446 



ou"ht to be housed at night, when the lambs are young. During the 

 rest of the season no attention is given to them except wliat is necessary 

 in shearincr, and to salt them once a week and see that the fences are 

 up. It is better to salt them in long narrow troughs than on the ground, 

 as they waste less, and all get an equal share. Six by six slit work, 

 dug out triangularly with an adze, makes the best ti'oughs for salting. 

 I ought to have mentioned above, that if corn is given, only half the 

 quantity is required that it does of oats, but I think oats are better for 

 sheep. Between the 1st and 10th of May I think the best season for 

 lambing. 



My remedy for foot-rot is, three parts of blue vitriol, and one part 

 verdigris, pulverized as fine as Indian meal, then pour in sharp vinegar 

 made as hot as water with which we commonly scald hogs, not boiling, 

 and pour in as much vinegar as will make it of the consistence of thick 

 milk, stirring it briskly all the while ; clean the hoof with a knife, and 

 put on the mixture with a small paint brush, taking care that it comes 

 in contact with the inflamed part ; it is also better to put it on the sound 

 hoofs of the affected sheep as a preventive. Strong tobacco liquor is 

 the best cure for the scab, immersing the sheep all over except the head, 

 and scrubbing the part well that is affected. This remedy does best 

 directly after shearing, but will answer any time during the summer or 

 fall months ; for lambs, the liquor must be much weaker. For bloating, 

 the best remedy is a great spoonful of castor oil, mixed with a tea- 

 spoonful of pulverized rhubarb, and about a gill of hot water, which 

 may be put down the sheep's throat with a great spoon." 



//. — Letter from H. D. Grove to Benton and Barry. 



Gentlebien, — I will endeavor to give you an outline of the history 

 of the Saxon Merinos, their introduction from Spain into Saxony, and 

 subsequently into the United States, with a few remarks on sheep hus- 

 bandry. 



In the year 1764, the Elector of Saxony obtained, by special nego- 

 tiation through his ambassadoK, a grant from the king of Spain, for 

 the purchase of one hundred ewes and one iiundrcd rams, and a ^nw 

 surplus ones to keep that number good in case any should die during 

 the passage. Accordingly one hundred and nineteen ewes and one 

 hundred and ten rams were selected, principally from the Escurial 



