SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 567 



well littered down, so they shall not fill their feet with their own excre- 

 ment. If the straw is wetted, their hoofs will not of course dry and harden 

 as rapidly as in dry straw. Could the yard be built over a shallow, grav- 

 elly-bottomed brook,* it would be an admirable arrangement. The hoofs 

 would be kept so soft that the greatest and most unpleasant part of the la- 

 bor, as ordinarily performed, would be in a great measure saved, and they 

 would be kept free from that dung which by any other arrangement will, 

 more or less, get into their clefts. 



The principal operator or foreman seats himself in a chair — a couple of 

 good knives, a whetstone, the powerful toe-nippers (fig. 21, Letter XII,) 

 a bucket of water with a couple of linen rags in it, and such medicines as 

 he chooses to employ, within his reach. The assistant catches a sheep and 

 lays it partly on its back and rump, between the legs of the foreman, the 

 head coming up about to his middle. The assistant then kneels on some 

 straw or seats himself on a low stool at the hinder extremity of the sheep. 

 If the hoofs are long, and especially if they are dry and tough, the assist- 

 ant presents each foot to the foreman, who shortens the hoof with the toe- 

 nippers. If there is any filth between the toes, each man takes his rag 

 from the bucket of water, and draws it between the toes and rinses it, un- 

 til the filth is removed. Each then seize their knives, and the process of 

 paring away the horn commences. And on the effectual ferformance of 

 this, all else dcjjenfls. A glance at the foot will show whether it is the seat 

 of the diseased action. The least experience cannot fail in properly set- 

 tling this question. An experienced finger, placed on the back of the 

 pastern close above the heel, would at once detect the local inflammation 

 (by its heat) in the dark. 



If the disease is in the first stage — i.e. there is merely an erosion and ul- 

 ceration of the cuticle and flesh in the cleft above the walls of the hoof, no 

 paring \s> necessary. But if ulceration has established itself between the 

 hoof and the fleshy sole, the ulcerated parts, be they more or less exten- 

 sive, MUST BE ENTIRELY DENUDED OF THEIR HORNY COVERING, COSt what it 



may of time and care. It is better not to wound the sole so as to cause it 

 to bleed freely, as the running blood will wash off the subsequent applica- 

 tion, but no fear of wounding the sole must prevent a full compliance with 

 the rule above laid dowTi. At the worst, the blood will stop flowing after 

 a little while, during which time no application need be made to the foot. 



If the foot is in the third stage — a mass of rottenness and filled with 

 maggots — in the first place pour a little spirits of turpentrtie (a bottle of it, 

 with a quill through the cork, should be always ready,) on the maggots 

 and most of them will immediately decamp, and the others can be re- 

 moved with a probe or small stick. Then remove every particle of loose 

 horn, though it should take the entire hoof- — and it ^cill generally take the 

 whole hoof in such cases. The foot should be now cleansed with a solu- 

 tion of chloride of lime, in the proportion of one pound of chloride to one 

 gallon of water. If this is not at hand, plunging the foot repeatedly in 

 water, just short of scalding hot, will answer every purpose. The great 

 object is to clean the foot thoroughly. If there are any considerable fun- 

 gous granulations, (" proud-flesh,") they should be excised with a pair of 

 scissors, or the actual cautery (hot iron.) 



And now comes the important question ivhat constitutes the best remedy ? 

 The recommended prescriptions are innumerable. The following are 

 some of the most popular ones.t 1. 4 oz. blue vitriol, 2 oz. of verdigris. 



' A portion of any little brook might be prcpnreJ by plariking tho boUom, on J widening it if desirable. 

 \ The first three are given in the American Shepherd, pp. 379-60. 

 (1047) 



