64 



The Rot in Sheep. 



this opinion prevail among those who see in a luxuriant growth 

 of after-grass the chief cause of the affection. Thus the " Lam- 

 mermuir Farmer" states that in October of 1810, he "bought a 

 lot of wethers in fine condition from land of a good sound 

 bottom, where the rot was altogether a stranger. They came 

 on the farm about the middle of the month, and in a short time 

 were observed to be diseased. The stock of the farm whence 

 they were taken continued sound, so that the complaint," he says, 

 " must have originated with myself." 



The same author also, when describing the disease as it ex- 

 isted in 1817 in his own flock, observes that all the animals 

 which were sold by him up to August of that year proved to be 

 sound. To substantiate which he remarks, that in June he sold 

 " a lot of about 1000 hogs and dinmonts to a gentleman in Rox- 

 burgh, all of which gave the greatest satisfaction. They were 

 kept by this gentleman for two years, and afterwards sold in 

 fine condition to the butcher. This was well," he adds, " for 

 both parties, for the sales which I made in October were all 

 tainted, and from that time the animals consisted more of skins 

 than carcasses. Here then," he argues, " the facts bear me out 

 in saying that in 1817 no rot had taken place among my stock 

 in the month of August, and the whole calamity that followed 

 must have taken place subsequent to that period. Had any 

 latent seeds of the disease been among them, the sales that I 

 made in August must have turned out as bad to the purchaser 

 as the animals that were retained did to myself, which was not 

 the case, and which clearly demonstrates that the cause had 

 been on my own farm. Of this I entertain not the smallest 

 doubt ; and, after the most minute investigation, I can attribute 

 it to nothing but an unusually luxuriant growth of grass, occa- 

 sioned by the mild, soft weather during the months of September 

 and October, more especially during the first." 



Many, if not the majority of practical farmers, concur in 

 these views, but we think without sufficient reason. A wet 

 autumn will unquestionably produce rot, but a wet summer is 

 far more likely to do so. The experience of water-meadow 

 farmers would even lead to the placing the origin of the disease 

 as early in the year as the end of May or the beginning of June. 

 " The late Mr. Bakewell was of opinion that after May-day he 

 could communicate the rot at pleasure, by flooding and after- 

 wards stocking his closes, while they were drenched and satu- 

 rated with moisture."* Very much, however, depends on the 

 temperature which prevails. Should this be high, and much 

 wet fall at the commencement of the summer, the danger would 



* Harrison on Kot, p. 36. 



