Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-04-24
Pleuro. PneumOnia-..A Farmers Expe-
rience.
Philadelphia Times.

OF Darby, as mentioned IN yesterdays
Times, is not general. The cases exam
ined by Drs. Kitchener and Gadsden
were in Upper Darby. In Lower Darby
no cases are known. As to the gener-
ally accepted theory that cattle once
infected will die in nine cases out of
ten, farmers who have had experience
with the disease tell different story.
Bethel NJ. Custer, an extensive dairy
man near Glenolden, says that in 1859,
when he occupied the Penncoyd farm
in Lower Merton, pleuro-pneumonia
broke out among his cattle, the herd
numbering about seventy-five altogeth-
er. The disease made its appearance
in August. He had bought two COWS
at tie old drove-yard in this city, and
driven them out to his farm, both of
which, within two weeks after the pur-
chase, were attacked with pieuro ,pneu-
mOnia. From them about thirty 9TH
ers We're infected, about half of which
died. The other half recovered and
showed no traces of the disease after
ward. Among the ones that got over
it, some had been so low with the dis
ease that everybody who saw them
thought they would die. A peculiar
case was that of a twO-year- old heifer.
Mr.. Custer states that it was so low with
the disease that he made no attempt to
doctor it, thinking it would die anyhow
Yet the animal recovered, and, though
it never became profit to the dairy, it
grew so fat that two years later it was
killed to supply the family with beef.
An examination after death showed the
animals left lung curled up out of
shape, resembling more a cows heart
than lung, and completely marbleized.
The other lung was sound and healthy.
As soon as the disease was discovered
among his cattle Mr.. Custer says that
he proceeded to Isolate the sick animals
from the healthy ones. At first he en-
ployed veterinary surgeons, having as
many as three different ones treating
them at different times. Afterward he
took the treatment into his own hands.
The cattle were kept in clean sheds in
bad weather, with plenty of ventilation.
In the spring of 1861 Mr.. Custer, hav-
ing bought the dairy farm Of his father
in-law, down in the neighborhood of
Mount Moriah, left the Lower Merton
farm, cattle and everything in charge
of a brother and moved down to his new
place. On the new farm there were
about fifty cattle. Not single cow was
removed from the first farm, the inten-
ton being to keep on each farm its own
cattle. Yet, singularly enough, the dis
ease broke out on the new farm among
the second lot of cattle in the same
year that he moved to it, about twenty
four being taken with it altogether. Of
this number about twelve died; the 9TH
ers recovered, and became afterwards
as good mixers as they had been be-
fore. Even on farms where the utmost
care was taken, farmers letting their
diaries run down rather than buy new
cattle and run the risk of infection, the
disease appeared somehow and spread
among their stock. One of the first
symptoms of the disease in the cattle,
Mr.. Custer says, is a falling off in the
milk. All his COWS became dry within
twenty-four or thirty-six hours after the
disease had developed itself
In his treatment of the COWS he gave
them tincture of aconite and afterWard
dosed them with mixture composed
of equal quantities ofsaltpetre, sui phur,
white rOsin, gentian root and a quaint
ty equal TO half the equal parts of the
others of anthony. This he considers
an excellent remedy when it goes with
proper care of the diseased animals
keeping them under shelter in bad
weather, giving them pure water and
plenty of air and exercise.
ALIrTIE FARM WELL T1LLED.-"H.
S., of Hautboy Hill farm, Connecticut.
writes to the New York Tribune: in
these days of hard times it is re-
freshing to find one farmer who is
making his business a Success, and it is
also interesting to note that farming in
New England is not played out, but
that in favorable locations it pays, if
managed rightly, as well as it ever did.
This reflection was suggested by visit
to Mr.. G. II. Cables, in the Naugatuck
Valley, who has farm of twenty-three
acres, favorably situated near thrifty
manufacturing town. It has a warm
southern exposure well sheltered from
cold winds. The soil, except some six
or eight acres of bottom land which has
been well drained, is what we would
call gravelly loan that does not hold
manure or grass well. The farm is de-
voted mainly to the production of
milk, which is sold in the neighboring
village for six cents per quart, but in
connection with this quite large guam
tity of early vegetables, such as lettuce,
cabbage plants, etc., are turned off.
There is also nearl y an acre of straw
berries raised and about the same of
cabbage. By soiling his COWS, not let
ting them run at all, and by a proper
rotation Of green crops, Mr.. Z. is en-
abled to milk seventeen COWS. and this
winter, besides these, he has also six
head of young stock and two horses,
and expects to have hay enough, all
raised on the place. The rotation for
soiling Is as follows: "First, rye, about
all acre seeded with clover, then green
oats, clover, and lastly, corn fodder,
About half the farm is taken up with
these, leaving the remainder from
which to cut hay.
"By keeping the COWS up Mr.. G. is en-
abled to make an immense quantity of
manure, which Is composted, and the
liquid manure-.which is carried into a
cistern-is pumped over it; what this
compost does not absorb runs back into
the cistern. This manure is used
abundantly, not only on the crops but
as top-dressing on the meadows, which
are moved two or three times each
year, and yield from two to three tons
of hay per acre. The buildings are SO
situated that the fall of ground carries
the liquid manure through a pipe,
which has hose attached, and the ma
nure is distributed by gravitation. This
liquid is used more particularly in the
cold frames and hot beds to force the
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