The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-11-15
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
THE HORSES EYE.

THE HORSES EYE.
TO be able to examine the eyes Of horses with
certainty, thorough acquaintance with their
structure is necessary. If when q horse is
trotted with a free rein. he is seen to extend
his nose unduIy, to move his ears rapidly, to
shy in passing different colored objects, and to
plant his forefeet with something of uncer-
taihty, faulty eyes may be suspected and
specially close examination of them should be
made. In examining the eyes of horses it
should be seen that they are neither too fat nor
too convex externally, as from either form de-
fective vision ensues. Abnormal forms are best
seen by looking at the eyes across, from posi-
ton close by the shoulders. The cOrnee or
outer sections of the eyes are, when the organs
are sound, perfectly transparent. Any white
streaks, specks or cloudiness in these, or in the
interior structures of the eyes, indicate that
they have been inlamed, and are very liable
to become so a gain. To detect white specls, etc.
the eyes should in clear light be looked into
in front, and from close by the cheeks behind
When examining for white deposits in the eyes
care should be taken that no white article Of
clothing, etc, be upon or near the person Of the
examiner, as it may be reflected in the eyes and
deceive him. Special attention should be paid to
the pupils in examining the eyes of horses.
They are the apertures through which light
passes into the interior, and in horses are OBJ
long in shape and stretch across the front of the
eyes. Except in some white or cream -colored
horses, they are generally darker in color than
are the irises surrounding them. Dark-cOOred,
hair-like processes appear round their edges
hon in a pln liubf
they are not defects as some might suppose.
In healthy eyes the pupils contract and expand
with the amount of light they are exposed to.
If the horse is placed in q shady place they are
large and dilated; but if he is moved in to
glazing light they contract until they are nearly
closed. In testing for this the examiner should
put the horse in & clear light, and then place
his half-folded palms over his eyes for minute
or so. With the light thus excluded the pupils
if the eyes are sound-will diate and again
visibly contract when the hands are removed
and the light suddenly allowed to fall upon
them. If no contraction of the pupils occurs
when this test is fairly tried the horse will be
blind from paralysis of the optic nerves. This
may be the case and yet nothing is to be seen
amiss when the eyes are looked into. Contrac-
ton of the pupils on che sudden admission of
light is the most reliable test of this eye afec-
ton One eye only may be affected, hence the
test should be applied to both Small worms
are sometimes seen in the aqueous hWmOr of
horses eyes and affect their sight.-Farming
World.
AGRICULTURAL IMPROVEMENT.
When we take into account the fact that in
addition to the amount that is being paid to
the various agricultural colleges by the Gov
eminent for the education of young men in
agriculture and mechanics, and the various
amounts appropriated by the different States
for the eneouragementof agriculture, lthe sum
of $4,000 is annually expended for the sup
port Of the experiment. stations of the various
States, organized under the provisions of the
Hatch BILL we ought to look for marked i'm
provement in the line of actual progress in
every branch of farming industry, and the
question that most naturally aud fOrcibiy pre-
sents itself is, Is this progress as great as il
ought 20 be under the circumstances Are the
farmers themselves, as q class, taking that in
terest in the investigations in progress that
they ought? 1t is to be feared they are not.
The number of wide-awake farmers who are
anxious to learn what is being done for their
direct benefit appears to be comparatively
small. This ought not to be so. The farmer,
IS a producer of necessary articles of cOnsump-
tion should take the same interest in his BUSH
ness and be rs anxious for its success as he
who IS engaged IN manufacturing or commerce,
and should study the ways and means care
fully and intelligently, being ready to adopt
any or all methods that promise success. 1t is
somewhat difficult to eradicate from the minds
Of old farmers the prejudice against scientific
or book farming, but there is hope of the gem
Grafton that is coming on 1t makes little diff
ference what name system of labor takes if
it brings success, and it is for the interest of
all farmers to consider all methods and then
adopt the best Germantown Telegraph.
PLAN FOR YOURSELF.
The Mirror and Frmer says: Z" No farmer
need sit down and expect some one to furnish
him a ready-made system or plan for conduct
ing his farm; he must make it himself-is the
opinion of an acute agriculturist." That is
right to the point and good, sound sense.
There is no one that understands the require
ments of a soil like him who has the care of it;
aud so of general management, the one who
has it in charge is presumed to know more
about it than any one else, and yet it is always
proper to counsel with others, get their views
and reasons for special NODES but then one
should make his own plans.
NOTES
"A correspondent of the Ohio Farmer is au-
thority for the statement that pork packers can
tell the breed of the hog by the shape of the
ham as it comes from the cutter. The Berk-
shire ham is round the Poland China is nearly
round, a little elongated; while the Chester
White ham is long and comparatively narrow.
IA correspondent OF inc country ISHtteHqa
recommends aconite in doses of three-fourths
of an ounce of the tincture as specific for milk
fever. The first dose is the quantity named
above; the second, given six hours later, was
half as much as the first, and the third half as
much as the second. She was then well enough
to eat little hay, and in three or four days
was turned out with the other cattle, cured.
A Connecticut farmer and owner of fine
stock with irreproachable pedigree, sold val
liable calf for IS cents year ago because it
would not drink milk aud refused all nourish-
ment. Its new owner devised valuable way
of bringing the animal up on eggs. These
were easily sent down the throat by being
placed in the mouth, while the shells remained
behind and could be removed. The calf thriVed,
soon learned to eat, and is now worth $50.
When spokes and felloes shrink and the
wagon tires become loose, it is the custom to
have the tires reset, at the usual expense of so
cents each. 1t is far cheaper and better for the
wheels to saturate the entire woodwork with
hot linseed oil, 1t can be applied with rag
tied TO stick. This fills the pores and causes
the timber to swell and fill the tires as when
new. With a coat of hot oil once in a year or
two there will be no loose tires and the wheels
will last very much longer.
"A horse appreciates comfortably fitting
harness as much as he does properly fitted shoe.
The latter, when set too tight, or with nail
driven into or near the sensitive tissues pro-
duces positive lameness. Under this condi-