PROVIDING SHEEP WITH WATER AND SALT 315 



the sheep which grow up in such waters or on their mar- 

 gins has not yet been determined. There can be no 

 doubt, however, about the relation that exists between 

 ill doing in the sheep and grazing in areas where access 

 is had to marshy lands. Because of this, the aim should 

 be to drain such lands in sheep pastures that are at all 

 permanent in character, or to so fence them where drain- 

 ing is impracticable that the sheep will not have access 

 to them. 



Water contaminated by yard seepage is harmful to 

 sheep. It is harmful because of the taint which character- 

 izes it and which because of its presence, hinders the 

 sheep from drinking it freely. But it is further harmful 

 because of the impurities which it contains. These are 

 adverse to well doing in sheep. But most of all it is 

 harmful because of the presence of the various forms of 

 parasitic life which, in the germ, it may contain. It is 

 now believed that nodule disease (see page 400) and other 

 diseases may be communicated in such water. Every care 

 should be exercised to prevent sheep from drinking it. 



The necessity for feeding salt — The necessity for fur- 

 nishing salt to sheep is always present, save in certain 

 areas in proximity to the sea. The salt that falls on the 

 herbage from the rain which has its source in the adjacent 

 sea is in some instances a sufficient source of supply. 

 That sheep inherently crave salt cannot be questioned. 

 This fact is abundantly proved by the eagerness with 

 which they consume it after having been deprived of it 

 for any length of time. It is to be expected, therefore, 

 that where salt is not regularly supplied to the sheep and 

 in quantity sufficient to meet their needs that they will 

 not thrive as they would if sufficiently supplied Avith salt. 



Salt is not a food in the sense that hay or grain is. 

 It does not furnish nutrients. Its mission is that of exer- 

 cising a favorable influence on digestion. This influence 

 is exercised in various ways. It stimulates certain of the 

 functions pertaining to digestion into more complete ab- 



