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DAKOTA COUNTY HERALD; DAKOTA CITY, NEBRASKA.
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EXAMINATION OF A SICK HORSE
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HIND LEGS TOO STRAIGHT, WITH PASTERNS TOO SLOPING.
(Prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture)
A healthy horse ordinarily has n
good appetite. Excitement, strange
surrounding), fatigue, and hot weather
mny nil cause loss of appetite. Where
there is cerebral depression, fever, pro
found weakness, disorder of the- stom
ach, or mechnnlcnl difficulty in chew
ing or swallowing, the appetite Is di
minished or destroyed. Sometimes
there is nn appetite or desire to cat
abnormal things, such as dirty bed
ding, roots of grass, oil, etc. This de
Blre usually comes from a chronic dis
turbance of nutrition.
Thirst is diminished in a good many
mild diseases unnccompanied by dis
tinct fever. It is seen where there Is
great exhnustion or depression or pro-
fEr jss3SKs
An Elght-Year-Old Mouth.
found brain disturbance. Thirst 13 In
creased after profuso sweating, In
diabetes, diarrhea, In fever, at tho
crisis of infectious diseases, and when
the mouth is dry and hot.
Some diseases of the mouth or
throat mnke It difficult for tho horse
to chew or swallow his feed. Where
difficulty in this respect Is experienced,
tho following-named conditions should
be borne In mind and carefully looked
for: Diseases of the teeth, consisting
in decay, fracture, abscess formation,
or overgrowth; Inflammatory condi
tions, or wounds or tumors of the
tongue, cheeks, or lips; paralysis of
the muscles of chewing or swallowing;
foreign bodies In upper part of the
mouth between tho molar teeth; In
flammation of throat Difficulty In
swallowing is sometimes shown by tho
symptom known as "qulddlng." Quld
ding consists in dropping from the
mouth well-chewed and Insalivated
boluses of feed. A mouthful of hay,
for example, after being ground and
masticated, Is carried to the back part
of the mouth. The horse then finds
that from tenderness of tho throat, or
from somo other cause, swallowing Is
difficult or painful, and the bolus Is
then dropped from tho mouth. An
other quantity of hay Is similarly pre
pared, only to bo dropped in turn.
Sometimes qulddlng Is due to n painful
tooth, tho bolU3 being dropped from
tho mouth when tho tooth Is struck
and during tho pang that follows.
In some brain diseases, and particu
larly in chronic internal hydrocepha
lus, the horse has a most peculiar man
ner of swallowing and of taking feed.
A similar condition Is seen In hyper
emia of the brain. In eating the horse
will sink his muzzle into tho grain In
the feed box and cat n while without
raising the head. Long pauses are
made while the feed is in tho mouth.
Sometimes the horse will eat very rap
Idly for n little while and then slowly ;
tho Jaws may be brought together so
forcibly that the teeth gnash. In eat
ing hay the horse will stop at times
with hay protruding from the mouth
and stand stupidly, as though ho has
forgotten what ho was about.
In examining tho mouth one should
first look for Bwclllngs or for evidence
of abnormal conditions upon the exte
rior; that Is, tho front and sides of
the face, the Jaws, and about tho muz
zle. By this means wounds, fractures,
tumors, abscesses, and disease accom
panied by eruptions about tho muzzle
may bo detected. Tho Interior of the
mouth is examined by holding the head
up and Inserting the fingers through
tho Interdental space In such n way
as to cause the mouth to open. The
mucous membrane should be clean and
of a Hght-ptnk color, excepting on the
back of tho tcnguo, where tho color Is
a yellowish gray. As abnormalities
of this region, the chief arc diffusa
inflammation, characterized by red
ness and catarrhal discharge; local In
flammation, as from eruptions, ulcers,
or wounds ; necrosis of tho lower Jaw
bone In front of the first back tooth;
and swellings. Foreign bodies are
sometimes found embedded In the mu
cous membrane lining of the mouth
or lodged between tho teeth.
The examination of the pharynx and
of tho esophagus is made chiefly by
pressing upon the skin covering theso
organs In the region of tho throat and
nlong the left side of tho neck in the
Jugular gutter. Sometimes, when a
more careful examination Is necessary,
an esophageal tube or probang is
passed through tho noso or mouth
down tho esophagus to tho stomach.
In examination of tho abdomen one
should remember that its size depend3
largely upon the breed, sex, and con
formation of the animal, and nlso up
on the manner In which the animal
has been fed and the uso to which It
has been put. A pendulous abdomen
may be the result of an abdominal tu
mor or of nn accumulation of fluid In
the abdominal cavity ; or, on the other
hand, it may merely bo an Indication
of pregnancy, or of tho fact that the
horse has been fed for a long time on
bulky and innutrltlous food. Pendu
lous abdomen occurring in a work
horse kept on concentrated diet Is an
abnormal condition. Tho abdomen
may increase suddenly In volume from
accumulation of gas In tympanic colic.
Tho abdomen becomes small and the
horse Is said to bo "tucked up" from
long-continued poor appetite, as In dis
eases of the digestive truct and In
fever.
In applying the ear to the flank, on
either the right or left side, certain
bubbling sounds may bo heard that
are known as perlstnltlc sounds, be
cause they are produced by peristalsis,
or wormlike contraction of tho Intes
tines. These sounds are a little louder
on tho right sldo than on the left on
account of the fact thafthe largo In
testines He In tho right flank. Ab
sence of peristaltic sounds Is always
an Indication of disease, and suggests
exhaustion or paralysis of tho intes
tines. This mny occur in certain kinds
of colic and is an unfavorable oymp
torn. Increased sounds are heard
where the intestines aro contracted
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Teeth at Past The Years.
more violently than In health, as in
spasmodic colic, and also where there
Is an excess of fluid or (as In the In
testinal canal.
Tho feces show, to a cvrtaln extent,
tho thoroughness of dlgertlon. They
should show that the feed has been
well ground, and should, In tho horse,
bo free from offensive odor or boatings
of mucus. A coating of mucus shows
Intestinal catarrh. Blood on the feces
Indicates severe Inflammation. Very
light color and bad odor may come
from lnnctlvo liver.
PASTURE MAKES CHEAP PORK
Forage Crop Permits Cutting Grain Al
lowance to Minimum Best to
Plan Early.
Forage crops make cheap pork, bo
cause they permit cutting tho grain
allowance to the minimum.
A system of mnntigement which will
furnUh forage through the entlro grac
ing seasn should be planned early.
ummEr
and help Increase the natidnal food
supply so that living costs may he
reduced and a victorious peace be
assured : : :l( This is a matter of
vital importance to every one of us
RobErQiMDulfofi
Alt MAY end thnt great American
anomaly, high cost of living In a
land of plenty. It probably will
be the means of bringing into
cultivation practically untouched
arable land, of awakening tho
country to tho value of native
food staples of which mnny are
still Ignorant, and of enforcing
a system of distribution which
will supplnnt tho wasteful and
inefficient methods now In vogue.
It is unlikely thnt the United Stntes will ever
be in the position of tho belligerent countries In
Europe, especially Germany, where land is scarce
as compnred with the farm acreage on this con
tinent. The problem of feeding the more than
100,000,000 of Inhabitants of the United Stntes
as well ns supplying Great Britain and France
can he solved by means of the enormous agricul
tural resources at tho disposal of the Amerlcnn
nation. Prudence, foresight and efficiency arc
needed.
National policy decrees that there should be a
big Increase In our acreage, and this being so,
the nntlon ns a whole and not the farmer as a
class should and must assume the major part of
the risk Involved. Ench section of the country
must become ns nearly as practicable agricultural
ly Independent. This Is n good policy in time of
peace and Is a vitally important policy now that
we have entered the war, with every prospect
that our transportation systems will eventually
be chiefly occupied with the transportation of
soldiers and military supplies.
From Washington comes the call of the nation
al emergency food garden commission, which
would see a million food gardens planted through
out the United Stntes. This plan is similar to
that which was followed In Germany when the
lawns of private houses, tho parks and the
grounds about hospitals alike were subjected to
the spado and hoe. The Germans are given to
the Intensive development of every Inch of soil ;
as for that matter are other European nations.
The call to the garden, however, will undoubtedly
have some effect in providing food for those who
are thrifty and patient enough to look after their
own gardens.
Benjamin F. Albaugh, known nationally as an
enthusiast In the subject of city lots gardening,
and author of several books on the subject, says
that the "gardenotte," or bnqk yard farm, Is one
of the surest means of combating the rnpld rise
In the price of foodstuffs. In his book, "The Gar
denette," Mr. Albaugh has pointed out the possi
bilities of unoccupied building lots, nnd ho Is now
taking an nctlve part in the general campaign
which has been Inaugurated to educate the city
dweller up to the potential worth of a few square
rods of ground.
If one has an unoccupied area In tho rear of
his home, even if It Is only 25 by 50 feet In size,
then he lias the means of cutting down the cost
of hummer foodstuffs almost two-thirds, says Mr.
Albaugh. The soil need not be particularly fertile
to yield satisfactory returns in garden crops, If
treated right. And tho soaring equations on all
varieties of vegetable foodstuffs make tho effort
well worth while.
The backlot garden has been tried successfully
n tho East nnd in mnny other sections of the
country. At first the bnckynrd gardening In the
larger centers of population wns undertaken by
people of foreign birth, who from a desire to
effect practical economies, or from an Inherited
penchant for the work, began Industriously spad
Jiy; up the small areas of unoccupied ground
around their homes.
Two or three months Inter these thrifty inten
sive agriculturists were selling hundreds of
bunches of celery, radishes or lettuee about the
neighborhood, and receiving the full market price
lor tlu'Ir ware.s.
Housewives augmented the family Income with
a strip of garden land 15 or 20 feet In width and
40 or 50 feet In length. Tho amount of vege
tables that can be grown on such a lot, when In
telligently cultivated and carefully tended, is as
tonishing. There Is a threefold Incentive to city lot gar
dening. The first is a handsome saving If the
vegetables are consumed by the family, or a neat
profit If they are sold in the neighborhood. The
second Is the incomparable superiority In crisp
ness and flavor of garden-grown produce. The
variety purchased after several days of transpor
tation and exhibition In stock Is often tough,
leathery and flavorless.
Mr. Albaugh Is authority for the statement thnt
three square rods or a space of ground, say IS
by 45 feet, can be made to produce a large part
of all the vegetables needed to supply the table
of a family of five or six persons, throughout
the season. lie, himself, has repeatedly produced
on such a plot, but containing four square rods,
the following:
Thirty dozen green onions, one bushel dry
onions, ten messes green peas, 15 dozen beets, 22
dozen radishes, "00 heads fine celery, 25 choice
egg plnnt fruits, 25 extra fine squashes, 50 messes
lettuce, 20 messes endive, ten messes kohlrabi,
right dozen sugar corn, ten messes green beans,
25 heads finest cauliflower, 25 heads cabbage, 20
messes splnnch, ten messes chard, 20 messes as
paragus, ten messes snlslfy, ten dozen carrots, ten
dozen parsnips, 50 fine muskmolons, 200 pickling
cucumbers, ten slicing cucumbers, five bushels to
matoes, two bushels early potatoes, eight quarts
lima beans, three bushels turnips, three quartH
okrn, and three dozen sweet innngoes.
At a low estimate theso crops were worth well
over $50. Often they would cost much more to
liny. Yet the plot wns cultivated In Mr. Albaugh's
odd moments, without in any way Interfering with
his usual pursuits.
For the business or professional man, who
tolls nil day In office, bank, factory or shop, the
change to the light physical labor In the open
nlr and sunshine, gives Just the needed change
necessnry for health of both body and mind. Such
employment will be found restful and soothing
to the overtaxed and wearied mind and nerves.
For city lot soil that Is hard, Impoverished or
rocky, Mr. Albnugh has Invented a new system
of gardening. From it he has achieved such sur
prisingly favorable results as to augur a great
future for the new "sandwich" method of city
lot cultivation. The "sandwich" garden is, in a
sense, nn artificial creation. It may be construct
ed on brick or cement pnvement, or even tho tarred
or tile surfaces of the roofs of buildings. By
this method of growing vegetables, the products
of the garden are always earlier, and at the same
time of better quality than can possibly be pro
duced In any other way.
In making a "sandwich bed," Mr. Albaugh first
places a layer of straw or stable litter or leaves,
about five Inches thick, upon the surface selected
and then tramps or packs it rather smooth and
firm. Over this he spreads about one Inch deep
of rich, fine stable manure. Another layer
of stable manure about two Inches thick
goes over this, after which a hose Is turned on
and the muss given u thorough soaking, cmo
being exercised to stop before leaching bORin.
The next step Is to spread evenly over tho
bed at least four Inches of street scrapings, avoid
ing, however, streets that have oil or asphalt In
their make-up. If street scrapings cannot be
readily obtained, u composition of equal parts of
fine river sand, rich garden soil and old, fine
stable manure may be used lnstend. This should
be thoroughly mixed by shoveling over In a heap,
and then, after It Is In place, tramped until It Is
firm. The bed Is then ready to plant.
In some Instances the real "sandwich bed" Is
not possible or practicable. If this lie the case,
and the soil is yet reasonably fertile, and in good
condition, excellent results may be obtained by
tne following method:
Procure one lend of rich stable manure for each
square rod of ground (a square rod Is 10 by 10
feet) and dump It near where the beds are to be
made. Then with a spading fork, beginning at
ono end of tho bed, spade a furrow across the
bed, fill the furrow nearly full of manure, and
tramp It down firmly. Now spade another fur
row, throwing the dirt from tills over the trnmped
down manure In the first furrow. Kill the second
furrow with manure and tramp It down as before,
and throw over this the dirt from the third line
of spading, and so on until the entire bed Is
spaded.
Finest vegetables, says Mr. Albaugh, ran be
grown on hard, stony, or nlkallne soils, where or-
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SUFFERING CATS!
Enemies of Tom and Maria Accuse
Them of Many Serious Crimes.
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"Suppress the eat!" was a recent demand made
on the legislature of New York state according to a
bill for licensing felines. Connecticut and other
commonwealths also are crusading against outlaw
Grimalkin.
Millions of eats aro leading lives of vagabondage.
They roam tho wilds, seeking what they may de
vour. Birds are slain by them In large numbers.
They do harm In other ways.
The cat has an ancient history. Tradition has It
that tho creature appeared In Egypt about 1500 B.
0 and being highly regarded there as a fireside
Sphinx snuggled down near the seats of the mighty
and made himself very much at home. Mummy
cats are found In the pyramids.
The first cat Is believed to have been of African
origin. Travelers from Greece seeing the cats so
comfortably ensconced In Egypt saw to It that some
of them were brought to Athens, and from the an
cient seat of culture the cat Is supposed to have
spread over Europe. Tho animal In Europe wns
adopted by man as a pet about the ninth century.
There Is something so Inherently wild about tho
cat that even when ho reposes on silk cushions nnd
has his fur combed with celluloid and bus cream
every day he bus within him tho old spark of
savagery.
The cat Is of the race of the saber-toothed tiger
and Is credited with an Insatiably bloodthirsty dis
position, lie torments his prey. He has no abld
lug affection for those whoso hnnds have fed him.
Chateaubriand said to his friend, M. de Marcellus,
that there Is In the cat an ungrateful spirit which
prevents him from being attached to anyone.
Tho principal gond of the nationwide crusade
against the "villainous, false cat" comes from the
dlnary cultivation would be uttiwj nuttless. tor
best results plnnts need neratlon at the roots. If
air cannot penetrate to the roots the plant lan
guishes and dies from suffocation. When the sur
face of the ground Is covered with water, the
plant suffers In tho snme way nnd for the same
reason. Tho "sandwich beds" can neither bo
drowned nor smothered. The air circulates
through the several layers of material, and If too
much water is applied, It readily passes through
tho fibrous beds and does no hnrm. Other ad
vantages of these beds are that the fertility is
placed Just where it can be easily absorbed and
assimilated up earlier than does tho natural soil,
and the decaying mnss of fibrous material retains
moisture to such, an extent that only a nominal
quantity of hydrant water Is required.
A steel garden rake, spading fork, small garden
trowel, a long handled shovel, n manure fork,
and a small hand sprayer are about till the tool-
that need be purchased. Mr. Albaugh uses a
small hand sprayer which Is cheap and very
satisfactory. It has a quart Mason glass Jnr
for a reservoir, nnd has the advantage of blow
ing the spray at right angles from the barrel of
the machine. With it the under side of the leavej
can be effectually reached, and this Is often es
sential to success. Tho barrel should be of brass,
as mnny spraying compounds are corrosive on
Iron. With this little machine, end n supply of
bordeaux mixture, hellebore, tobacco extract or
tea, parls green, nphlne, etc., tho careful gardener
Is well fortified against attacks of insects and
fungi.
Tho provisioning of tho country will bo much
aided by tho educational work among boys nnd
girls of the United Slates which has been carried
on through tho co-operntlon of tho department of
agriculture and the rural school garden clubs of
the vnrlous states. The younger generation has
been stimulated In tho raising of vegotnblcs and
fruits on waste land and In the hnckynrds in
the cities and towns.
An exnmplo of what can ho accomplished by
tho pupils of rural schools was strikingly demon
strated Inst year by tho Cook County, Illinois,
Gnrden club which had a membership of 2,887.
The club cultivated over 2(50 acres of land, upon
which grew nearly $48,000 worth of vegetables.
After deducting expenses tho club members hnd a
net profit of $41,020.28. If theso 2,387 boys and
girls had not grown these gardens, probably 75
per cent of them would have been Idle doing
nothing throwing nwny time nnd energy. Tho
gardens gave helpful exercise, stimulated Interest,
and encouraged thrift and ownership.
The economic side of tho problem Is aston
ishing, hut grenter still, nnd of fnr more Im
portance, Is the wholesome, moral influence
brought to bear upon the lives of these young
people who are receiving most excellent training
in doing worthwhile things.
WW1WQWQWWWWWWtWWWiW)-
friends of the birds. The cat Is a crafty bird
catcher by nature. Cats have been seen lying In
wait for the winged victims which aro attracted to
the feast so bountifully spread. They have even,
been nccused of decoying birds within tho rench of
their paws by imitating the note of tho feathered
songsters. They climb the trees by night and day
In quest of eggs and fledglings.
.John Burroughs declares that cats kill moro
birds thnn do any other animals on this continent.
It Is also charged that the cat kills squirrels
nnd hares and rabbits, moles and shrews nnd fish
and useful Insects, while as a ratter he Is greutly
over-rated.
Bat traps, when well handled, are credited with
surpassing the cat In efficiency. Tho other dny
thcro was put on exhibition nn Illustration of tho
efficiency of the cnt. The cabin of a steamship was
fumigated with the result of a mortnllty of one cat
and 21 rats, which tho cat was supposed to keep
awuy. When the cat Ik right on the premises tho
mice play Just as much as when ho Is away, say
the enemies of the cnt, only they keep out of sight.
"Few persons In a normal lifetime," Insists Dr.
A. K. Fisher, who Is in charge of economic Investi
gations for the bureau of biological survey of tho
United Stntes department of agriculture, "run
across more than half a dozon cats that habitually
attack rats."
When tho cnt Is permitted to run wild the ex
perts decline to give him tho slightest excuse for
living.
The known facts aro thnt the domestic cnt, stray
ing Into tho fields and woods, whether a pot, n
vagabond or a wild dweller in tho open, Is a menace
to wild life and a detriment to tho general welfare.
As a further nrgunient ngalnst the cnt tho chnrge
Is made against him that ho disseminates disease
by becoming the plnymuto of sick children and that
ho carries microbes In his fur, lockjaw in the
scratch of his claw, and rubloH In the bite of hl
teeth. Now York Sun.
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