NO. 6. 



THE FARMERS' C.UilNET. 



87 



would readily embrace any opportunity of so 

 clearly adding to their profits. It is to be 

 boped this subject will not be lost sight of by 

 sheep growers, but carried into etfect as an 

 object essential to our prosperity. 



Choosing Sliccp for Breeding. 



One of the two species of sheep, the long 

 and the short vvooled, liaving been chosen as 

 t!ie most appropriate to the situation, and 

 wool being made an object, it is most advan- 

 tageous to select such Hocks as are pure as 

 possible of the species to whicii they belong, 

 and not a mi.xturc of the short and long 

 woolod breeds, wiiich must generally pro- 

 duce an inferior fleece, disadvantageous to 

 the manufacturer. Length of staple in the 

 long, and fineness, elasticity, and closeness 

 in the short wooled fleece, will be the best 

 guides in this case. 



Whether the wool be long or short, the 

 carcass of the animal ought to bo amply and 

 regularly covered ; it is a great defect when 

 the belly is bare, and still greater when the 

 wool is thin and open on the ridge of the 

 back, admitting rain and moisture to a most 

 susceptible pari, indeed, to descend upon all 

 parts of the body. 



It is a piece of good old advice to buy 

 yonr rams a little before shearing time, if 

 possible ; and a very necessary modern addi- 

 tion, to make the opportunity of purchasing 

 at the farmer's house, while you see the ani- 

 mal in puris naluralibus, and before he has 

 been decked out and trimmed tor show by 

 Ihe sheep barber. A thick fleece, covering 

 all parts with as much equality as possible, 

 ■containing plenty of yolk, or retained, or in- 

 sissipated perspiration, is the object. If 

 ewes, equally well-bred, can be procured, 

 the shepherd anticipates and reaps an imme- 

 diate benefit ; if not, he must patiently wait 

 improvement of this wool, through the me- 

 dium of the superior blood of his rams. 



At shearing time, examine the bottoms of 

 the fleece, or the lower extremity of the fila- 

 ments of wool ; if it be stichy-liaired, of 

 mixed quality, or if the sheep have a coarse 

 breech, or be not well covered, it must be 

 rejected, as improper for a breeding slock, 

 where it wouUl perpetrate its defects. The 

 quantity of yolk or grease is a good proof of 

 the thickness of the wool, the grease or per- 

 spirable matter of the animal is retained ; 

 hence, fine, curled wool, has ever the great- 

 est quantity of yolk. — Balh Memoirs. 



Diseases of Sheep, &c. 



For the foot rot in Sheep. — Take alum, 

 green vitriol and white mercury, the first in 

 tbfi largest proportion : dissolve them in 

 water, and after the hoof is pared, anoint it 

 with a feather, and bind on a rag all over the 



foot. The Middlesex shephards use the 

 green vitriol alone, after pounding it fine. 

 Others again anoint with a feather dipped in 

 afpia fortis, or weak nitric acid. The drovers 

 to Smithfield carry a bottle of this with them, 

 to apply to lame sheep. It hardens the boof- 

 and enables the sheep to travel better. An, 

 other mode is to spread three or four inches 

 of slack lime over a floor, pare the sheep's 

 feet well, and turn them into this house, 

 where thay may remain for a few hours, and 

 then be put into a dry pasture. The treat- 

 ment may be twice or thrice repeated. 



To prevent the foot rot. — Keep the sheep in 

 dry pastures, and if stony the better; examine 

 them often and carefully; and when any 

 fissures or cracks, attended with heat, make 

 their appearance, apply oil of turpentine and 

 common brandy. When these do not avail, 

 wash the disea.sed part, and pare as close as 

 possible without drawing blood, and apply 

 some of the caustics above named. In all 

 cases it is of great consequence that the 

 animal be afterwards exposed only to a 

 moderate temperature — be invigorated with 

 proper food and kept clean in early dry pas- 

 ture. 



To prevent sheep from catching cold after 

 being shorn. — Rub them with water saturated 

 with salt, or plunge them in sea water. 



To cure the scab. — Sir .Joseph Bunks gave 

 the following prescription to the Society for 

 the encouragement of arts : take one pound 

 of quicksilver, half pound Venice turpentine, 

 half pint oil of turpentine, and four pounds 

 hog lard ; rub them in a morlar till they are 

 well incorporated. Then begin at the head 

 of the sheep, proceed from between the ears 

 along the back to the end of the tail ; the 

 wool is to be divided in a furrow till the skin 

 can be touched, and as the furrow is made, 

 the finger, slightly dipped in the ointment, is 

 to be drawn along the bolloin of it, where it 

 will leave a blue stain on the skin and ad- 

 joining wool. From this make similar fur- 

 rows down the shoulders and thighs to the 

 legs,-and if the animal is much infected, two 

 should be drawn along each side, and the 

 ointment applied in all. 



Tocnre the measles in swine. — The exist- 

 ence of the disease can only be known by 

 the animal not thriving or fattening like the 

 rest. Put into the food of each hog, once or 

 twice a week, as much crude pounded anti- 

 mony as will lie on a shilling. This is very 

 proper for any feeding swine, though they 

 have no disorder. A small quantity of the 

 flour of brimstone will be found of great ser- 

 vice, if occasionally given to swine. But 

 the best way is to prevent disease, by keeping 

 their styes clean and dry, and to allow them 

 air, exercise, and plenty of clean straw, 



