on Heavy and Light Land. 251 



Mr. Wood, in his valuable lecture before the Wayland 

 Society, gives several recipes for the treatment of inflamma- 

 tion, garget, &c., very good no doubt; but every intelligent 

 shepherd who acts under an educated master, will be ready 

 with simple medicines to treat such cases. I have found con- 

 siderable benefit from the use of aconite in cases of inflam- 

 mation — 2 to 3 drops in half a pint of water, repeated every 

 3 hours. Opium, again, is a valuable medicine when pro- 

 perly used ; good gruc], and a little stimulant, such as warm 

 ale or gin, will be found useful in cases of exhaustion. The 

 ewe should always have access to water. Though to a thought- 

 ful man this may appear self-evident, shepherds will sometimes 

 neglect this point, and the consequences are very serious. The 

 supply of roots should be moderate, that of dry food plentiful. 

 Stuffing now will not make up for bad feeding at an earlier 

 period ; indeed, overloading the stomach only makes the ewe 

 uncomfortable, and prevents an easy birth. 



But enough on this subject. Take care to have a good honest 

 shepherd who is fond of his sheep ; and, if he knows his business, 

 let him have his own way, and do not work him off his legs for 

 want of a little extra help ; many a man has neglected his lambs 

 from sheer exhaustion ; sleepless nights soon tell upon the frame ; 

 and, if a man is overworked, how can we expect that constant 

 attention which is so important at such a time? The master's eye 

 must be continually open ; and especially must he insist upon a 

 rational mode of treatment, and not allow any ignorant preju- 

 dices to interfere with success. Unfortunately, shepherds too often 

 get their own way, and are allowed to indulge their superstitious 

 fancies because the master is not practically acquainted with his 

 business, and has no knowledge of physiology and pathology, 

 two most useful studies. This is a forcible illustration of the ne- 

 cessity for a thorough education, both in principles and practice. 



For the first month the lamb depends entirely upon its mother 

 for support, and hence it is of the utmost importance that the 

 ewe should possess a good flow of healthy milk. As soon as she 

 is well recovered from lambing, generous food may be supplied 

 in increasing quantity as the lamb grows. A small quantity of 

 mangold will now be a help to the milk. By the end of the 

 month the lamb is able to pick a little, and we may therefore 

 proceed to consider the management of the lamb. 



Whatever be the ultimate destination of the lamb, whether for 

 breeding or feeding, it should be kept constantly thriving, that 

 is, always supplied with a sufficiency of suitable food to develop 

 the frame. At first this must be done through the mother; 

 hence the importance of having the ewe in a sound and healthy 

 condition ; if the ewe is poor, forcing food will often cause the 



