are repulsive and fatal to fly and maggot. A sheep that is “struck” with maggots will remain sepa- rate from the flock, and may be lost sight of unless the flock is counted and the straggler found. Weaning time, when the ewes may suffer from caked udder, is an espec- ially critical period, and then extra watchfulness is called for, and the udder should be bathed with lard and camphor. SCAB IN SHEEP. Scab or itch with sheep is a contagious disease that shepherds have to contend with in all sheep growing dis- 454 VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR CATTLE AND SHEEP. tricts. It can first be observed by the sheep rubbing against any projecting body within reach. As it becomes worse, the sheep bite and scratch themselves until they become raw in places. Upon examination, white or hard spots will be found, often from which a yellow substance oozes out, and adheres to the wool. There is no treat- ment that will prove effectual, except one that will destroy the parasite and its eggs, and the best treatment for this is a strong decoction of tobacco and sulphur, used as a dip or wash at blood heat. This, if thoroughly applied once or twice is an effectual remedy. And with small flocks where they can be handlea, the mixture of lard, coal oil and carbolic acid as spoken of in this work, [page 431, Surfeit-Mange,] will effect a cure very quick. In making the tobacco mixture, good tobacco should be used, either the stems or the entire plant, and the mixture should be made moderately strong, with both tobacco and sulphur. It is utterly needless for a carelesss sheep owner or superintendent to attempt to cure scab, or any other contagious disease with animals, but those however, who will take the necessary pains, can always exterminate most any disease. To rid the flock or herd of any con- tagious disease, tlie diseased, dead or dying should be destroyed by burying deep or burning them, and the premises as thoroughly renovated as possible. Ticks on sheep can be destroyed by the aforenamed treatments. HOOF OR FOOT ROT. Hoof or foot rot in sheep is another very contagious disease that sheep men have to contend with, and which is very hard to exterminate. It maintains itself year after year alike on wet or dry land, and cannot be eradicated ex- VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR CATTLE AND SHEEP. 455 cept with considerable labor and skill. Anyone buying sheep should always be on guard for this annoying and contagious disease, and upon no consideration whatever, allow sheep brought upon the farm that are effected with it; or that shows lameness. To cure this disease, clean and pare the feet thoroughly, and apply the tobacco and vitrol treatment with a mop, or prepare a sufficient quan- tity ina long narrow trough and walk them through it. Keep the feet clean and dry, and repeat the operation once or twice within a week. The preparation of the foot is just as essential as the remedy, fur if every part of the disease is not laid bare the remedy will not effect a cure. The solution of strong blue vitrol and tobacco made as hot as the hand can be born in, having the liquid three or four inches deep, or deep enough to cover all the affected parts; then hold the diseased foot in this liquid long enough to penetrate to all the diseased parts. Put the sheep ona dry barn floor a few hours to give it a chance to take effect. ‘This remedy is said to be a dead shot when the foot is thoroughly prepared. Fields that diseased sheep have been running in should not be used for sheep for some time, and are best culti- vated before being used for that purpose again. Preven- tion is better than cure, and the diseases and parasites to which sheep are subject can be prevented more easily than they can be cured after they once commence their dep- redations on the flock. Want of care is the prolific cause of accident and disease among stock. The master’s eye or the owner’s solicitude are proverbially preventa- tives against trouble or waste; but if the master or the 456 VETERINARY DEPARTMENT FOR CATTLE AND SHEEP. owner will not trouble themselves to exercise the watch- ful care needed, we may be sure no one else will. In closing this work I respectfully invite all honest crit- icism, as well as correspondence and patronage, and will refer you to a few of the many I have worked for, or sold my work to as reference, and as they belong to the enter- prising stock growing people of this sient they can be relied upon. PRACTICAL EXPLANATIONS OF . HOG CHOLERA—SWINE FEVER. SPECIAL NOTES. In order to more plainly explain what hog cholera— swine fever is,.what causes it, how it is transmitted from one hog or place to another, and in support of my treat- ment, that I know to be correct, I will here give the an- swers to a few questions so frequently asked: Question.— What is hog cholera? Answer.—Hog cholera—swine fever is a lung, kidney, liver and intestinal disease. Q.— What causes it? They are not all sick alike. A.—It is caused by a parasitic germ, the same as Asi- atic Cholera, or typhus or typhoid fever with the human family or epizootic and pneumonia with other stock. (See page 155.) These germs do not attack any particular part.of the system, but. only work upon the weak organs, hence the different stages of the disease. The lungs are invariably more or less. affected. A diseased lung indi- cates a diseased liver or kidney, therefore the hog walks, as well as breathes, with difficulty... If the digestive organs are impaired, then the disease takes the intestinal form. which may cause constipation or diarrhoea, and inflammation. and. ulceration takes place. which causes death. When these organs are diseased, that shows that the blood isimpoverished, and then the disease may pro- duce blood poison, scrofula, and in certain stages what is called measles. Q.—How is it transmitted from one hog to another? A.—Principally by the well hogs coming in contact with 458 PRACTICAL EXPLANATION OF HOG CHOLERA. the passages of the sick. The poisonous matter is in the urine, manure‘and where the hog vomits. There is also danger in allowing the well to sleep with the sick, as the poisonous matter is in the place inhabited; therefore the necessity of separating the well from.the sick, and putting them in a clean place, and treating them in an open lot, instead of in a pen, or when the weather or circumstances are such that they have to be put ina pen, that the pen be kept clean, and disinfectants be used. Q.—Can well hogs in one field take the disease from sick ones in another field, by breathing through the fence. A.—No, the atmosphere takes up the germs and de- posits them on the dew of the grass, or in some other way that they are taken into the system with the food or drink. This is why the disease breaks out in herds or localities where there is no accounting for it, and why herds often escape when thus located. Q.— Why is it that a change of location will cee arrest the disease? A.—Simple enough, the change gets the hogs away from the affected place, and the exercise and probable change of food they receive causes a greater discharge of the passages, thus working the poisonous matter out of the system. (See page 197.) Q.—-Can the disease be carried from one place to another on the boots or clothes-of persons, as is claimed by some? A.—Undoubtedly; also by dogs, buzzards, streams, etc., as explained in this work, page 156. Q.—Why are hogs more subject to disease than other animals? A.—The hog, according to its size, requires more Oxy- gen, pure air, than any other animal. We know it car- PRACTICAL EXPLANATION FOR HOG CHOLERA. 459 | ries its nose closer to the ground than any other domestic animal, inhabits more filthy quarters, eats all refuses, and therefore is more subject to malarial fever or contagious diseases. Often it is noticeable that with sick hogs the symptoms are very similar to those of ague with people, — and that it occurs more in low or level, than in highlands. _ Q.—Is there any difference in the swine disease: in the | Eastern and Western states? Bs poet A.—No, only in the West, on account of the country being newer and hogs more plentiful, being kept in larger herds and receiving less attention, the disease assumes a more malignant form, and spreads more Je pee (See’ page 162.) 3 | . Q.—Does worms, lice or black teeth cause cholera? A.—No; worms only accumulate in a eran organ. [See pages 163 and 204.] The accumulation of lice, or with sore teeth only, shows the system is otherwise impaired. |See pages 206-8. | Q.—Will smut poison hogs? A.—No. [See page 208.] Q.—Did the Government or any state ever offer a reward for a cure for hog cholera? A.—No, nor not likely to. [See page 214.] Q.—Well, is there any cure that will save all the sick? A.—No; nobody but frauds and quacks talk that; but itis as curable as any fatal disease with any other-stock or the human family. Q.—Are the hogs any account after they are cured? _ A.—Yes, with my mode of treatment. Iso thoroughly renovate the entire system that they are just as good as if they never were sick. But hogs that never receive no 400) PRACTICAL .EXPLANATION OF HOG CHOLERA, treatment when sick, are neither fit for meat nor breeders, as the disease is transmitted. Q.—-Is there any. way. to. prevent this disease? A.— Yes; study, this book carefully and follow its instrue- tions;.and give the: hogs. every’ week,. once or:twice, the tonic powder ‘as: given.in my recipe, and they will seldom die.of any disease, and swine raising can be made a success. This remedy acts as a stimulant to. the entire system, keeps the organs healthy and the blood pure, prevents any clogging or souring of the stomach, stimulates the biliary organs and aids digestion, thus removing the prime causes of. all. diseases, and promoting perfect health. It will cause hogs to fatten much faster, saving time and feed, and also prevent their. rooting,,as it supplies the antidote that instinct teaches them to hunt. It thus rids the system of any parasite or disease, making the meat perfectly healthy for use. This alone should induce every farmer to take care of his hogs, and not only produce healthy meat for his own use, but for that of his fellow men, for it has been practi- cally demonstrated by eminent physicians, that diseased pork has caused consumption in the United States to in- crcase ten-fold in the past ten years, and is also well known that there is:at least’ one-third less pork consumed, than than there would be, on account of diseased hogs. N..B.—The author; in:publishing this work, intended to have the swine treatise in German as well.as English, but upon further consideration, concluded it was not necessary, as there are but few families but what can read English. PUBLISHERS: ALPHABETICAL INDEX. SWINE DEPARTMENT. Author’s Treatment—why it is a success ; 197 And special notes : 457 Authors propositions 215 Berkshires : 14 Best Breed : 19 Boar—his care 24, 38 and ae Breeding time 27 Buying breeders 77 to 79 Butchering 117 to 130 Breeds—cholera proof 149 Blind staggers 202 Blood poison 208 Black teeth 208 Chester whites 10 Chinese hog . : Corn—its value as food 20 aud 66 Cooking food 36 and 67 -Castrating pigs 51 Commence teeding corn 63 Color—its value 81 and 97 Cross hogs 107 Cutting up hogs 124 Cutting and curing meats . 126 to 130 Confining hogs 5 and 152 Cough 186 Cholera, what is it . 457 Dead hoes : yy. £08 Disinfectants 169 and 170 Drenching 187 and 188 Durocks—Jersey Red 13 Essex . , ‘ 17 Errors in feeding 150 Exposure to disease 157 External application 189 Explanation of Cholera 155 ard 457 First disease : : : 5 Fattening swine 56 to 73 Fine stock breeding 84 Feed or swill fur sick hogs 183 Founder ; : 202 Frosted hogs 207 Germ—theory 6, 164 and 197 Government inv estigations 159 to 171 Grass for hogs . 105 How many litters a year 28 to 37 How much pork will a bushel of corn make 66 How to forma breed 95 Houses or pens for hogs 131 to 145 Importations of swine : o Improvement of swine 5 a Improve your stock 90 to 97 Inbreeding et Injections 188 Incurable cases 195 Jersey Red —Durock 13 Judging hogs : ; a ee Kidney disease ; 201 Killing hogs 117 Lungs—how effected 161 and 200 Loval diseases 199 Lice. 206 Magie hog 3 10 Mixed husbandry 37-59 Meats—how tocure . 126 Medicine—see recipe or 185-6 Medicine—directions repeat- ed ; : 194 Mange 205 Poland China : 10 Pigs, wintering them ee Pigs—robbiny each other 44 _ Pigs, their care 43 to 55 Pedigreed swine 74 and 97 Pools or streams »-» 166 Pens—their objections 193 Practica! ex planation of chol- era 5 457 Pneumonia—lung fev er 200 Piles ; : ; : 203 Registers 76 Roots and Vegetables 99 to 106 Ringing hogs ‘ ; 106° Rack for hanging hogs 121 Rheumatism liniment 190 462 Rheumatism 202 Remarks a1 Suffolk ; 16 Swine breeding : es a Selecting breeders : 2a Sows—breeders—their care 39 to 43 Sows—pure bred 85 to 87 Show pens 78 and 88 Stock catcher 108 Swine disease—prevailing causes ; 158 to 157 Straw—manure and dust iiss: Swine disease—its infectious or contagious character 155 to 158 Swine disease—its treatment 174 to 198 Swine disease—explanation 457 Sort the hogs ‘ ; 181 Swill, how to prepare it 183 Sows with pig 162 Sore throat—diptheria 200 Snuffles with pigs . ‘ 203 Sweating pigs : 204 Scours . 204 Trichinae ae to 117 Troughs for hogs : 146 ~ Theoretical ideas 171 ‘Tonic powder, see receipe, or 191 _ Thumps ; ; LOS Victorias : : 15 Vicious sows : : -w TOY Wintering pigs By Weaning pigs 54 Wheat for hogs : Worms—Intestine and lung 152, 163 and 204 Yorkshire 16 POULTRY DEPARTMENT. Cholera 255 Dominicks 239 Ducks. 249 Diseased poultry 254 Eggs, how to preserve them 245 Eggs, their weight 246 Feeding fowls 236 Fattening turkeys 253 ALPHABETICAL INDEX. Geese. : : a Houses for poultry : 242 Improve your fowls — Investments 230 Incubators 235 Improved fowls 225 Light Brahmas yar Lice ; 246 Nests for hens 239 Plymouth Rock 229 Poultry 1n garden ‘ . 241 Raising poultry 221 to 226 Roup : : 258 Selections ot fowls 232 Sunflower seed 242 Sick fowls, how to tell them 255 Turkeys : 252 Treatment of diseases—see recipe and page 157-8 SHEEP DEPARTMENT. Breeding information 265 Breeding for profit 274 Coupling season 267 Cotswolds 271 Care and feed 275 Care—things to remember 278 Constipation : . 248 Ewes—their care ‘ ; 268 Feed and care : : Ree Foot rot 454 Garget — 444 Grub : - 452 Hamshiredowns Ft Hoven 444 Lambs—their care 269 Lambs—weaning 270 Mutton Breeds 270 Merino po Milk fever 444 Maggots . 453 Ram—his care ; 267 Ram, how to select him 268 Sheep hu sbandry 261 Southdowns pop Scours 452 Scab 456 Wool growers 262 ALPHABETICAL INDEX 463 CATTLE DEPARTMENT. Stock raising . : ~ 303 | Scours ‘ . 452 Aberdeen---Angus ogg Urinary trouble . 452 Alderney . ; : . 291 Water : . - 309 Ayrshire : . : 292 Abortion. 446 HORSE DEPARTMENT. Breeders, how to select . 297 Bull, hiscare . 310 Ancient horse ‘ 342 Butter making : : 334 American trotter 7 348 Butter packing . . . 337 Bellfounder, Imp . 353 Blackleg é 3 ‘ 449 Bashaws ; : oo7 Cattie industry : : . 284 Breeding a science . 365 Controling influence . . 298 Breeding rules : Ee Cows, noted milkers . 292 Breeding errors : 368 Cows, thei care. 311 + Blue bull BH | Cows, how to judge them. 324 Brain fever, blind staggers 425 Cows, how to buy . 326 Bone or bog spavin : 427 Cows, how to feed and milk 331 _ Boils, collar, ete : 432 Cows, stabled . ‘ 327 Canadian Kanuck ; . 342 Cow pox ea : : 447 Clays , ; 357 Calves, removing _, . 314 Clydesdales . : . -362 Calves, first year . : 315 Colts 2 : : 399 Calves—scours A : 452 Colts, weaning 3 : 400 Shoke . < . : . 447 Colts, castrate j . 401 Dairying. : ; : 321 Care of horses . ; 402 Dairy cattle ; : . 022 Colts, shoeing . ; 407 Feeding cattle : ‘ 305 Colts, education. 410 Feet---Sore ‘ F . 451 Colic, spasmodic and Flatu- Galloways : : : 288 ,. lent ; : . 419 Gurnseys ; : . 291 Congestion ? 422 Garget < : : 444 Colds, rit age ; . 423 Herefords é 288 Curbs : , 427 Holstein---Holland Se Cribbing ? : . 428 Handling stock 299 Cooling lotion . : 434 Heifers, wnat age to calve 317 Callouses 435 Hoven ; . 444 Colts, diseased or injured 441 Hide-bound : 452 Cuts--wounds ; 442 Influence of parents . 298 Drait horses ; ; 380 Inbreeding ; ; 301 Diseases, how observe . 418 Jerseys 3 391-2 and 323 Dysentry or scours ‘ 420 Milking, improper , 313. Distemper : . 423 Milkers, unruly ; . 319 English cart 362 Milk fever ; ; 444 Education of horses 408 and 414 Murrain : : . 448 Epizootic—Pinkeye . 424 Polled Angus A ; 288 Eye wash ; ; 433 Pleuro-pneumonia 2 451 Eye, cataract : . 434 Shorthorns : . 284 Feet, paring ; 2 407 Steers, large , 296 ‘Fistula 426 Show herds : . 3800 Feet, injured, dressing 429 Sore eyes : ~ : 443 Founder : 430 Scotzh powder 443. Footoil . : . 435 464 : ALPHABETICAL INDEX. General purpose hor-e rt Sion: aeOl Swat West” 426 Grooming horses : . 404 Powders, worm, cough and Glanders ; : 425 fever : , : . 436 Grease heel : : . 428 Powders, condition and Galls, harness, etc é . 432 cleansing ; 5 . 437 Giving birth . . ; 439 Powder, healing : 438 Heaves . 3 ; . 425. Perspiration, how produce 438 Hide-bound 4 : 432 Parturition, giving birth 439 Joint water . t -. 438 Rysdyks, Hambletonian . dol Kidneys— inflammation . 422 Ringbone : : : 427 Lunys—inflammation . . 421 Shire horses . : ' . 062 Lampas . : ‘ 428 Speed necessary. ; 069 Legs, swelled : ; . 431 Standard bred ; é 370 Lice ° ; ; 432 Saddle horses ... . 389 Leg or body wash , . 434 Stallion, management . 989 Liniment, cataract ' 434 Stallion, education : o91 Liniment, May apple . 435 Stallion, effect ot age . 396 Liniment, corrosive ; 436 Shoeing : ‘ ‘ 405 Liniment, Dexter : . 437 Scours 2 ; . 420 Messenger, in:ported ; 049 Staleing, profuse ; . 422 Messenger’s sons, ete . 300 Spavin : : Re Mamorino Chief. . . 93804 °#Scratches , ; : 428 Mambrino Hambletonian 355 Sweeney . ng Morgan family ; : 306 Sprained tendons : . 431 Messenger Durock : 308 | Surtfeit : 431 Mares, to be tried . 392 Sprained stifle or whatebone 438 Mares, uncertain breeders 393 Sore mouth and tongue 438 Mares, number served . 394 Thoronghbred horse . 344 \iares, their'care:.... 3 396 Trotting in 2:14 or less . 315 Mange : . : ete Trotting all distances See Normans . ! ‘ ; 361 Trotting to wagon : Roy be Pilat : : ; . 3348 Trotting doube . ; O19 Patchers . : : ; oof = Trotting, running mate . 3/9 Pacing element . . 808 Timidity with horse . 413 Popular sires ! 370 'Thoroughpins . 427 Pacing in 2:14 or less eee. Uae. : 429 and 435 ! Pacing, all distances : 377 Tonic preparation , . 439 Pacing, all ways .. . of9 Tail and mane care 4a Preventives to avoid - Wind sucking f . —. aa accidents ‘ : . 414 Wolf teeth : . -oae Pneumonia ‘ : 421 W hirlbone, sprained A 438 Pinkeye ? 424. Wounds, cuts ‘ ee 2 7 REMARKS AND REFERENCES. I am aware that a few books and a great many recipes and medi- cines for the cure and prevention of hog cholera—and their similar diseases, have been offered to tothe public; but few of them any good, and some of them extensive frauds, but what more could we expect? The excessive demand itself would cause this. And then there are few who have made the diseases of swine a special study, and fewer yet who have made their treatmenta profession, therefore we could not expect niuch else but failures. In offering this work to the public, which contains my Swine Treatise in ful!, in its improved form, as well as the formulas for the medicines I sell to dealers, which are extensively sold and highly endorsed, I honestly believe it will give universal satisfaction and fill a long telt want, for the following reasons : Ist. It is the only treatise ever published by any one who has made the diseases of swine and poultry a special study, and their treatment a profession. 2d. Itis not based on theory, but the work of many years ot hard study, long experience and an extensive practice. 3d. Itis a plain, practical common sense treatment, that the gen- eral farmer or stock handler can understand and successfully use. 4th. The drugs that I use are cheap and can be had at. any com- mon drug store. although I do not use anv copperas, sulphur, ginger, pepper, arnica, saltpeter, lime, venetian red, tobacco, coal oil or cas- ter oil, which constitute most all hog remedies. 5th. The explanations given in this work, as to what hog chakeee is, what causes it, and how it is transmitted from one hog or place to arother is based upon scientific principles, and I believe will be admitted to be correct when studied. 6th. That my method of treatment is correct and my remedies ef- fectua!, I will respectfully submit the following references, and ean furnish hundreds of others if necessary. J. B. SHOOK. REF RKRENCKHS. —_—_—eeOowTCOoOCO Jamestown, O., Aug. 21, 1884. To whom it may concern :—This is to certify, that in addition to my law practice, I ran a large farm and haye had considerable ex- perience and observation in the use of Shook’s Hog Cholera Remedy, and can say that if the directions are followed, it will do just what is claimed for it, and that Mr. J. B. Shook is agentleman in every sense of the term. W. A. PAXSON, | Attorney-at- Law. JAMESTOWN, O., Aug. 20, 1884. Mr. J. B. Shook, Cireleville, O.: Dear Sir —Please send me some advertising matter; we are having a heavy trade with your medicine; have sold over 1,000 pounds in the last four months. Will be able to work up quite a trade now. R. B. STRONG, 3 Druggist. JAMESTOWN, %., Jan. 25, 1885. Mr. J. B. Shook, Circleville, O.: Sir—Send me two dozen. pamph- lets and receipts as per contract. I sold 125 of your Swine Treat- ise last season in this, Green county, and have no trouble with them. — They give good satisfaction and I can send you all the recommenda- tions you want. I expect.to do well this season, if I have time to look after it. If I can, I shall canvass the county this year, as I have never introduced the work very far from home, though I have sold 185 of your treatises in .he county, and as to the medicine, I have ~ kept no account, but the sales have been very large. LISBON TURNER. N. B.—Mr. Turner and Strong bought the right of Green county of | me, and to say it paid them well is putting itin a mild form, and that my treatment has given satistaction the sales and remarks will show, as while I was visiting the Jamestown fair, Mr. John W. Smith, a heavy feeder and shipper of hogs, said, ‘‘your remedy ie all that is claimed of it. -I have been using it overa year, and I not only keep my own hogs healtny with it, but I have frequently bougnt diseased hogs, taken them home and cured them without losing any, aud made plenty of money on them. Every man should make use of it, then we would not be troubled with this hog disease.” During the day a great many men_spoke to me, as to my Swine treat- ise, and praised it highly, among whom was Mr. P. O. Johnson, Mr. Ryle Fornosdon, Mr. John Blakely, Mr. B. Rittenhouse, Creamer Bros. and others. | i ! (Sa % ‘received and given a trial. Lam much pleased with it as it seems to REFERENCES. | Wicnira, Kas., April 22, 18835. ic ae “Mr. J. B. Shook, Circleville, O.: Dear Be Your treatise for Swine te wg be all you recommend it for sick hogs. ALFRED JOHNSON. | he _ _ The following June Mr. J ohnson writes, “we are using your pre- 3 ventative with great success.” August 12th following he writes, “your remedy as a preventative or cure is a success. Please give me the price of this county, and what you will furnish the books for, as my son wishes to work it.” | Fuint, Micu., Feb. 6, 1883. Mr. J. B. Shook, Circleville, O.: Sir— Having thoroughly tested your medicine for ‘hogs, as well as the treatise 1 bought of you for swine diseases and their prevention, I am satisfied you havea ais .¥ ‘ eawork and I will now buy the right of this county of you. Yours, J. W. FOSTER. PLAINWELL, Micu., Jan. 24, 1883. Mr. J. B. Shook, Circleville, O.: Dear Sir—Enclosed find $5.00 for é ‘ oi send me the worth of in your Hog Remedy. + Januarv 29, 1883.—Medicine received and being used with good : “results. Enclosed find $5.00 again for which send me the worth of + in medicine. January 30.—Medicine is giving good satisfaction. Send me the y ia e. LEVI ARNOLD. Puan City, O., Aug. 20, 1883. Mr. James Mitchell, in paying me for over 100 head of hogs I treated for him, and Mr. John Dodge for 40 or more, said: ‘Weare K __-well satisfied with your work, ana that you understand your busi- __ness.”’ These gentlemen, as well as some of their neighbors, bought my treatment and have always spoke well of it. AsHMORE, ILL., June 16, 1884. Pe. ee Mr. J. B: Shook, Circleville, O.: Dear sir—En: ee find ten ($10) ke: dollars tor which send me your treatise on disexsed hogs. I have ; tried your medicine and consider it very reliable. Heys GEORGE W. OLMSTEAD. alee ra - * Pipeer Ciry, Itu., Dec. 4, 1884. To whom it may concern:—This is to certify that J. B. Shook, of a | Circleville O., came here to look after our diseased hogs. He was MBB. - -REFERENCES. highly recommeded to me by responsible parties in Ohio, and any — guarantee he makes I will be responsible for. Iam using his treat- ment and am well satisfied with it. JOHN A. MONTELIUS. : Piper City, Int., Dec. 18, 1884. . Mr. J. B. Shook: Sir—After giving your Swine Remedy a fair trial I am satisfied itis the thing and will cure or prevent the dis- — eases of swine. I had tried several high priced hog remedies, but yours excels themall. I want your treatment. JOHN BURGER. PIPER Crry, Inu., Feb. 16, 1885. Mr. J. B. Shook:—Your Swine Treatment is well liked here. Please send it to me for my brother. Enclosed find contract and money. The hogs you treated here done well, and I hear of no complaint. I think your work will sell well here now. PETER MILLER. Sater, O., Sept. 24, 1884. Mr. J. B. Shook: Sir—My hogs are now all right. Out of the 150 I treated under your directions, I only lost two small pigs. Please call and see me before you leave Venice, as | want to purchase a right of you. H. W. SCOTT. Venice, BurteR Co., O., Oct. 3, 1884. | To whom it may concern:—This is to certify that J. B. Shook, of Circleville, O., has been making his headquarters here ior some three weeks, for the purpose of treating diseased hogs. He has been able to make his word good in doing all he claimed he could do, and myself and the people hereabout are well satisfied that he under- stands his business. FRANK OCH. a | VENICE, O., Oct. 4, 1884. Mr. J. B. Shook:—The 60 head‘ of diseased hogs I treated under your advice are nowall right. They recovered quick with the loss of but one. 1 beg pardon for talking to you as I did at first, for you know we have been abused so much that I was discouraged, ‘but when’you offered to do all that was right, I concluded a man must be very foolish to let his hogs die and not try your treatment, and I am glad I took your advice. If you ever come this way call and see me. ORIN BROWN. CIRCLEVILLE, O., July 23, 1885. Mr. J. B. Shook:—t have edvefully read your Saale and can cheer- fully recommend it to farmers and all breeders of swine, poultry and other stock. I would not do without it for twice what it costs. I used your receipt jor hog cholera-swine fever in my herd of over 100 ~ head, which were attac ked during the last year, and it gave good satisfaction. Yours, very respectfully WILSON DRESBACH. oe i glows IAS 7. “ee ~ . z ae ope ie! hd ts * Ae f é LIBRARY OF CONGRESS SOIT p0008992794,