AS A PASTURE PLANT. 341 



sheep do not infect themselves in other small grassy 

 lots where the short, sweet, rich grass may tempt 

 them to bite close, for in these places infection 

 lodges. 



Curing Alfalfa Bloat. — ^Very often animals slight- 

 ly bloated recover unaided. If, however, there is 

 considerable distress the attendant should go at once 

 to their aid. With sheep, take a stick about two 

 inches in diameter, or a large cob, insert it between 

 the jaws, thus keeping the mouth open, raise the head 

 and gently press the sides between the knees. This 

 will usually result in causing the gas to be belched 

 off. A half pint of raw linseed oil, with a teaspoon- 

 ful of turpentine added, is a relief, and the same 

 mixture in larger doses relieves cattle. Sweet milk 

 is said to relieve bloat in sheep. 



Tapping With Trocar. — ^When it is evident, from 

 the extreme tension of the paunch, that this will not 

 be enough to save the animal, recourse must be had 

 to the trochar. At a point on the left side the walls 

 of the paunch and the skin unite in the cow and are 

 close to each other in the sheep. Here an insertion 

 may be made without causing the animal much pain, 

 and a tube put in to allow the gas to escape. "When 

 pasturing either alfalfa or red clover, a trocar 

 should always be at hand, for there is no telling 

 when it may be needed. The trocar is better than 

 the knife, as it opens a small hole and there is no 

 danger of opening one too large; then, when the 

 point is withdrawn the tube remains in the open- 



