358 EOT IN SHEEP. 



that all the western and southern counties of England, to- 

 gether with several of the eastern and midland, suffered to a 

 ruinous extent. As in former years, so in this, the attacks 

 of the disease were due to an excess and long continuance of 

 wet weather. Eighteen hundred and sixty will be long re- 

 membered by agriculturists, not only as producing the rot 

 among sheep, but likewise for its baneful effects on the root 

 crops, as also on the hay and corn harvests. 



"We are acquainted with several instances, in our own 

 immediate neighbourhood on the verge of London, where 

 the losses of sheep amounted from 600 to 700 in a flock. 

 These sheep were principally Welsh ewes, which had been 

 bought at the latter part of the summer for breeding by 

 being crossed with Leicester tups. Some persons lost nearly 

 all, and one in particular, who buys about 800 of these ewes 

 annually, had not more than 40 or 50 which escaped. Tups, 

 wethers, lamb-hogs, and half-breds, alike succumbed to the 

 inroads of the affection. A similar fatality attended the 

 progress of the disease in all other districts. In many 

 parishes in Devonshire where we investigated the malady, 

 and of which Bridgerule may be taken as an example, five- 

 sixths of the sheep perished, or were sold for a few shillings 

 each for slaughtering, to the detriment of the health of the 

 poorer classes.* In the instance thus particularized the 

 losses occurred among the stock of small occupiers, the ill 

 consequences of which were greatly added to by their young 

 cattle being found to be affected by flukes to such an extent 

 as seriously to injure their health later on in the year. 



* The Kev. S. N. Kingdon, the resident minister at Bridgerule, 

 reported to the author, that on October 1st, 1860, 492 sheep were 

 existing in the parish as the joint property of several small farmers ; 

 and that, by the end of the month, 410 of them had either died or been 

 sold at a price very little above the value of their skins. 



