saying, that in a very hard gale, 
which lasted some days, there was 
no other compass of any service at 
all; indeed, to me it appears to 
deserve all the praise he gave it. 
Receipt to cure the Complaint of the 
Water in Sheep. 
IT has been often rematked, how 
little the disorders incident to sheep 
are even known in sheep countries. 
The common shepherds keep pace 
with the common farriers, and only 
Observe, ¢hat the animals have al- 
aways died; must dic, and they cannct 
help it. 
The following experiment there- 
fore may be useful to the public, 
communicated to me by a tenant of 
mine. 
A farmer near Kilham turned his 
flock of sheep into a field of turnips 
he had hiréd, which were remark- 
ably strong and good: Ina short 
‘time he lost about twenty of them 
by the disorder called the Water. 
He grew so alarmed in consequence, 
that he removed his sheep, and 
would et no more of the turnips. 
On this the owner of the land re- 
monstrated, and insisted on the tur- 
nips being eaten upon the ground. 
After some little time and alterca- 
tion, the farmer brought back his 
flock, and shortly after’ about six 
more died. On this he took his 
final leave of the turnips, and said, 
«They kilied sheep, and would have 
_|nothing more to do with them.” 
The owner of the land had them 
publicly cried, but the turnips had 
got so bad a name, that with no 
Nittle difficulty they were let .at 
half price. The next farmer sent 
on his sheep, and ina short time 
Tost about eight or ten. 
second disaster the reputation of 
‘the turnips xvas gone entirely, and 
my tenant had the offer of them 
‘| Vou. XXXVILI. ‘ 
USEFUL PROJECTS. 
On this . 
[449 
for nothing, provided le would eat 
them up, to which he agreed. 
He sent there six hundred and 
thirty sheep, so that the experiment 
was a very full and fair one. The 
method he pursued he had heard of 
in Northumberland. As soon as 
the sheep had filled themselves with 
the turnips, he made his shepherd 
go amongst them and move them 
about. ‘hey voided in consequence 
a good deal of water. He did this 
for some days at stated intervals, 
and sometimes made his shepherd 
go amongst them in the middle 
of the night. By this method 
they were never ‘suffered. to lie 
long and swell with what they had 
eaten. The consequence of this 
proceeding was, that after eating 
up the whole of these fatal tur- 
nips; he removed his six hundred 
and thirty sheep all in good con- 
dition, without the loss of a single 
sheep. 
Two circumstances may fairly 
be deduced from the above experi- 
ment ; ‘The first, that the complaint 
of the water, which frequently kills 
sheep when first put on to turnips, 
drises from their gorging themselves 
with this watry food, and then re- 
maining without exercise to carry 
off the beginning complaint: The 
second, that this method may tend 
to prevent the disorder, at the 
small expence of a little trouble to 
the shepherd. 
Should this method prove on 
trial as successful as the experiment 
gives me hope, the farmer will 
have many reasons to thank the 
man who tried it, and the public 
will be obliged by the communica 
tion. 
I have the honour to be, &c. 
EDWARD TOPHAM, 
Wald Cottage, near Drifield, 
April 26. 
Gg ANTIQUITIES: 
