186 FITTING SHEEP 



over the land, as it were, that ticks should be allowed to> 

 work such ravages among the flocks of our country. There 

 is no doubt but that thousands of dollars are lost annually 

 by our flockmasters by allowing this pest to "live and wax 

 fat" on their flocks. No sheep can possibly thrive when 

 covered with ticks. The tick is by no means a difficult thing 

 to get rid of, two thorough dippings, one in the spring and 

 the other in the fall, will act both as a preventative and 

 cure of this trouble. Oftentimes shepherds I mean sheep- 

 keepers find, upon shearing their sheep in the spring, that 

 they are covered with ticks as thick as leaves in Vallom- 

 brosa. This should not be where the shepherd has the 

 least regard for the comfort of his flock. Do not be guilty 

 of keeping fowls among the flock as advocated by some 

 authors, as this is entirely against the common accepted rules, 

 of up-to-date practical shepherding. No modern shepherd 

 will allow a fowl of any kind near the sheep barn. The 

 reason is obvious when we consider that sheep must have 

 their hay-racks, feed troughs, etc., scrupulously clean, to say 

 nothing of annoyance of the fowls eating of the sheep's 

 grain, and chicken lice overrunning the place. Dipping is. 

 the only reliable way of eradicating ticks or other vermin, 

 that sheep are prey to. Dipping in lime and sulphur decoc- 

 tions will, no doubt, kill ticks, but still no modern shep- 

 herd will use or recommend such a mixture, as lime must 

 be very injurious to the skin and fleece, being that depila- 

 tories are largely made up of the former-named article. 



Footrot. 



Foot-rot is a terrible disease to have in a flock of sheep. 

 Where it has been allowed to run rampant for any consid- 



