218 AGRICULTURAL MUSEUM 



In strong pastures likewise, when seasons are wet,t^»e 

 rot often spreads destruction over whole tracts of conn- 

 try ; here salt must be licncficial, and an object of na- 

 tional importance. It is supposed, and vvilh great truth;, 

 to correct acidl'y in the slomaeli, a disorder common to 

 sheep even in Spain, but of a much more serious nature 

 in the damp climate o^ Great Britain, more particularly 

 when stocked on green floaty fo-jd, sucli as turnips, vet- 

 ches, and young clover. 



It may not be an absolute specific in land naturally un- 

 sound ; such land it is madness, at any rate, to stock 

 with sheep ; but where the rot occasionally prevails, 

 those who have carefully noted how salt affects cattle, 

 can hazard little in sujiposing, that the disease will be 

 much less heard of, when such acorrective is ap[)lied. 

 W^emust content ourselves rather with a negative than 

 a positive proof, because it is not easy to ascertain how 

 many sheep might have fallen sick, or have diod, which 

 are now in health and alive ; but it may be put to any 

 flock master, whether he would not consider him 

 self a fortunate man, if at the expence of thirty pounds 

 sterVmg per annum, he could materially improve the 

 health and condition of a flock of 1000 sheep, weighing 

 14\h. per quarter: His probable answer will be, that he 

 would give double the money to secure to himself such 

 an advantage. 



When grazing on limestone soils, it is stated in Dillon's 

 account of the Merino sheep, that sheep eat less salt; 

 from whenc it occurred to me, that chalk, which, though 

 not so warming in its nature as salt, is fully as good in 

 correcting acidity, might be a most beneiicial substitute 

 for it. 



Chalk has long been given to fatting ealves, for the 

 purpose of correcting this acidity ; and why not to sheep, 

 and lambs, who are equally subject to it. 



A gentleman, who farms near Tewksbury, in Glou- 

 cestershire, says, '" You had suggested, that chalk might 

 be substituted for salt; the latter being so expensive ia 



