Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-07-29

McMullen Is agltatlng LOT retrenchlnS the eA
penses of the State government. We note the
following reforms which he proposes: !, mem
beers of General Assembly, 81 day and four cts.
q mile for travel 2, four terms Of county
courts instead Of ~, and one judge to have
three or four counties, or the county courts
made mere courts of probate and the. circuit
judges hold four instead oftwo terms in each
county; 3, a thorough overhauling Of the coun-
ty organizatlon-therea are too many officers by
half, and twice as much paid in sal aries as is
nroper or necessary Adds the Colonel IF
there are any people of any state in the United
States who are tax-ridden, court-ridden, and
Legislature to the utmost extent OF their
capacity. it is the people Of this once proud
old State
We agree in the main with this cotemporary.
But only one of his reforms is possible at the
present-and that is the reduction Of the mem
bers pay. The Colonel proposes to make every
candidate pledge himself to vote for that re-
duction. There is another greater evil even
than the per diem, and that is free tickets on
railroads. That is constant temptation TO
members to desert their posts and neglect their
duties. 1t ought to be abolished by the rail:
road companies, or, they failing, by u general
law regulating all railroads.
With respect to the other reforms specified:
we apprehend that they must await conven,,
ton and q new constitution Of course, we all
want that convention we must take things
| Cently-and not crowd too much on our hands
at once-Rch Wing.
THE HAY Crop NORTH AND SoUTH.-We
have shown on frequent occasions and on good
authority, how we'll our region is adapted to
the growth of hay and the experience Of our
friend Mr. Leighton has been given to the
agricultural public more than once through
these columns, in the hope OF stimulating our
farmers to the production of their own forage.
The tay that we pay for this commodity Is
very heavy, and all the more to be lamented
from the fact that it exists only through our
own neglect The Department OF Agriculture
confirms this opinion in its last statement,
which shows while the crop in the Middle
and New England States is below the average,
that with us it is full of promise ofan abundant
yield.
In most of the Southern and Western States,
says this statement, and in Oregon, the pastures
are above the average, and tie condition OF
clover and timothy where grown, is equally
good. In California clover and timothy have
had a fine growth while pastures are i'll
relatively low condition.
With us four tons can be raised to the acre,
and at less cost than anyother crop which can
be named, while in our marsh lands we have
thousands and thousands Of miles of territory
which could be utilized at an insignificant cost.
The men who make Il wise use OF these natural
advantages will be abundantly rewarded, and
We confidently look forward to the day when
Eastern Virginia and North Carolina will cx-
mort hay in place of importing it, rs they now
do to their own reprouch. -AmJOE 'Tai""'".
WESTERN CATTLE BLINDNESS. We have
mentioned the singular statement that whole
herds of cattle on the western pastures were at
tackled with blindness The Kansas City
Times gives the following particulars of the dis
ease as it has appeared in Jackson county:
'In Independence there are thirty or
forty-some of them the finest kind OF animals
that have completely lost their sight, and are
now wandering about in pltltul helpless
ness In Westport the disease is spreading rap.
idly. Along the line of the Memphis and
Kansas City railroad the epidemic is raging,
and in Blue, Seni-a-bar, and Lon Jack town
ships the reports come up very gloomiy of the
ravages of the strange aftiictlon. In Kansas
City there are not less than two hundred blind
COWS. Some of the dairies have had, in the
| last week, htteen blind mixers at one Time
The eyes begin to swell a little, lasting, gene
rally, from five days to two weeks. As soon As
the swelling commences. the eyes also begin to
run clear water, just as thong h some hard and
foreign substance was beneath the lids. After
the running ceases, Il hard, white film covers
the eye-balls, completely destroying the sight.
This disease does not seem to affect the gene
raj health of the cow Her appetite is as good
| no evrr There annrarS to be no change cltll-
or in the quality orquantity ofthc milk, no pain,
no uneasiness Of any kind, no peculiar thirst in
dicating fever, and, indeed, no symptom that
would indicate disease. The eyes alone suffer-
and are destroyed