THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



29 



come " broken mouthed," thereby causing them to be sent to 

 the butcher, probably two years eadier than in New Zealand. 

 This with sheep of the Merino breed, which yield the most 

 valuable wool, is of very considerable importance. 



The great drawback to sheep-farming in New Zealand, in 

 commou with Australia, is the general prevalence of scab. 

 Many a man with a moderate amount of capital has been 

 ruined by this frightful disease — so viruleut tliat a single 

 scabby sheep will quickly infect the whole country. The scab 

 had gained such ground iu Victoria, some five years hack, that 

 a law was passed requiring the slaughter of all sheep affected 

 by it (the proprietor recovering a very trifling compensation 

 per head). Scab-inspectors were appointed by Goverument 

 to see that it was rigidly carried out ; but, notwithstanding 

 this striugent measure, it still remains uneradicated. 



The whole of New Zealand is more or less infested with it. 

 The disease proceeds from minute insects, which attack the 

 skiu of the sheep, gradually burrowing and laying their eggs 

 underneath. The affected parts iu time harden, ulcerate, the 

 wool falls or is scratched off, the sheep becomes feeble, aud, if 

 not cured, eventually pines away. To my own knowledge the 

 contagion has been given to a perfectly clean flock while the 

 purchaser was taking them to his own station — he having 

 passed over land on which, some two months back, diseased 

 sheep had bten : the insects probably infected the wool that 

 had either been left on the ground or rubbed off against the 

 small shrubs. Indeed, the "run" ought never to be con- 

 sidered clean and thoroughly safe until after a coutiuuoua fall 

 of heavy rain. 



Ttie scab is spread not only by infection, but will occasion- 

 ally break out spontaneously from the over-heating of sheep ; 

 a careless shepherd will thus create an injury to his master 

 that it may take years to overcome. For a long time there 

 were used various powerful and dangerous remedies, such as 

 corrosive sublimate, arsenic, and arsenical preparations. The 

 latter were especially bad, from the large mortality among 

 Iambs, which, iu sucking the ewes, would frequently be killed 

 by the arsenic; and, after all, it generally proved an ineffectual 

 remedy. The treatment now almost universally followed is 

 tobacco-water and spirits of tar ; and I feel certain that if it 

 were properly applied, and the sheep were carefully kept from 

 all infected ground after dipping, it would invariably prove 

 effective. The manner in which I would recommend its 

 application, is to have dipping-tanks built on three several 

 parts of the run, where the ground is known to be clean. 

 Immediately after shearing to dip each sheep in a tank filled 

 with tobacco-water, with a dash of spirits of tar, kept up to 

 that degree of warmth that the hand can comfortably be held 

 in it (previously excoriating any especially hardened skin) ; 

 move them to clean ground, and, after twelve days, dip again 

 in the second tanks ; following the same rule, after a like in- 

 terval, at the third; after which the Bheep,.without doubt, will 

 be thoroughly clean. 



The reason for this treatment is, that it takes from nine to 

 eleven days from the deposition of the egg to the hatching of 

 the insect. The first dipping destroys all disease actually 

 above the skiu ; but the embryo insects, protected from the 



tobacco, would escape. These, previous to the second dipping, 

 have all appeared, and are then killed. The third is solely 

 reserved for some stray insect that may have escaped. This 

 last application is probably almost unnecessary, but. after pre- 

 vious trouble and expense, it is well to err on the right side 

 aud make all safe. Of course it is necessary to be very care- 

 ful that no sheep be left behind, so as eventually to reinfect 

 the flock. Although a considerable outlay is necessary for all 

 this, it will prove to be money well invested. Many sheep 

 farmers, after a course of years, spend in handwashing and 

 other economical plans this amount several times over, and 

 find the enemy still unconquered. 



Probably the only sure protection against scab is the fencing 

 of the sheep farm, and the suitable subdivision of it into 

 smaller allotments. The sheep-growers are generally becoming 

 aware of this, aud many of them are laying out large sums of 

 money on iron fencing. 



Toward the extreme south, which has a moiater soil and cli- 

 mate, the diseases of catarrh and foot-rot are kuown but to a 

 very limited extent. Scab, indeed, may be said to be the only 

 disease peculiar to sheep in New Zealand. 



At present a great proportion of the runs are only nominally 

 stocked. Many would cany seven and eight times the num- 

 ber of sheep that are at present on them. And it must be 

 further recollected that the presence of sheep so enriches and 

 improves the land, that a plot of ground now supporting one 

 hundred the year round, would probably, ten years hence, be 

 sufficient for thrice that number. 



New Zealand is, I believe, the only country in the world 

 where there is no fixed lambing season. On account of the 

 mildness of the climate this is not of such serious importance 

 as it would be elsewhere. Still, no doubt, it is detrimental to 

 the breed, and in a few years this carelessness will perhaps be 

 remedied. 



The average annual increase in the ewes may be reckoned 

 at eighty per cent., all of which, when scab does not interfere 

 to increase expenses, may be considered as clear profit— the 

 wool amply paying all charges for the management of the run. 



From the above it may be calculated that the export of wool, 

 which is already of considerable extent, in a few years' time 

 will become of greater importance. 



Some sheep-breeders have lately been importing Saxony 

 rams ; these, crossed with the Merino blood, are serviceable 

 by causing a closeness in the wool, thereby materially increas- 

 ing the yield. 



There are, and will be for years to come, in each province 

 excellent markets for the sale of the carcases; wethers in good 

 condition at present fetch from 8 dols. 50 c. to 9 dols. 50 c. 

 per head. The price cannot fall below a certain point, as a 

 fortnight's sail would secure a fine market in Melbourne or 

 other Australian ports, while along the coast are plenty of 

 small harbours suitable for the colonial trading vessels. 



In conclusion, I may remark that the sheep farmers as a 

 class are a most pleasant, hospitable body of men, and at the 

 present time, as a rule, are rapidly making money. 



Cantbrbury, New Zealand, 1859. 



WELSH FARMERS AND FARMING. 



At the Abergavenny Society's Meeting, 



Mr. 0. Morgan, M.P., said it had given him great 

 pleasure to be there that day, and he had been much grati- 

 fied with the spectacle in the show field : the show had 

 been a great credit to the town and neighbourhood, both 

 as regarded the stock and implements. Small local shows 

 were ot great benefit to the country. He recollected the 

 State of agriculture in this county from early youth, more 

 especially in his neighbourhood, the vicinity of Newport, 

 and he had seen the vast improvements which had taken 

 place year after year ever since the establishment of a 

 show at Newport, by his father, in 1816. He attributed 

 the great imp overaent entirely to that exhibition. These 

 agricultural meetings and exhibitions were no new things 

 or new ideas : that started in 1816 had gone on continually 

 ncreasjng until the small buildings originally erected for 



it became too confined, and now there was a much larger 

 yard used for the purpose, there was almost a difficulty" in 

 finding accommodation. Everybody knew the small aud 

 humble beginning of that show, but in these small societies 

 he saw the germs of much larger institutions, wjaich would 

 eventually develop themselves. Whether they would re- 

 main in the position of local societies, or unite and form 

 one large institution, was a question for the future ; but 

 he had no doubt, from his own personal and practical ex- 

 perience, that these small shows would improve more than 

 anything else the farmer, the quality of his stock, and 

 everything connected with agriculture in tl'eir immediate 

 localities. A large show like that at Newport would not 

 so much have that effect ; emulation and rivalry must be 

 excited between individuals in the immediate vicinity and 

 neighbourhood of one another; thuis they would improve, 



