, 1861-04-12
Terms of subscription:
Agricultural.

DRAINING VRCHARDS.-Ne VISITED, moi
long since, the successful orchard of seventy
FIVE acres, owned by Mr. James Wakeman
of Cottage Hill, Du Page county. One Of
the leading features Of this orchard was that
the trees had the appearance Of being plant.
ed on ridges, which was caused by annually
blowing toward the trees. He commences
to plow next the tree first, which leaves a
deep fumow in the center between the rows,
which acts as a partial drain-a very eff
cent surface drain in winter. For wheRthe
snow is thawed by the influence Of the sun,
the ground being frozen, il runs into the
hoIlows. 1t can not penetrate the soil. If
the slope is completed to the dead furrow,
it goes there But if there is a hollow i'm
mediately about the body of the tree, it
flows there. / have seen it stated recently,
tha: the expansion or lifting power OF ice is
nearly equal to twice the lifting power of
runpowder. Hence the effect of body of
ice Immediately about the body of tree
hence, too, the Importance and benefits of
banking up with earth, in the fall, immedi
ately about it. have had trees destroyed
in this manner, by ice forming about the
collar have seen hardy grapes ruined in
the same way. Scores of trees, whose bod
les are otherwise protected by the sun, are
killed at the collar by this lifting ice 1t is
a good plan, l think, to bank up about
trees in the fall, and especially pillow or
chards as above described. ~ Prairie Farmer.
CUsE AND CURE OF HooF- -BouND.-Hoof-
bound is contraction of the horny SUBJ
stance of the foot upon the feshy part, and
thus causing a constant irritation, which
frequently terminates in an inflammation, thus
producing soreness and tenderness Of the
feet, and causing great uneasiness TO the
animal The disease most always occurs in
young horses, and the sole cause is shoeing
and its Encouragement Were you to pnt
a thimble on the end Of one Of yonr fingers,
and let it remain long time so tight that
it would cause the nail to curve in, produc-
ing irritation and pain, a similar state Of the
nail to the contracted hoof of the horse is
produced. The farmers il the West gen.
orally work their horses very young, and of
a necessity, get them shod early, and while
their, feet are growing and expanding rap
idly The injunction to the blacksmith is
Put tho shoe on 90 that it will stay" and
there it does stay, often to the pain, distress,
and ruination Of the poor horse while his
owner is astonished to find him lame, and
not knowing or suspecting the cause, calls
down maledictions on the blacksmith for
pricking the animal, or shoeing it badly
Many men never think Of having shoe
pulled of till it is worn out the neglect
has CRIPPLED many horse, making them lume
for life. No one ever saw hooi-bound in
horse that had never been shod, any more
than you would find corns on childs feet
that had never worn shoes.
1t is easier to prevent this trouble in the
horses foot than to cure it after it has been
produced. In the first place, never get
your horses shod, as long as you can posi-
bly, do without doing so. When you do
have them shod, don't allow the whole hoof
cut away, but have the shoe broad at the
heel, and not nailed close around to the point
of the hoof. II, after shooting, you should
let your horse stand in his stall most Of the
time, have bis shoes expanded at least once
o week by placing a pair Of blacksmith's
tongs between the heel corks, and widening
the shoe. This releases the tension on the
hoof, and allows it again to grow natural,
till 1t has again expanded as far as the shoe
will permit it to go, when the shoe should
again be widened. No shoe should be al
lowed on young horse over four weeks.
90, but the costp says one. We'll, if you
had rather ruin your horse than to pay ont
a few shillings for resetting his shoes, we
would say that you never should have one.
And il every horse upon your farm should
become useless in consequence, our sympathy
would be for the horses instead Of their
owner.
II by mismanagement or accident you are
the unlucky owner Of a horse with contract
ed hoofs, and you wish to remedy the defect,
take of his shoes, and if YOU don't have
much work to do with him, put him in the
stable with a low box filled with clay and
water, so that he can stand with his fore
feet in it oil the time he is in the barn.
Should it be necessary to shoe him, don't
leave them on his fore-feet over ten days
without resetting. BY thus keeping his
hoofs immersed in mud and water, they will
become softened, and gradually assume their
natural state again, and grow out instead
of in, thus removing the cause of irritation,
and restoring the horse again to q sound
state. If you are driving the horse upon
the road when it is dry aud hard, his feet
should be well oiled once day with some
penetrating oil; fish oil or lard oil is good.
After the horse has passed the age oil
seven, this trouble Of the feet does not as
often occur. They grow less rapidly, have
become harder, and the hoof is growing
straight out without increasing in diameter
as the foot has matured ngrowth, and thert
is no further occasion to expand the cas'
surrounding it.
And now, kind reader, when you arr
drivinga crippled horse caused by contracted
hoof, you can sympathize with him little
If you can but just remember how your fee
made you groan wien you had plenty o
corns on your toes, and drawn over them
pair OF tight boots-F Farmers Advocate
PVA silent wag-the wag Of dogs tail