Yol. IX.
IOTIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, MAY 23, 1874.
No. 20.
«-**
Liyg Stock*
UATTijJ- DlSEAoK
We have received the following communication   originally published in   the
Laporte Argus, from   E. O.  McCollum,
editor, with a request for the name of the
disease, its cause, and its prevention or
cure.   Will some of our correspondents
give the desired information through the
columns of the Farmer?   It is a matter
of importance to farmers and stock-men,
and we trust it will command their attend
tion.   Having been requested by quite a"-
number to give the public a statement ofthe
cause of the severe stroke my herd of cattle
received reoently by some unknown disease, I will through   your  kindness, if
thought proper by you, insert the following .experience that I had in battling with
the disease.   Ia the first place I will say
that there were men from all -parts of the
county to aid me, and we did all we could
for the suffering animals but were thwarted
in each and every attempt, as we were not
able to cure one that was attacked with
the   disease.    Each   and every > anxious
neighbor that came to see me had a remedy
and we tried all with the same result.
After being attacked they would die in less
than twenty hours. The disease was attributed to various causes and for the benefit
of stock growers I will give you the manner in which each animal was visited and
their symptoms.. The first one that took
sick was a two-year old turn steer of the
Short-horn Durham breed, which had been
wintered in a stock field with good shedding, straw and good water.   In a herd of
twenty none other took the disease.   This
steer had got a little poor and I had fed
him just before this a few days in the barn
with Hungarian grass (or hay) with a little
corn meal night and morning; during the
day he had corn fodder with the balance
of the barn cattle (that is my milch cows
and Durhams, now being  about fifteen
head).   This fodder was hauled out to
them in a grove of timber on the ground
with hogs, horses and cattle.   Some think
the disease was caused by feeding with
hogs, but this one was not with the hogs
more than one week.   The next one that
stepped on the platform was my best milch
cow.   She was fed in the barn night and
morning with five others; neither of the
others was affected.   She also run to the
same corn fodder during the day,   The
next was a valuable Durham cow which was
fed in the barn as the milch cow as above
described.   This cow died_ in spite of all
that we could do, as by this time we began
to make a business of nursing them for it
was feared I would lose my entire herd.
I cannot give all the remedies, but the
principal thing was to physic them, which
we could not do after the first attack. If we
could have succeeded in physicking them
I have no doubt but we might have saved
them, but as I said before, it was utterly
impossible to do so.   The symptoms were
invariably the same in each case.   The
first was slobbering with.water dropping
from the eyes'; then a slight jerking of the
lower* jaw arid the muscles of the neck, the
same motion that .an ,• animal   makes in
throwing its cud; -These spasmodic actions
would increase in severity until the animal
would be jerked off the ground with its
fore feet, while the eyes would protude
almost out of their sockets at each convulsion. Then they would commence rubbing their heads with such force that they
would rub the hair and skin entirely off,
their eyes would swell entirely shut, their
heads and necks would become entirely
swollen to twice their natural size.   At
this stage they would commence to walk or
rather run to all appearance without any
control of themselves, as they would run
against trees, fences, or anything without
seeming to notice  them, and invariably
would stop and rub their heads until the
blood would run down in puddles.   Then
away they would go again until they came
in contact with something else; after they
became unable to walk, life was extinct in
a short time.   Their suffering was most
intense.   This jerking continued after the
animal was unable to walk and such was
the force that the- body was moved on the
ground—that of my best cow to the distance of about ten feet.   When taken she
was good beef and would weigh   about
thirteen hundred.  -Now for what I found
in dissecting.   I first examined the heart,
but found that all right; I then examined
the brains, and as far as I could see they
were in a healthy state.   I then examined
the stomach and the contents of what I
call the second stomach or manifolds.which
I found to be of about the texture of old
cheese or a sack of putty.   This was composed of Hungarian seed and Hungarian
-chaff from the seed;  also the fuz that
[grows on the- head of the same.   These
Slayers were about one half inch thick and
i resembled a plug of tobacco and fully as
hard.: I put some of this substance in linseed oil which had no effect upon it. I put
on kerosene oil with the same result. My
opinion is the Hungarian grass did the
work. Others claim that they have fed
the same with good results—and I have
fed it before without losing any cattle.
Whether the disease caused this food to
become so baked, or whether this clogged
stomach caused the disease, is for men of
more experience then I to say. I have
given you the symptoms, treatment, and
the result, which was death in every instance. I don't believe that anything we
did was of any value. I would also state
that we made some external applications
with the same result. _ In pelting the animals we found nothing wrong until we
eame to skinning the head, and then we
and good pedigree, and whatever the fashionable pedigree enthusiasts may say, no
other system can or will benefit the nation at large or the Short-horns as a breed.
It is enough for my present purpose to put
' pedigree and shapes on equal footing; and
I say, Dreed from well bred bulls with gold
; shapes,  whose progenitors have had   the
j same qualfications inherent in thir blood
| through judicious in-and-in breeding to a
1 certain extent.   Then and then only can
'■■ one know what to expect in a bull's Stock.
j It must also be borne in mind that there is
i such a thing as two equally well bred an-
! imals not "nicking"'—well bred animals, of
two distinct strains producing stock not at
all like either parent; hence the truth of
the saying of the late T. Bates, as to the
difficulty of (Short-horn breeding—"I will
dog. She happened to be out at night and
was accidentally left in her lot a hundred
and fifty' rods distant, when the herd was
driven to the barn. Against our protest a
dog was sent after her and she came running to the barn, panting and frightened.
In ten or fifteen minutes afterward she
gave about six quart-i of milk instead of
ten. hot and odoriferous. It was mixed
with the rest of the milk and, as was then
customary, left through the night without
any other cooling than it got ny stirring.
The extra odor of the feverish milk, acting
as a ferment in the slowly cooling mass,
made its impress upon the milk and curd
of the next day. The milk of this cow
was not regular till after several milkings.
This was an extreme case. Less heating
and worrying produces less effect, but nev-
Patrons of Husbandry.
THE GRANGE NOT PARTISAN.
'atrons, read our noble declaration of
purposes adopted by the National Grange:
5 We emphatically and sincerely assert the oft-
rej cated truth taught In our organic law, that the
grt nge, national, State, or subordinate, ls not a
po itlcal or party organization. No grange, if
tn a to its obligations, can discuss political or re-
lig ous questions, nor call political conventions,
no nominate candidates, nor even discuss their
in rits in its meetings. Yet the principles we
te: ch Underlie all true politics, all true statesman-
sh p, and, if properly carried out, will tend to
pi rify the whole political atmosphere ot our*
cointry; for we seek the greatest good te- the
gr atest number. We must always bear in mind
thtt no one, by becoming a Patron of Husbandry,.
gites up that inalienable right and duty which
elongs to every American citizen, to take a proper Interest In tlie politics of his country. On the
co trary, it is right for every member to do all in.
hi power, legitimately, to influence for good the
ac ion of any political party to which helielongs..
It s his duty to do all he can in ills own party to-
pu down briber}-, corruption, and trickery; to.
se< that none but competent, faithful, and honest
men, who will unflinchingly stand by our industrial Interests, are nominated for all positions of
trpst; and to have carried out the principle which
should always characterize every Patron, that the
office shoidd seek the man, and not the man the-off&e.
we acknowledge the broad principle that difference of opinion is no crime, and hold that "pro-
?,ress toward truth is made by differences of o-pin-
on," while "tlie fault lies iu bitterness of controversy." We desire a proper equality, equity, a nd
fairness; protection for the weak, restraint upon
the strong; in short, Justly distributed burdens
tnd justly distributed power. These are American ideas, the very essence of American independence, and to advocate the contrary is unworthy of the sons and daughters of an American
republic. We cherish the belief that sectionalism
is, and of right should be, dead and buried with
the past. Our work is for the present and the
future. In our agricultural brotherhood and its
purposes we shall recognize no North, no South,
no East, no West. It is reserved by every Patron,
as the right of a freeman, to affiliate witli any
party that will best carry out his principles.
[For the Indiana Farmer.
GRANGE AND POLITICS.
" LORD STRATIIALLAN.   (1713.)
Imported—Property of S. F. Lockridge, Waterlea Farm, Greencastle, Ind.
found it full of blood and the flesh of the
head and neck ot a spongy nature full of
blood and froth. I also lost two calves
which died on the same day as did my old
cattle, making six head lost. Symptoms
and treatment the same. My cattle had
water twice a day and salt once a week
regularly. My treatment to prevent the
further spread of the_ disease was as follows : I changed their feed, gave _ them
bran and plenty of salt each morning by
making a brine of salt and water and turned them into a fresh stock field where they
could get some green grass.
John W. Zigler.
Rolling Prairie, April 15, 1874.
Short-horns and Grades in Britain.
—An intelligent correspondent of the
North British Agriculturist, one of the
best of the English agricultural journals,
states the case with respect to Short-horns
and their grades very properly, and his remarks will apply equally as well to the
United States and especially the West, as
to the country over the water. Every year
facilities are increasing for the purchase
and disposal of pure bred stock. Within the
last few years, sales have been established
at convenient centres all over the country,
and with the exception of a few of the older breeders, who still sell at home, a large
proportion ofthe young bulls now appear
in these sale rings. Some people say they
dislike buying at such sales, affirming,
which is quite reasonable, that in the purchase of a bull the appearance of the sire
ant" dam in a measure, regulates their
choice. Still reference can always be had
to the pedigree, and great care ought to be
bestowed in the examination of these be-
fore\ purchasing. It does not follow, I
holdj that because a bull has a long pedigree he is of necessity well bred. Pedigrees are to be met with including ten or
twelve herd book or numbered bulls, and
perhaps not one amongst the whole race of
sires named could have appeared with credit in a show ring. It must be always borne
in_ mind that like produces like to a certainty. Such likeness can be traced in the
sires and dams for generations. Many
disappointments are met with when, after
purchasinga grand show yard bull,his stock
comes of every type but the one expected.
There are two things thoroughly inseparable in successful breeding, viz: good shapes
find," said he, "three men able to be Prime
Minister of England before I find one man
qualified to breed Short-horns." The importance of having really well bred bulls
even in a herd of cross-bred cows is every
year becoming more evident. I heard an
intelligent exhibitor of fat stock at the
southern shows remark—"If one knows the
beasts going to Smithfield, for instance, in
the cross-bred classes from Aberdeen and
Moray, he can tell almost to a certainty
where the prizes in these classes will go.''
There is no doubt but the cross from the
Angus or Aberdeen cowhastodowiththis,
but I go further, and assert that the use
of such Short-horn bulls as many of the
Aberdeenshire farmers put to their cows
has been the main cause ofthe excellence
of their cross-bred stocks. Fifty, sixty,
and in some cases one hundred guineas
have been given for bulls solely for crossing purposes. At some of the sales of
young bulls prizes are offered for best
calves to be sold, which no doubt encourages the breeders to use the best bulls as
sires, so that their stock may compare favorably in tbe sale ring. If one takes a
run through the different herds in England
and Scotland, he cannot help being struck
with the small numbers of really good
young bulls to be met with. The number
of youngsters advertised for sale now in
the different local and national papers
is very great, and yet how few gentlemen
will appear amongst them—gentlemen that
can stand out from the common rank with
that wealth and style that at once' marks
them as above the average.
Quietness in Milking.—The cow is
naturally sluggish in her movements, and
should not be hurried out of her natural
gait. She should never be driven to the
place of milking faster than a walk, and
if she has far to go, the walk should be a
slow one. Hurrying a cow when she is full,
and the weather warm, hastens the circulation of her blood, and heats both her
blood and her milk. A very little heating
of the blood perceptibly affects the milk.
It increases its odor as well, raises its temperature, and modifies the butter or cheese
made from it. On this account driving
cows with a dog is not recommended. We
have seen the milk of a dairy numbering
thirty cows, perceptibly affected by the
milk of a single cow driven in haste by a
er fail to do injury. Unless the n
of cows is very small, and they are a
quiet and peaceable, they had better
toned in a milking barn or shaded
rather than to be milked in an open
A large herd requires a yard so large
give too much chance for dodging,
ning, hooking and disturbing each o her.
It soon becomes trod up and filthy, (specially in moist weather. The practice of
milking in open yards is rapidly going) out
of use, especially in large dairies.7 All
harsh and violent treatment should be entirely avoided. Pain and fear, worrying
and solicitude, are clearly detrimental to
milk secretion, and never fail to maWe the
cow hold back a part of her mess, if they
occur at the time of milking. Kind and
gentle treatment and quietude promote secretion, and are absolutely essential to
drawing all thc milk.— Canada Farmer.
INDIANA SHORT-HORN BREEDERS' CONVENTION
Will meet in this city on the 2Gth inst.
It is hoped there will be a full attendance,
as matters of great importance will be considered by the convention, and all are
cordially invited to attend.
Grange Picnic.—There will be a picnic of the Patrons of Husbandry, at the
Rush County Fair Grounds, on Thursday,
June 4th. All citizens without distinction
are cordially invited to attend and participate in the enjoyments and festivities of
the day. Come with full baskets. Committees composed of both ladies and gentlemen will be in readiness to facilitate the
arrangements ofthe day. An address may
be expected befitting the occasion by a
competent person. It is ever commendable
that we all occasionally lay away the cares
of life for a day of recreation, and the
cultivation of the social duties of ^without which refinement life's pathway would
truly lead to a barren wilderness, bereft of
flowers, and the end gloom.
By order of Rush County Council of
Patrons of Husbandry.
Lon. Link, Sec'y.
The Patrons of Carroll county will hold
a grand picnic in Lenon's Grove, Deiphi,
Thursday, June the 4th.
The twelfth  article of the   National
Constitution of the Patrons of Husbandry
forbids political discussion in the work of
the order, which is just and right; and the
citizen, when he becomes a Patron, surrenders the right of political discussion in
the grange; but as a citizen, he surrenders
no right belonging to him as such, and as
the franchise is the highest right of the
citizen, his becoming a granger does not
lessen his obligation as a citizen to  see
that none but men of honesty and capability occupy positions of trust and honor in
the political affairs of State and  Nation,
but strengthens it; and as political honesty is rather the exception than the rule,
it certainly becomes the citizen granger to
use all honorable means to secure men of
unflinching entegrity to fill the positions
of honor and trust, and how is he to accomplish it without participating in polities'"   I can see but two ways of remedying
the political evils which are grinding us as
between the upper and nether millstone,
the first of which is tor the granger to see
that none but good men are nominated by
the party to which he belongs, and to do
that he must be wide awake, for the political parties of this country are run by rings
and cliques who look only to their own
self-aggrandizement, and think that the
men whose strong arms and brave hearts
have taken this country from the wildness
and made it to blossom as the rose, are,tied *
down by party tyranny that they will vote
for any man that they may nominate, and '
I am sorrry to say that such has been the
case in the past, but" I think the day is
dawning even now,  when party  nominations and party resolutions will avail but
little; when the citizen,  be he granger or
not, will look to his own interest, and see
that a good, moral character is a better
recommendation for office than party platforms or party resolutions.   The second
way, if there is no redress from parties as
now run, if they cannot be cleansed, is for
thc citizens to rise in their majesty, lay
prejudice aside, and tell the old political
hacks and wire pullers to stand aside, that
they have interests in  this country, and
they must be seen to, and as the parties
have failed, in the future the people will do
it themselves. < Mace.
[For the Indiana Farmer.
GRANGE FINANCES.
I observe that the Executive Committee of the State Grange have published a
proposition under the caption, "How the
Order may save to themselves an expense
of $25,000." They suggest that this can
be done by the subordinate granges voluntarily relinquishing their right of representation in the next meeting of the State
Grange, and blending that right in county
representation. I have no objections to
the proposition per se; indeed, I imagine
no reasonable person would expect any
considerate transaction of business by an
assemblage of the twenty-two hundred
'masters' of Indiana. It is too many for a
deliberative body. There is, however, an
incidental declaration in the proposition
[Continued on Fifth Page.\
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