1.50 



THE FARMERS CABINET. 



VOL. 1. 



it is contagious and generally spreads through 

 the whole flock, and often over the neighbor- 

 ing country. — Flocks that are ftd upon open 

 commons are more subject to it than such as 

 have shelter, and are taken care of at night. 

 It frequently prevails in cold seasons and 

 when dribbling rains come on soon after 

 shearing. Want of food will also occasion 

 this disease; as will likewise the eating ofj 

 such grass as is full of unwholesome plants. 

 These are among the causes of this fatal dis- 

 temper; but the worst and most common is 

 infection. Keep sheep out of the way of 

 these causes of the rot, and the same care 

 will preserve them from most other disorders 

 to which they are liable, damp grounds are 

 always dangerous, and especially in wet sea- 

 sons. 



When a sheep is infected with the rot, the 

 white of the eyes looks dull, and they have 

 a faint aspect, the animal is feeble and his 

 skin is foul — the wool comes off in handfuUs 

 with the least touch and the gums look pale 

 and the teeth foul. He will also be dull and 

 listless in motion and heavy, as if his legs 

 were not able to carry him. Many are gen- 

 erally infected at a time, and the first care 

 must be to remove them from the sound ones, 

 and put them in a close fold. They must 

 have but little water, and their food must be 

 dry hay and oats. Bleeding is destructive 

 in the rot. The fact that sheep fed in salt 

 marshes never have the rot, suggested salt 

 as a remedy. It is a good preventive, but 

 not an infalliable cure. Though the farmer 

 cannot rely upon it, yet among other reme- 

 dies, it is highly useful. 



The following remedies and treatment 

 have often effected cures. Bruise an ounce 

 of the grains of paradise, and four ounces of 

 juniper berries dried; add to these four pounds 

 of bay salt and half a pound of loaf sugar, 

 grind them all well together, and sprinkle 

 some of this upon the hay and oats that are 



fiven the sheep. Let this be continued three 

 ays, and look from time to time to the eyes, 

 and examine every other way, to see whe- 

 ther they mend or grow worse. If there be 

 signs of amendment let the same course be 

 continued; if not, the following must be used. 

 Steep four pounds of antimony in two gallons 

 of ale, for a week — then give the sheep this 

 every night, and morning, a quarter of a pint 

 at a time. Boil a pound of the roots of avens, 

 and two pounds of the roots of master-wort, 

 in two gallons of water, till there is not more 

 than six quarts remaining — strain this off", and 

 press it hard, then pour a pint of it into a pail 

 full of water that is to be given to the sheep 

 for their drink. 



By these means, carefully managed, and 

 under a good regulation in cleanness, dry- 

 ness and warmth, the rot will often be cured. 



This is all that can be promised — for there 

 are times when the disease is rooted, and 

 when the temperature of the air so favors it, 

 that nothing will get the better of it. If the 

 sheep have adistaste to their food, because of 

 the sa!t and other ingredients mixed among it, 

 they must be omitted for two or three feed- 

 ings, and then given in less quantity. 



The Cheviot She^p. 



The Cheviot Hills area part of that ex- 

 tensive and elevated range which extends 

 from Galloway through Northumberland in- 

 to Cumberland and Westmoreland, occupying 

 a space of from 150 to 200 square miles. 

 The majority of them are pointed like cones ; 

 their sides are smooth and steep, and their 

 bases are nearly in contact with each other. 

 The soil, except on the very top, is fertile ; 

 and from the base to the summit of most of 

 them there is an unbroken and rich green- 

 sward. 



On the upper part of the hill in Northum- 

 berland, which is properly termed fhe Cheviot, 

 a peculiar and most valuable sheep is found. 

 They have been there almost from time im- 

 memorial. Tradition says that they came 

 from the border district of Scotland ; but 

 they are totally different from the black-faced 

 sheep and bear but little or no resemblance 

 to the original dun-faced Scottish stock. 

 How two breeds so totally different from 

 each other, came to inhabit the neighboring 

 hills of Ettrick forest and the Cheviot hills, 

 neither history nor tradition has attempted to 

 explain.* 



The Lammermuir farmer, an ardent ad- 

 mirer of them, says, that they are hornless ; 

 the face and legs generally white ; the eye 

 lively and prominent ; the countenance open 

 and pleasing; the ear large, and with a 

 long space from the ear to the eye ; the 

 body long, and hence they are called " long 

 sheep," in distinction from the black-faced 

 breed. They are full behind the shoulder, 

 they have a long straight back, they are 

 round in the rib, and well proportioned 

 in their quarters ; the legs are clean and 

 small-boned, and the pelt is thin, but 

 thickly covered with fine short wool. The 

 wool extends over the whole of the body, 

 and forward behind the ear, but leaves the 

 face uncovered — a circumstance, that gives 

 a very pleasing appearance to the face and 

 head. The muscle and the wool fall well 

 down towards the knee; and although on 

 the thigh the wool is somewhat coarse, the 

 farmer is compensated by the abundant 

 growth of it on that part. 



Those who are accustomed to the Cheviots 



* Farmer's Mag., February, 1824. 



