220 EVERY MAN KIS OWN FARRIER 



either in man or beast, it is well known, affects the 

 vitals materially. When thus shielded the young sheep 

 will feed straight in the wind, on the worst days, 

 without injury, and, indeed, without much regarding 

 the weather. This covering keeps them from the 

 rain, prevents them from being shelled and loaded with 

 frozen snow, and from destruction by cold, by leanness, 

 and the water in the head. The expense attending it 

 is so trifling, that it is scarcely worth mentioning. One 

 pair of old blankets, of the value of four or five shil- 

 lings, will furnish coats for forty sheep ; and if these 

 are carefully taken off on the return of spring, and laid 

 aside, they will serve the purpose for two or three 

 successive years. — Farmers'^ Magazine. 



Practice of the Spanish Shepherds. — The first care 

 of the shepherd on coming to the spot where his sheep 

 are to spend the summer, is to give to his ewes as 

 much salt as they will eat. For this purpose he is 

 provided with twenty-five quintals of salt for every 

 thousand head, which is consumed in less than five 

 months ; but they eat none on their journey or in 

 winter. The method of giving it to them is as follows : 

 The shepherd places fifty or sixty flat stones about five 

 steps distant from each other; he strews salt upon 

 each stone, then leads his flock slowly through the 

 stones, and every sheep eats at pleasure. This is fre- 

 quently repeated, observing not to let them eat on 

 those days in any spot where there is limestone. When 

 "they have eaten the salt, they are led to some argilla- 

 ceous spots, where, from the craving they have acquired, 

 they devour every thing they meet with, and return 

 again to the salt with redoubled ardour. 



Pelt-rot. — hi this disease the wool falls ofl^*, but the 

 skin does not become sore, but is merely covered with 

 a white crust. 



