194 WATER IN PASTURES. 



arranging the habitual and orderly action of 'the functions, 

 they actually increase the tendency to disease ; and if there is 

 any prevailing malady at the time, they, as it wei*e, open the 

 door for its entrance. To what an innumerable number of 

 domestic animals of all sorts would the epitaph of the 

 Spaniard apply, with a slight change: "I was well; my 

 owner wanted me to be better, and I am here." 



Some extremely intelligent men, however, attach much 

 virtue to the articles under consideration, in combination with 

 salt, as a general remedy for certain obscure diseases. A. B. 

 Allen, Esq., formerly editor of the American Agriculturist, 

 writes me : " My brother Lewis had a flock of about two hun- 

 dred sheep which were dying off with what was supposed to 

 be the rot. They were on Grand Island. He called on me in 

 despair, said he had done everything he could think of, and 

 asked if I could help him. I told him to get large scows, 

 load them with sheep and send them to my farm, nearly 

 opposite to him on the main land. I then took long troughs 

 made of two narrow boards put together in the form of a V. 

 Into these I poured tar about three inches deep ; then I 

 sprinkled sulphur profusely ; then salt and pulverized alum 

 sparingly. Then I took each sheep and examined its feet 

 thoroughly. If in the least diseased, I washed the feet clean 

 with soap suds and applied the above mixture to them. The 

 sheep would come to these troughs many times per day, 

 just lick a little and go away. I believe I also placed some 

 boards before and behind the troughs (for they stood in an 

 open position) smeared with the above, so that they would be 

 obliged to tread in the mixture when they went to the 

 troughs. The tar, etc., was renewed as often as was 

 necessary, for several weeks. The result was that only three 

 or four sheep died after this : all the rest were soon restored 

 to health, and in six weeks or so, my brother had the pleasure 

 of selling as fine and healthy a fat flock to the butchers as 

 was seen in Buffalo that season. I presume change of 

 pastures and air were beneficial to my brother's flock, but let 

 me tell you that there is nothing like plenty of tar, sulphur, 

 salt and a modicum of pulverized alum to keep sheep in good 

 health, especially on heavy soils, low grounds, and when the 

 water is not over pure and abundant." 



WATER IN PASTURES. Water is not indispensable in 

 summer pastures, but it is unquestionably beneficial to all 

 sheep, and highly important for ewes suckling lambs. It will 



