Farm and Garden

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 258, 11 May 1910, Page 3

Farm and Garden

HEALING LOTION FOR HORSES. A correspondent gives the following receipt for making a remarkable healing lotion for cuts and wounds on horses. It is made entirely from blue gum leaves, and, he says, has proved a wonderful remedy. Boil two and a half pounds of good, bright, full-blown blue gum leaves to a gallon of water for four leaves. It is then fit for use if required immeditely. If blotted it would ferment. Therefore to obviate this add directly the liquor is taken off the fire a quarter of an ounce of salicylic acid to a gallon of the decoction, and it will keep good for years. It is a good plan to add one part of colonial glycerine to 20 parts of the liquid'; but tbis is not absolutely necessary, though it certainly improves it by giving it a more oily nature. Colonial glycerine is much cheaper than the ordinary, but equally efficacious. The glycerine, if added, must-not be put in till the liquid is cool. To give it a better appearance, allow it to stand for a few days, then strain through flannel, but this also is not really necessary. Even with the glycerine the mixture will not cost more than threepence per bottle, providing a fair supply is made at a time; and what a saving this will be every one knows, who has had to purchase veterinary remedies or employ a vet. FIXING ON TYPE IN SHORTHORNS. 1 It is well for the young breeder to thoroughly decide in the first place what type of cattle he intends to breed, whether for beef, or milk, or, what is better, for both, and then to buy stock bred on these lines, and possessing as near as he can get them the same type and style. It is as well to start economically by buying females worth the money. Fancy and extravagant prices are oily for millionaires. If good judgment is used very excellent foundation stock can be bought in without going into hundred?, and having bought in the female portion of the herd with economy, it is quite admissible to launch out in the purchase of a good sire. A really good sire has never yet been bought in too dear, and never will be. By the purchase of good, well bred working females, and mating them with a firstclass sire, a good herd can soon be built up, and money is not thrown away in attending sales, however far apart they may be, if the right material is to be found there. There is no more pleasant way of combining business with pleasure.—'"Farmer and Stockbreeder." PARASITIC MANGE IN HORSES. In an article in .the Journal of the British Board of Agriculture on "Parasitic Mange in Horses," it is remarked that mange being solely due to either of the mites that are described in the paper, all cases can be traced to contagion from an existing or pre-existing case. The disease may be spread directly from one animal to another, or, as more frequently happens, indirectly through the medium of litter, rugs, grooming utensils, saddlery, harness, stable walls, partitions, etc. On the first suspicion of mange the affected animal should be isolated, and care taken that no grooming utensils, rugs, etc., that have been used on affected animals are used on others until after disinfection. In addition to treating an animal for mange, particular attention must be paid to cleansing and disinfecting the stable and articles that have been used for or about the patient. BREVITIES. Milk is a food, not a drink, which is why some people do not like water mixed with it. If your dairy stock is poor in quality, get the services of a good bull and start to breed up. Keep the stomach of your cow in | order if you want the milk processes to do their best work. I