EOT IN SHEEP. 359 



" In Sussex and in several parts of Surrey, the fatality was 

 equally great. In the neighbourhood of Eastbourne a flock 

 of about 600 Southdown ewes of great value was completely 

 destroyed. Numerous cases of this kind might be narrated, 

 but enough has been said to show not only the extent of the 

 disease, but that sheep of every description, and placed under 

 different systems of management, equally succumbed. It is 

 much to be regretted that means do not exist whereby the 

 total loss could be ascertained. People are left in doubt as 

 to the amount of food of which they were deprived in one 

 year by this disease alone, and of the efforts which must be 

 made to replace the losses. The time, we predict, cannot be 

 far distant when agriculturists will be convinced, not only of 

 the propriety, but of the positive necessity of making returns, 

 at least of the losses, they sustain among their cattle, instead 

 of simply deploring these among themselves. Elsewhere we 

 have drawn attention to this important subject, upon which 

 very much might now be said, if it were not somewhat un- 

 suited to an essay of this kind." 



Mr Spooner, in his work on sheep, says, " Though a million 

 of sheep or lambs have frequently been destroyed annually 

 by this disease, in the winter of 1830-31, this number, it is 

 supposed, was more than doubled ; some farmers lost their 

 whole flocks, others a moiety, and many were ruined in con- 

 sequence. These facts were proved before a Committee of 

 the House of Lords in 1833, and it was there stated by one 

 farmer that he lost 3000 worth of sheep on his farm in 

 Kent, in the course of three months. Even at this time 

 there were 5000 less sheep taken to Smithfield every market- 

 day in consequence of the mortality two years previously, so 

 extensive and general had it been/' 



My inquiries in 1862 indicate that the mortality in many 

 parts exceeded that of 1860. It has far surpassed it in Ire- 



