Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1870-06-03
agricultural.


One Cause of Disease ia 4aiDsois.
Professor James Law. Of Cornell Uni
ysrsiiy, in hate address before the New
York State Agricultural Society, on IRA.
tional and Irrational Treatment of Ami
mails" says that many of the diseases oi
sheep, neat stock, and indeed horses, are
caused by pasturing them on low.lying,
wet. undrained lands. Among these dis
eases are the black tongue and yellow
water or dropsy in cattle, siaggers and
moon blindness in horses, foot.rot in
sheep and cattle, and most of the worms
of all farm stock. especially in the fluke
worms OF sheep. Many farms in Great
Britain could be mentioned from which
foot-rot has been virtually banishe,l by q
thorough drainage and consequent in
creased firmness and dryness of the soil.
II could point says Prof. Low, ''to
many farms in the south of Scotland, and
in England, where. before the adoption
OF thorough land drainage, black
tongue or black quarter yearly REQUIRED,
but from which they have disappeared
with the Inauguration of n moro porous
condition OF the soil Waldo reports,
concerning the district of Potsdam, which
was formerly decimated by these mala-
dies, that since the cultivation of the
meadows and the feeding of the cattle in
doors the losses have been greatly
diminished. Bull reports, of DOMAIN
worth. where these maladieS wclo for
merly rife, that they have completely
disa ppcared since the drainage OF the
wet Lands has been thoroughly carried
OUT lie also states that climate and To-
cality has SO great influence ON moon
blindness in horses that on the wet lands,
to the north of the PyrenneeS, nearly ali
horses are attacked by IL; bat the Span
iards, on the south of this mountain chain
donothositate TO buy up the young horses
which have only had just one attack
of the malady, since experience has
taught them if these animals are rcmov-
cd 10 the high grounds OF Catalonia. they
rarely suffer from another attack. In
England the dropsics or yellow water OF
al domestic animals prevail to a great
extent or those lands which barely rise
above the sea level and where drainage
is, consequently, very partial and imper-
feet. Prof. Law also believes the disease
common in this country on UNFRAMED
lands, aud its increased prevalence,
dun ing the past year. he thinks, may be
attributed to the aggravation ol this
caused by the wet and cloudy summer,
In conclusion nc says:
I'VE have thus placed before rs =
long list OF diseases more or less direct
Is dependent on UNFRAMED oil Tor their
extensive prevalence. in many localities
in America. mainly to this cause. will
not venture even an approximate est
mate OF the enormous losses from these
diseases over the esiire continent, but,
judging from the reports of the Com
missioner OF Agriculture, they make up
"a very large proportion OF the entire,
losses sustained in live stock. And II
the statement Olthc Hon. Horace Capron,
in his last report to Congress, is correct,
tina: = ud,cious Investment in drainage
often pays one hundred per cent The frs
YEAR the consideration l have offered
regarding It's effect on the health OF s;o,k
will. Trust, add materially the strength
OF his argument, and lead to more
universal adoption of this desirable i'm
urovemCntn