240 



Dialogue betiveen a Father and Son. 



Vol. IV. 



Foot Rot iu Slieep. 



A subscriber wishes to know how to reme- 

 dy this disease, which has broke out in his 

 flock of sheep. 



We had hoped that this disorder would not 

 again be known among- the flocks in this 

 State. We saw considerable of it in several 

 flocks about ten years ago, but have not heard 

 of it for several years since, until now. It is 

 a troublesome disease, and requires close and 

 unwearied attention to eradicate it. 



It consists in an ulceration of the foot be- 

 tween the claws of the hoof and underneath 

 the hoof— spreading- and becoming fetid and 

 gangrenous, until at length, if neglected, the 

 whole foot becomes a mass of disease. 



The following method we have seen suc- 

 cessfully used. First, cut away, with a snarp 

 knife, the horn of the hoof where the disease 

 is seated— let the part bleed freely. Then, 

 cleanse it well with soap suds. Then take 

 blue vitriol, make a strong decoction of it in 

 water or spirits — but water will do — and 

 plunge the foot in it, or apply it faithfully to 

 every part. This should be done frequently, 

 and the sheep should be kept in a clean place, 

 where dirt cannot get into the diseased parts. 



A solution of Chloride of Lime, applied to 

 the foot is excellent in destroying the bad 

 smell and bringing on healthy action. 



This may be had of the apothecary or of 

 the piper makers for a trifle. Whatever is 

 done should be done thoroughly. It will be 

 of no use to pare away part of the hoof, and 

 leave a little part where it is diseased, un- 

 touched ; nor will it do to take a part of the 

 flock in hand and leave the rest. Some think 

 that if sheep run in a pasture where others, 

 affected with the disease have been, they will 

 contract the disease from matter left upon the ' 

 ground or grass. The truth of this we doi 

 not know. — Maine Farmer. 



DEDICATION. 



To the Junior Members of that most useful 

 class of society, Agriculturists, these dialo- 

 gues, the reminiscences of a long life, devoted 

 to the pursuits of "Agriculture, Husbandry 

 and rural afl'airs," and in which the characters 

 are real— not fictitious — for there is a Frank, 

 and a sister Susan— a Grabb, and a Sykes — 

 the circumstances also having a " local habi- 

 tation and a name" — and the observations and 

 reflections being the result of much experience 

 and investigation, are dedicated, by 



Their very sincere and affectionate friend, 

 James Pedder. 



29th Feb. 1840. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Sir : — The very general opinion, that the 

 dialogues which have appeared in the Farm- 

 ers' Cabinet, would be acceptable to those for 

 Tvhom they were principally written, if they 

 were re-published in book form, has induced 

 the writer to revise and add to tlicir number, 

 with that view. They are now in the press, 

 and will speedily be published. If those edi- 

 tors, who have considered them worthy their 

 regard, would Jiave the kindness to make this 

 notice known, by giving it an insertion in their 

 pages accompanied by their recommenda- 

 tion, they would greatly oblige the writer. 

 Due notice will be given of their publication. 



Dialogue t»ct-ween a Father and Son. 



Father — Take care Frank, how you lead 

 the horse over this ice; do you see the water 

 flowing underneath it? This brings to our 

 recollection the wise ordination of Providence 

 in the freezing of water, which is in direct op- 

 position to almost every other known law of 

 nature. All other bodies grow heavier while 

 cooling, but if this were the case with water, 

 the ice would, as soon as formed on the sur- 

 face, sink to the bottom of the rivers, when, 

 the surface again freezing and again sinking, 

 it would soon choke up their beds, and \.he 

 water, still flowing over and freezing, would 

 cause a deluge of ice over the surface of the 

 earth of incalculable thickness, to the inevita- 

 ble destruction of every living thing, man, 

 not excepted. The reason of its being liohter 

 in a state of ice than water — which isr you 

 know, the cause of its swimming — is, it con- 

 tains a great quantity of air, as you might see, 

 by those bubbles which are formed in It ; and 

 this air is ordained to be tJie cause of its 

 breaking up at the time of thawing— but for 

 this, a mountain of ice would be the work of 

 a summer for tlie sun to penetrate and dis- 

 solve; and as I told you the expansion of ice 

 at the time of freezing is extremely great, 

 bur;;ting with ease the most solid bodies, so 

 also, the air which is contained in these bub- 

 bles, when expanded by warmth is equally 

 irresistible; and in very cold coimtrios, the 

 explosions which take place, occasioned by 

 this expansion, at the time of the breaking 

 up of frost, are dreadful, equal to the loudest 

 thunder ! So, thus it is — water contracts in 

 bulk as it cools, until it has reached the freez- 

 ing point, when, immediately, its nature be- 

 comes changed, and it then grows lighter, as 

 it freezes. 



Frank — What a wonderful contrivance! 

 I perfectly understand how that, if ice were 



