104 SHEEP FARMING IN AMERICA 



These eggs hatch and soon mature insects that begin 

 laying eggs. Gerlach, the German authority, says 

 that in 15 days one female will become the mother 

 of 15, after 30 days of 150, after 45 days of 1,500, 

 after 60 days of 15,000. Up to this time there has 

 not been much seen of the result of the disease, but 

 here begins the wholesale onslaught of the legion 

 upon their hosts, for in 75 days there are 150,000, 

 and in 90 days 1,500,000 ! Now let them alone for 

 a little longer and the result is sufficiently terrify- 

 ing. 



The symptoms of scab are first the uneasiness of 

 the sheep, "which reaches around to the affected 

 part (that is apt to be on the shoulder, neck or side, 

 though it may appear in almost any part, but wher- 

 ever it appears it causes intense itching) and bites 

 at the wool or paws with its foot trying to scratch 

 the spot. If now you will carefully examine the 

 animal you will find under the wool at this spot of 

 infection the skin whitened and perhaps exuding 

 a watery secretion. One cannot with the naked 

 eye see the scab insects at work. A little later this 

 spot if untreated becomes a veritable scab and the 

 adjacent regions are attacked. It rapidly spreads 

 throughout the flock, the affected sheep rubbing 

 against posts and racks, dislodging mites that 

 fasten in turn upon other sheep. 



To cure scab thorough dipping is necessary. To 

 prevent it all sheep should be well dipped after 

 every railway journey or exposure in infected 

 yards or pens. Dipping for prevention is cheap 



