392 APPENDLX. 



retain tlie soft, flexible, and felting properties of the wool, the 

 Mennos must be pa^^tured the year round. But the experience of 

 the Saxon.?, and of all those countries where the Merinos have 

 been bred, has proved this oi^inion to be erroneous. If one was 

 to reason from analogy, we should conclude that the wool grovrn 

 in a cold climate would be softer than that raised in a warm one, 

 as it is a well known fact that the beaver and all other furred 

 animals, found in high northern latitudes, have longer, softer, and 

 thicker fur than the same species have in southern laritudes, 

 Spain, however, has a mild climate, the thennometer being sel- 

 dom or never lower than forty degrees in the plains of Estrema- 

 dura or Leon during the winter, but the excessive heat of those 

 plains in the summer is avoided by pasturing the sheep in the 

 mountainous region. I think this breed of sheep would thrive in 

 the Alleghany range a-s far south as Georgia, and everywhere 

 north of forty degrees of latitude. But I am inclined to believe, 

 from what little I know of our Western Prairie.-^, that the Leicester 

 or some other of the large, strong, long-wooled breeds of sheep 

 would do better on the tall, coarse gi^asses comm<3n to them. 



As comiected with sheep management, it will not be improper 

 to point out the remedies for some of the moiit common diseases. 

 Fo(jt-rot was totally unknown among the Spanish 3'Ierinos. It 

 was brought into this country in 1826 A\nth the sheep imported 

 from Saxony. The best remedy for this disease is Roman or 

 blue vitriol, pulverized very line, three parts, and one part of 

 white lead mixed into a thin paste with hnseed oil. Shghtly cut 

 the horn of the hoof to come at the part aflected, and if put on 

 in season one or two dressings will almost invariably cure them. 

 The foul substances ought to be cleaned out with a knife or thin 

 stick from between the hoof before it is put on. An excellent pre- 

 ventive against the foot-rot is to wash the hoof> clean in strong 

 soap suds ma,de of ordinaiy soft soap, directly after shearing, as 

 dunng this pnjcess their feet get very foul.* The scab, however, 

 was a disorder to which the Spanish Merinos were very subject, 

 if not taken great care of. Sulphur mixed with hog's lard, well 

 rubbed into the part affected, directly afier shearing, will cure the 

 disease. Another remedy is boiling tobacco in water till the 

 hquor is pretty strong, put into a hogshf ad tub, take the fore legs 

 in one hand and the two hind legs in the other, and immerse the 

 sheep except its head for about two minutes, then take a very 

 hard brush or a very fine curry-comb and scrub the hard scab off 

 from the part affected till it appears raw — pour on some tobacco 

 liquor and let the sheep run. One or two dres.-ings will almost 

 invariably cure them ; the be:=:t time likewise is directly after 

 shearing. If the lambs are immersed, it must be in a much 

 weaker liquor, as, if too strong, it is very pernicious to them. 

 Lambs are often infested with ticks, which are easily destroyed 



* This will be avoided by littering the pounda often with straw.— ilutAor Am, 



