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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE, 



in the lately-fallen rain ; it is certainly possible tbat the ova 

 of the Monslormm miitaUle, infesting the eyes of some 

 aquatic birds, may be the originals of the Distoma hepaticiim ; 

 the ova may be dropped in these spots, now favourably cir- 

 cumstanced for their development, and thus infect the sheep. 

 The hypothesis seems, however, rather ad captandwn, although 

 we do not at this moment see any other mode of escaping 

 from the position in which we are placed by the reception of 

 the assertion that the distoma is the primary cause of rot. 

 In our therapeutic and prophylactic measures we have not 

 sought to underrate the influence of the entozoa in the pro- 

 duction of subsequent changes in the animal organism ; nor 

 should we depreciate the value of any means directed against 

 the existence of the disioma brood or the destruction of their 

 habitats, but we take leave to suggest that such means would 

 only be beneficial in the future; the outbreak of the disease 

 is not the moment when they could be advantageously applied, 

 nor indeed can we expect much from any measures of the kind, 

 even if adopted as soon as a large amount of rain has excited 

 apprehension; sheep, according to our view, have already taken 

 the germs into their systems, and only a certain condition of 

 the secretious is necessary for their full development, and 

 hence destruction of the larvffi outside the body will not pre- 

 vent, fvlthough it may limit, the disease. From what we 

 know of the entozoa there is reason to believe that cold 

 would be very destruciive; and salt is particularly so to 

 fresh-water molluscs which the distoma inhabit ; conse- 

 quently it is probable that a freezing mixture, in which salt 

 shall be a prominent constituent, spread in quantities over 

 the ground, will suffice to exterminate the distoma brood for 

 the time ; but if the farmer hopes to prevent rot without an 

 eflPectual drainage and restoration of healthy herbage, we fear 

 he will be disappointed.* 



For the present we take have of our subject, in the hope 

 that the interest excited will not diminish until something 

 active has been done to remove this satire upon our agri- 

 culture. Experiments on a large scale directed to the pre- 

 vention and cure of the disease are not difficult to devise or to 

 conduct, so that opportunity be afforded ; and the farmer, who 

 is the principal sufferer, will hardly neglect to avail himself of 

 whatever means promise a future security. — G. T. B. 

 Note. 



However interesting the inquiry may be into the cause of 

 the coathe or bane in sheep, and however astonishing may be 

 the revelations contained in Professor Brown's paper on the 

 natural history of " the fluke," practical fisrmers will ask. 

 What is the result of this inquiry, and what suggestions does 

 Professor Brown offer either for the prevention or cure of the 

 disease ? Any facts, therefore, that bear on this branch of the 

 subject will probably be considered useful. 1. Professor 

 Brown considers tbat the disease called the bane, coathe, or 

 rot, never occurs on thoroughly well-draiued soils. In spite of 

 here and there soma apparent instances to the contrary, I 

 believe that Professor Brown is right in this opinion. In a 

 letter which I received a short time since from Sir Alexander 

 A. Hood, Bart., oa this subject, he mentioned that his estates 

 at Butleigh, in the county of Somerset (which are upon the 

 lias formation, and which he remembered to have been in his 

 boyhood often visited by this destructive disease, causing 

 great periodical losses to the tenantry), had been during the 

 past year almost entirely exempt from the disease. The only 

 «ason for such exemption that he was able to assign, was the 

 fact that he had pipe-drained the whole of these estates since 

 he came into possession of them, and had cut dotvu a large 

 quantity of timber that had previously overshadowed them. I 

 also have had a somewhat similar experience on a smaller 

 scale. About four or five years ago I pipe-drained forty acres 

 of fine marsh-land in the parish of Burnham, Somerset, called 

 the Havidges. I am informed that nearly all the sheep in the 

 parish of Burnham have been baned during the past year. 

 When my tenaat took his sheep to market in the autumn the 

 extensive prevalence of the bane on the lands surrounding tie 

 Havidges was alleged as a reason why his sheep must also be 

 baned, and why therefore they should be sold at an unsound 

 price. He, however, believed them to be sound ; and to 

 settle the question, offered to have one of them killed on the 



* It has been objected that this plan, unless carried out 

 sufficiently to destroy the herbage, would not be efficient: wo 

 shall admit the force of this objection after the experiment has 

 been triptl,— o. T. B, 



spot. This was done. The sheep proved to be sound, and the 

 rest of the flock were sold as sound. 2. Professor Brown 

 suggests as the best mode of treating the disease— 1. Kemoval 

 from the locality where the disease has been contracted. 2. 

 A full allowance of food. 3. Hay, oats, linseed, and beans (he 

 says) have been found practically useful. 4. The following 

 facts will corroborate this opinion ; Lieutenant-Colonel Henry 

 A. F. Luttrell, of Badgworth Court, Somerset, bought 158 

 long-woolled wether sheep in the spring of 1860, and grazed 

 them oa pasture land partly pipe-drained and partly not 

 drained. They cost 42s. each on an average. He had ihem 

 shorn, and as they got fat sold them off. The best of them 

 were sold at good prices during the summer and the early part 

 of the autumn. About the middle of November there were 

 ninety left which were not fat enough to be sold, and were, in 

 fact, all baaed : forty of the worst of them were sold in 

 November for 283. each, and he was offered 34s. each for the re- 

 maining fifty. This offer he refused. He then put these fifty 

 baned sheep on some pasture land which had been pipe- 

 drained, and had been fed down bare, and kept them on oil- 

 cake, pulped swedes, and a few beans. They ate 2 tons of oil- 

 cake, which cost £20, about 25 tons of swedes, and 4 bushels 

 of beans, and also a small quantity of hay during the severest 

 weather. Week by week one of them was killed for the honse; 

 and generally one was selected which appeared to be doing the 

 worst. Every sheep that was so killed was baned. On the 

 12th January, the 5th of February, the 4th of March, and the 

 22nd March, the sheep were weighed, and found to be on the 

 whole increasing fast in weight, though some two or three on 

 each occasion had lost weight. I have not the particulars of 

 the weighing on the 12th January. From the 5th February 

 to the 4th March the aggregate increase of weight on the 39 

 sheep that then remained was 217 lbs. Five of these 39 had, 

 however, lost 20 lbs. in aggregate weight since the previous 

 weighing. From the 4th March to the 22nd March, 37 of 

 these sheep tbat remained at the latter day had gained, in the 

 aggregate. 111 lbs. since the previous weighing, though three 

 of them had lost, in the aggregate, 14 lbs. During part of 

 this latter period oil-cake had ceased to be given, and the 

 sheep had been put on grass over which ewes and lambs had 

 a first run. One of these 37 was killed for the house, and the 

 remaining 36 were sold on the 25th March for £106, or 59s. 

 each. The following is the result of the experiment in 

 money : — £ s, £ s, 



36 sheep sold for 106 



14 sheep killed, averaging 18 lbs. per "1 oi m 

 quarter, at 7id J "^^ ^" 



137 10 



Cost of oilcake 26 



Cost of beans 1 4 



25 tons of swedes, at 8s 10 



Hay, 10 cwt., at 3s 110 



Value of 50 sheep in Nov., at 343. 85 



123 14 



Profit besides manure 13 16 



If any other experiments of this kind have been made 

 during the past year, it would be desirable that the results of 

 the same shoald be communicated. — G. S, P. 



PROPOSED NORTH HANTS AGRICULTURAL 

 SOCIETY.— Some of the leading agriculturists of the dis- 

 trict having mooted the desirability of establishing a society 

 of this description, a public meeting was convened on Wednes- 

 day, May 15, Basingstoke, when, from the large and influen- 

 tial attendance, there can be no doubt that the object of it 

 will be fully attained. Mr. Portal took the chair, and warmly 

 advocated the object in view. The first resolution, embody- 

 ing the constitution and objects of the society, was moved by 

 Mr. Portal, seconded by Mr. Francis Budd, and unanimously 

 adopted. The objects are the encouragement of breeding 

 stock of all descriptions, the improvement of root crops, re- 

 warding the skill and industry of labourers in ploughing, hay 

 tying, and the various departments of husbandry. The selec- 

 tion of W. L. W. Chute, Esq , of The Vyne, as president for 

 the first year, was hailed with great satisfaction ; and at the 

 close of the meeting about 46 gentlemen present enrolled 

 themselves members.— Hampshire Chronicle, 



