260 



NE^ ENGLAND FARMER, 



March 2, 1 831. 



N'KW K.NGLAND r/.RMER. 



D'SEASE IN SHEEP. 



Ula Eess e^-uEN — As the raising of sheep and 

 the grr'^iving of wool have bi'come an object of so 

 '"'jch importance, everything that would seem to 

 impede or promote the prosperity of this great 

 source of national wealth ought to "be spread l)c- 

 fore the pidilic. I would therefore beg leave 

 through your useful paper to state a few facts re- 

 lating to a disease, which had lately occurred 

 among sheep in this town. 



The disorder may and no doubt has been in 

 progress some time, but its direful and deadly" 

 effects were not visible until since cohl weather 

 set in. It has appeared in different parts of the 

 town and among those apparently in the summer 

 and fill iu the best heaUh, but has been confined 

 mostly to young or yearling sheep. I have care- 

 fully examined several volumes of the New Eng- 

 land Farmer to see whether the disease was des- 

 cribed or a remedy proposed. If we except the 

 two fallowing instances I have not found any- 

 thing that seemed to be ])arall(d to the one above 

 alluded to. A writer in vol. vii. page 109, under 

 tlie signature of a ' Wool-grower' describes a some- 

 what similar disease among sheep. After ex- 

 amining every other |)art, he says that 'he laid 

 the lungs open and in the cellular substance of 

 the limgs and in the bronchial [air] vessel there 

 were a multitude of worms about as thick as a 

 linen thread and from one inch to six iu length 

 exceeding sharp pointed at one end,' &c. For 

 which he prescribed Scotch snuff on the food 1 

 morning and evening, and tar and sulphur once a 

 day, which appeared to improve their health im- 

 mediately. A. L. H. in Vol. viil. page 207, describes 

 the symptoms, progress and direful effects of a 

 disease as it occurred among his sheep, being no 

 doubt the same disorder, which has made such 

 havoc iu this neighborhood. This v.riter not 

 having made any examination after death, seemed 

 to be altogether in the dark as to its cause or 

 cure. Neither do those wlio answered his com- 

 munication throw much light on the subject. But 

 let lis return to the malady which has prevailed 

 among us and blighted the hopes of many a far- 

 mer. 



The most common syni])toms of the disease are 

 a loss of appetite, general emaciation or leanness 

 with a peculiar gauntness, so that the animal is 

 bent up almost double and is hardly able to drag 

 its tottering frame after it, and unless the disease is 

 arrested by a timely remedy, often a scouring sets 

 in and the pitiable creature soon falls a victim to 

 the fell destroyer. One gentleman having lost 

 many promising yearling sheep in this way, deter- 

 mined if possible to ascertain the cause. Hecotn- 

 inenced by a careful dissection of the head, ex- 

 pecting to find a worm or wrrms, as much had 

 been said or written to that effect. In this how- 

 ever he was disappointed ; nothing daunted, he 

 proceeded carefidly to follow down the whole al- 

 imentary canal examining every part ; no sooner 

 had he opened the stomach but he found innu- 

 merable minute worms from an inch to two inches 

 in length,in size from a fine to a coarse linen thread, 

 in color white or nearly so with one end sharp, 

 and when examined soon after the death of the 

 animal, they were very lively. Other dissections 

 carefully made by many other indiviiluals have 

 confirmed the presence of like worms not only in 

 the stomachs but in the small and large intestines 

 of sheep dying of this disease. As soon as the 



cause of death was ascertained the following simple 

 remedy was resorted to, which has not failed, I 

 believe, in a single instance of effecting a cure, j 

 when timely administered. Half an ounce of! 

 Gum Aloes pulverized -and mixed with a little 

 meal and water, enough to make the whole into 

 thick dough, is a full dose for one sheep, and may 

 be conveniently given by opening the animal's i 

 mouth and putting it on the root of the tongue ; 

 with the handle of a common iron spoon, or it 

 may be made into small balls, and iu like manner 

 given. — This quantity proves an effectual purge, 

 and brings away large quantities of worms, wliere- 

 up6n even many slieep apparently on the verge of 

 death have been restored in a few days to wonted 

 health. 



From many faithful trials of the aloes in smaller 

 doses, given to shee|) slightly diseased, having 

 poor appetites, &c, the most decided good effects 

 have followed. One gentleman having nearly 100 

 fine lambs in the fall, after losing about half of 

 them, I advised him to try aloes as above directed. 

 He first procured J lb. had it pulverized and or- 

 dered it given to 8 only, but through mistake it 

 was given to a about 20 ; a decided good effect 

 followed the administration of the medicine. He 

 has since procured, and made use of a pound or 

 more, liy the use of which he says be has saved 

 his flock. — The above facts are submitted, wishing 

 that a fair trial may be made of the aloes should 

 tl'.e same disease occur, or any other, where a 

 purge is indicated, as it can be more easily given 

 than any other of that class of medicines. The 

 price of this article is cheap, it may be procured of 

 any a|iothecary. T leave to others, more ac- 

 quainted with entomology, to give a name to the 

 worms above described, and to inform the jiublic 

 whether they are natural to the sheep in a state of 

 health, and only when in too great numbers or 

 under some peculiar circumstances they are the 

 cause of death, and likewise to explain the reason 

 why young sheep, in particular during the winter, 

 fall the victims of this disease. L. W. BRIGGS. 

 Bristol, R. 1. Feb. 21. 1831. 



From the Massachuselts Agricultural Repository- 



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON GRAIN, 

 VEGETABLE CROPS, &c. 



77ic Committee appointed hy the Trustees to exam- 

 ine tlie claims for premiums for Grain and Vege- 

 table Crops, — for Experiments and Discoveries, 

 — for Raising Trees and Hedges, — submit the 

 following Report — 



The past season has been a most bountiful 

 one. and has been particularly favorable for the 

 production of almost every article which claims 

 the attention and rewards the labors of agricuitu 

 rists iu this part of the United States. It is not 

 too much to say, perhaps, that there has not been 

 a week in which the want of rain has been severely 

 felt iu this connnonwealth, — while the sunshine 

 and heat have proved sufficient for bringing to 

 maturity the crops and fruits of our farms, and or- 

 chards and gardens. Of grass, wheat, rye, barley, 

 Indian corn, — of potatoes and vegetable of alnmst 

 every description, the crops have been truly abun- 

 dant. For fruit of every kind, — excepting, per- 

 haps, pearsand grapes, for which latter the summer 

 has been too cool and moist, — few seasons have 

 been so good. Blessed with a year of so much 

 plentj', it was natural to suppose that the claims of 

 our farming brethren for the premiums offered by 

 this Society, aided by the bounty of the Legisla- 



ture, would be lumserous and respectable. In thif 

 expectation the Trustees have not been disaj)point- 

 ed. At the same time they may be permitted K 

 say, that much more, they hope and trust, might 

 have been exhibited had the inclinations of our 

 farmers corresponded with their ability. The 

 Trustees are aware, indeed, that some extraordi- 

 nary exertion and skill are necessary, in aid of a 

 good year, to meet the requiremects of the Society ; 

 but our enterprising husbandnsan, and all other 

 classes of citizens, would do well to have in mind 

 always, that nothing of great worth is to be had 

 without industry, and care, and skill. Labor ie 

 the price demanded of us, by a wise Providence, 

 for everything truly valuable. It will be well, too. 

 to have constantly before us the force of example. 

 The natural effect of a successfid effort, in any 

 pursuit, is to stimulate others in the same coui-se, 

 and ;hus to promote the general good. Care and 

 system, like everything else, become easy by prac- 

 tice. 



It is a remarkable fact, that amoirg the applica- 

 tions before this committee, there is not any instance 

 in which two applications have been maile for 

 the sauje article. They are not embarrassed, 

 therefore, as some of the committees have been, 

 iu comparing the merits of numerous competitors. 

 They regret that one claim, at least, should not 

 have been made for each article proposed by the 

 Trustees. 



The committee recommend, — instead of ab- 

 stracts by the committee of the modes of culture, 

 as has been usual, — that the statement of the 

 claimants, in their own words, should follow each 

 case. They are led to propose this, not only bo- 

 cause they are generally very well expressed, but 

 because they will be more intelligible to practical 

 cultivators, probably, than any views the commit- 

 tee can give. 



WHEAT. 



1. The Committee consider Messrs Tristram 

 Little and Henry Little, of Newbury, in Essex 

 County, as entitled to the premium of $20 for a 

 crop of spring wheat, being 34J bushels on an 

 acre. These gentlemen have been benefited .il- 

 most every year by the premiums of this Society, 

 and seem richly to deserve all they have received, 

 as judicious cultivators. 



To the Truslees of ilie Massachusetts Asricultural Society. 



Gentlemen — We sowed the present season ai 

 piece of spring wheat, containing, by admeasure- 

 ment, one acre and one rod. The soil is a rich 

 dark loam, the past year it was cultivated with 

 onions, and manured with yard (or cellar) manure, 

 about eight cords to the acre, which produced be- 

 tween four and five hundred bushels. The 22d 

 or 23d of last April it was sowed with wheat with- 

 out any dressing ; one bushel and a half was sown 

 (the wheat was of the white kind) the soil was 

 once jiloughed and the grain harrowed in. It was 

 reaped in August, which cost four thiys' labor: 

 the quantity of straw was as large as the bulk ol 

 five tons of hay. It was threshed and winnowed 

 in October, which cost ten days' labor, and there 

 were thirtyfour bushels and one jieck of grain. 

 Res])ectfully yours, 



Tristram Little, 

 Henry Little. 

 jyewbtm/, JVov. 2, 1830. 



BARLET. 



2. To Capt. ^Benjamin B. Howard, of Wet-: 

 Bridgewater, Plymouth Co. is awarded the premi- 



