a mixed flock of sheep which I had pasturing in the first-mentioned field, in the summer of 1829, consisting of Cheviot, Leicester, pure black-faced, and a cross betwixt the black-faced and Cheviot sheep.

I soon discovered that the black-faced sheep were first, and to the greatest extent, affected with the disease; next in degree was the cross breed; then the Cheviot; and last and least was the Leicester breed. I was at a loss to account for this peculiar liability in the different breeds, while all were exposed to the same circumstances; but, by carefully watching the flock for some days, I found that the black-faced got up from their lairs earliest in the mornings, and, from their being previously accustomed to roam from the hill to the glen, with the approach of daylight, in search of their food, continued, from habit, to wander through the park before they began to feed; and the other breeds possessed this disposition precisely in the order in which the disease appeared.

Now, as already observed, the black-faced breed, from their extra travel, were, by the grass being drawn through the division of their hoofs, exposed to such a degree of friction between the digits, that scalding was produced, which was followed by inflammation, and ultimately suppuration and separation of the hoof from the sensitive foot, and perhaps permanent lameness.

Although I am far from thinking that the disease originates in scalding alone, yet I am quite satisfied that, in my flock at least, in nine cases out of ten, it arose from this cause. Sheep, as well as other animals, are liable to various injuries in the feet; now, wounds which can be easily cured on dry pastures, will, on damp pastures, cause almost permanent lameness, if particular care is not paid to them, by the continued irritation which is kept up under such circumstances.

DALKEITH PARK,
January 3. 1832.

DESCRIPTION OF A BROAD-CAST SOWING MACHINE.

IN a former Number of this Journal we gave a minute account of a machine for sowing grain and grass seeds broadcast, and explained the uses and advantages of this class of instruments to the agriculturist.

We have recently seen a machine of this kind, very greatly improved, by Messrs Scoular of Haddington, eminent makers of agricultural machines at that place.

It will be unnecessary to enter again into details regarding the different parts of this kind of machines. We refer the reader to the description given in our former paper. We shall now endeavour briefly, and in general terms, to explain the changes and improvements which the Messrs Scoular have made.

The first and most material improvement to be adverted to, is the addition of another wheel in front. This fore wheel runs in the open furrow immediately behind the horse (at A, Fig. 1); and the hopper, as in the machine formerly described, is made of sufficient length to reach at least to the centre of the ridge on each side. In this manner the half of each adjoining ridge, or one entire ridge, is sown at once.

When the machine was made with two wheels, the weight of the hopper with its contents bore heavily upon the horse, and when an obstacle obstructed one of the wheels, the other was thrown forward with a sudden jerk, which, when the surface was rough, produced an unequal action, and consequently an irregular discharge of seed. The addition of a wheel in front, besides removing the weight from the back of the animal of draught, gives a steady motion to the machinc.

The next improvement by Messrs Scoular is, the making the seed-hopper rest below on a socket, so that it may be partially turned round, and thus its posterior part raised or lowered by means of a lever.

By referring to the former description it will be seen, that the seed drops through small apertures behind near the lower part of the hopper. Now when the machine changes its position by going up hill, the posterior part of the machine below, and consequently these apertures, are more lowered in their relative position.

In going down hill they are more raised. In the first case there is a greater pressure, and consequently a greater quantity of seed falls through the apertures in a given time: in the latter case a smaller quantity falls through. Thus the machine sows more thickly as it goes up hill, and less thickly as it goes down hill. It is to remedy this inconvenience that the Messrs Scoular have made the hopper moveable, so that the relative position to the ground of the apertures through which the seed falls, may be preserved. By means of the lever behind, the workman is enabled to raise or depress the posterior part of the hopper. He raises it in going up hill, and depresses it in going down hill, and this is the work of a moment.

The manner in which the machine works, as was formerly explained, is by means of spindles extending along the inside of the hopper and near the bottom. Upon these spindles are fixed a series of iron teeth inserted into a wooden cylinder fixed on the spindles at equal distances, or, in place of the teeth, where the smaller seeds of grasses are to be sown, small brushes of bristles.

The apertures are made to be diminished or enlarged, as occasion may require, by a sliding-plate. This sliding-plate is kept in its position by a screw, but in such a manner that it has the power of sliding in one direction, so that the whole apertures may be closed. When, therefore, the apertures are meant to be in the position required for allowing the seed to fall through, the sliding-plate is moved in one direction, until it is retained in its position by the screw. When it is wished to close up all the apertures, it is made to slide along in the opposite direction. This is done in a moment by the workman, and no more seed falls through. The levers or handles for effecting this purpose are behind and within reach of the workman; who, therefore, can at once, either cause the sliding-plate to cover the apertures to the extent required, or to close them altogether, which is done when the machine is turning at the end of a ridge.

Figure 1. represents the machine as seen from above. Here EE represent the seed-hopper. The lid of one-half is shown open, leaving exposed one of the spindles in the hopper with iron teeth. This spindle is made to be removed, and another with brushes substituted, when it is wished to sow grassseeds instead of the larger grains. B B are the two levers by the

action of which the covering plates are either slid outwards so as to cover the apertures in the hopper to the degree required, and which degree is regulated by means of a screw at each end, one of which is represented at E in Figure 2, or slid inwards so as to close the apertures altogether. C is the lever or handle by which the hopper is moved upon its socket. A A A are the wheels. One of the levers for shifting the sliding plate is shown in Figure 2, which represents one-half of the lower part of the hopper with the apertures and sliding-plate. B is here the lever, E the screw

which fixes in one position the moveable plate, so that it cannot be pressed farther outwards than to the degree required, but may be pressed by the action of the lever inwards so as to cover all the apertures.

Figure 3. represents the wheel of the carriage A giving moFig. 3.

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tion, as it revolves, to the mitred wheels at D, and these again to the mitred wheels at F in the interior of the hopper. These latter wheels again give motion to a horizontal coupling box or spindle, to which are attached the two spindles on either side to which the revolving wheels or brushes are fixed.

ON THE AGE OF CATTLE AND SHEEP AS INDICATED BY THE GROWTH OF THEIR HORNS.

THE mind becomes so familiar with objects of common occurrence, that, however curious the circumstances may be of themselves, they fail to excite that curiosity which would otherwise incite us to inquire how the circumstances are induced which appear before us. The truth of this remark occurred forcibly to me while examining the rings on the horns of a cow: For, well known as the fact is, that we are in the habit of judging of the age of these animals by the rings on their horns, few, I believe, have ever thought it worth their while to inquire why the simple circumstance of the rings on the horns should afford any criterion of the age of the animal.

To ascertain the correctness and nature of this phenomenon, it would be necessary, in the first place, to inquire into the