Foot-rot iii Sheep. 
735 
to 1878, I generally imported foot-rot every time I purchased 
fresh animals ; but, taking a greater interest in sheep than other 
farm stock, and being rather partial to the work of dressing 
their feet, I generally quickly got rid of it, especially as I did 
not buy very often. At this time I took another farm, and in 
consequence had to increase my sheep stock to a considerable 
extent ; in the course of doing so, foot-rot developed so badly 
that I began to despair of getting rid of it. At length I be- 
came so tired of the work of dressing the feet that I determined, 
if I ever did get rid of foot-rot, I would not buy sheep again in 
any number. This resolution I have adhered to ever since, with 
the result of never having a case of foot-rot except amongst the 
few animals the strange sheep might be placed with. 
In 1879 the liver-rot came and swept both sheep and foot- 
rot away, except about thirty yearlings and two or three other 
sheep, which, being on another farm, escaped liver-rot and foot- 
rot alike. With these I bred again. On September 19,1880, 
I bought a ram of the late Mr, Randell, of Chadbury, but he 
brought no complaint. In 1882 I bought from a neighbour a 
ram apparently free from foot-rot at the time, though I had seen 
him suffering from it previously, so that I only placed him with two 
or three other sheep, which remained all right. Thinking I was 
safe, I placed him with the ewes, but he had not been with them 
more than a week when one was observed to be lame and suffer- 
ing from foot-rot. Consequently she and the ram were removed 
at once, and luckily no more succumbed. Still it almost threw 
the ewes out of season, as I could not readily get another ram. 
Eventually, at the end of October, Mr. J. Bowen-Jones, Ensdon 
House, Shrewsbury, supplied me with a ram lamb which proved 
sound. In December 1883 I again bought from a neighbour a 
ram which brought no disease. 
In the autumn of 1884 I purchased a ram lamb affected with 
a trace of foot -rot ; he was cured and placed with the ewes with 
no ill results. In December 1885 two ram lambs were pur- 
chased without foot-rot following. In the winter of 1886 an 
aged ram which was bought from a neighbour was apparently 
free from foot-rot, but upon being placed with some wethers they 
soon became affected with the disease, and were sold right away. 
A ram lamb bought in the autumn of 1888 brought no disease. 
Early in 1889 I bought from a neighbour an aged ram with 
the foot-rot. He was placed by himself, and constantly dressed 
until every trace of foot-rot had disappeared, when he was placed 
with another young ram in a 12-acre meadow where no sheep 
had been for months. They kept right until washing time 
(several weeks), when a third, an aged ram, which had never had 
