^HE DISEASES OP SHEEP. 307 



sublimate or iron sulpliate, the farm secures 

 clean pastures, stocked with, clean sheep. 



Following the thought of destroying the 

 parasites in the soil, as is frequently advised by 

 applications of lime, salt or chemicals, the 

 writer would call to the attention of the reader 

 the foUy of the proposal. There is in an acre 

 43,560 square feet. Supposing that we desired 

 to purify that soil to a depth of one foot, not 

 an unreasonable depth, there is then to purify 

 43,560 cubic feet of soil. It would take at least 

 a pound of salt to destroy germ life in a cubic 

 foot of soil; it is doubtful if that would suf- 

 fice, so that about 21 tons of salt to the acre 

 would be required. Of lime probably two or 

 three times as much would be needed, and 

 when it comes to applying chemicals one had 

 better halt, for he will have destroyed his land 

 before he will have killed the germs ; that much 

 is sure. And why do this thing, when all these 

 germs will perish (we believe) in one year un- 

 less they find their host, a sheep, deer or goat, 

 in which to undergo part of their life cycle? 



The writer is happy to give credit to Doctor 

 W. H. Dalrymple of Baton Rouge, La., for hav- 

 ing performed by far the most useful series of 

 experiments ever made in attempting to rid 

 sheep of parasites in much the manner that he 

 has described in the foregoing paragraphs. It 

 is remarkable that a far Southern state should 

 undertake a work fraught with so much im- 

 port to men in the sheep growing regions fur- 

 ther north, the explanation being of course that 

 Doctor Dalrymple is a Scot. 



