THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



457 



Few, I dare say, when thej' see the flock as a whole 

 feeding and fattening rapidly on a certain field of 

 turnips, care about changing it to another where 

 the chance exists that they might not feed so well ; 

 but when two evils are forced upon our choice, it 

 becomes only a matter of consideration or opinion 

 which is the least. 



Rock-salt is considered by some as a very good 

 preventive of disease. A good-sized flock will not 

 consume a great quantity of it — many of them per- 

 haps scarcely tasting it. Some, however, seem to 

 relish it exceedingly, again and again walking for- 

 ward to the troughs and licking and nibbling at 

 the pieces they contain. Such may be incited to 

 do so by a natural instinctive craving to replace a 

 want of salt in the blood, which, when not thus or 

 otherwise supplied to them, may be one of the 

 causes of disease. Be that as it may, salt does no 

 harm, costs little, and very probably promotes 

 heelth to the sheep that use it, especially to hoggs, 

 which, feeding very rapidly in very mild, warm, 

 spring weather, are pre-disposed to inflammatory 

 fever, of something of the same type that attacks 

 yearling calves, or indeed even more quickly fatal. 

 As this is a disease amongst sheep that I have not 

 heard of as having yet become general, it may be 

 as well to say here a few words about it. I have 

 rarely seen it attack any kind of sheep but hoggs 

 on cut swedes, which were feeding unsually fast, 

 during unseasonably mild, sunny, warm weather, 

 and hoggs which had newly lost their fleeces in 

 unseasonably cold weather. So rapidly does it 

 prove fatal, that it is often difficult for the shep- 

 herd to prevent those aflfected with this disease 

 from dying in the blood. The flock may seem 

 all well, and within a very few hours after one of 

 its number be found lying dead, almost in the 

 natural position as when resting, with a little 

 bloody froth about the mouth and nostrils. Such 

 has even occurred through the day, with a man 

 waiting upon them. On skinning those that have 

 thus died, spots, or it may be whole quarters, are 



found to be in a gangrenous condition ; an effu- 

 sion of black blood, intermixed with small bladders 

 of gas, having taken place in the facia, betwixtthe 

 skin and the flesh. When it has cut off one of a 

 flock, a few more may assuredly be expected to 

 follow, unless preventive measures are at once 

 adopted ; the most effectual of which will be found 

 to be a run off to grass, and fewer turnips given 

 for a time. At such a crisis, supplying them with 

 rock-salt may have — indeed, I almost believe from 

 what I have witnessed, has— beneficial effect, with- 

 out lessening the turnips, or running off to grass- 

 But still I would strenuously advocate in this, as 

 in the generality of diseases affecting sheep, a 

 change, as the safest, surest, and most simple of 

 all preventives. Change of situation, change of 

 field, change of food — in short, change of any kind 

 that may be and is within the reach of any sheep- 

 farmer, together with keeping them always in a 

 steadily progressive, healthy, improving condition, 

 and not half-starving them one day, week, or 

 month, and over-feeding the next, are, I feel con- 

 vinced, not only the surest means of prevention of 

 disease amongst sheep, that can be used, but also 

 much the most profitable method as to the feeding 

 of them, believing as I do that variety, as well as 

 quantity and quality, of food has much to do with 

 the celerity of their fattening and increase of weight. 

 Of course, as already remarked, even under the 

 best of management cases of disease will occur, 

 and must be looked for. As to such, in conclusion, 

 I again reiterate as ray opinion, formed from 

 observation, if they are sheep with any amount of 

 mutton on them, it is much more profitable never 

 to attempt a cure at all, as nine out of ten are 

 almost certain to die in the blood ere medical 

 treatment, be it good or bad, can take effect, and 

 the whole lost ; and, therefore, much better to 

 abstract the blood as soon as signs of disease are 

 discovered, ere the mutton gets greatly deteriorated, 

 and sell it for what it will bring, — Journal of 

 Agriculture. 



SOME MORE MR. SMITHS — A WORD IN SEASON. 



"A gentleman of the name of Smith" is a standing 

 joke. People titter as he is announced, and say face- 

 tiously they have heard of him before, when they are 

 introduced. His whole life through is cue long struggle 

 to establish his identity ; while his friends are never quite 

 sure of their man till they see him, and the very girl 

 of his heart hesitates ere she hopelessly loses herself in 

 the crowd and confusion of all those other Mrs. Smiths. 

 And yet there are men, even in our own times, when 

 the Directory pages the family almost in despaii-, and 

 the village postman pauses in the delivery of a letter — 

 there are able men amongst us, who would make them- 

 selves known and famous even by so unpromising a title. 

 If, like Byron, we wanted a hero, Sir Harry Smith, 

 adorned with all the attributes of true courage and well- 

 won reputation, comes at once to our relief. Or, if 

 more easily content with a pleasant companion and the 

 best of neighbours, who could compare with that most 

 genial of wits and straightforward of parsons, the 

 Reverend Sidney ? Try another cast, and we have but 

 to join in with all the rest of the world in singing the 



requiem of that mightiest of hunters, Mr. Assheton 

 Smith. Albert Smith still flourishes on the stage as 

 the most perfect exponent of a certain sort of enter- 

 tainment. "Joe Smith" is all but worshipped by 

 thousands of liis deluded followers ; and Smith 

 "of here," or Smith "of there," is the best man 

 of business, or the biggest rascal, as the case may 

 be, that you or I have the pleasure of being acquainted 

 with. 



It would be strange, indeed, if in such a distribution 

 of favours, agriculture could not claim a Smith or two 

 of her own. To Smith of Deanston, in fact, she still 

 owes much grateful remembrance j for more than 

 half a century have the Smiths of Peasenhall supplied 

 her with the best of drills and distributors, as to other 

 Smiths she turns for sheep and shorhorns. But 

 we may not be satisfied oven with such Smiths as 

 these, and an exploring pai-ty has been commissioned 

 to see if there are any more of them. The venture has 

 already been crowned with the most signal success. 

 Another Smith has been recently discovered, certainly 



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