518 = 252 
Losses by 
abortion. 
Mr. Woods on 
jiroventing 
abortion. 
Practical Agriculture. 
I 
pens or sometimes with low sheds of deal roofed with felt, and 
field-house for the shepherd, are commonly provided. And tl 
shepherd has a supply of such medicines as laudanum an 
linseed-oil, castor-oil, spirits of nitre, Epsom-salts, powderet 
ginger, and powdered-chalk ; as well as such restoratives an 
supplementary food for both ewes and lambs, as whisky, gii 
gruels, cows' milk, or flour and water sweetened with treacle, 
is becoming common, indeed, for owners of flocks and herds 1 , 
keep proper medicine-chests. j, 
On arable farms, such as on the Cotswold Hills or other situj |l 
tions, where, from altitude, the winter is severe, it is customarj 
to construct a fold-yard, with shelter sheds and abundance ( 
litter, in the turnip-field. Each ewe with her lamb is carefull 
treated in a small covered pen for three or four days. In blttJ 
weather the lambs are sheltered at nights for a considerabl w 
period ; and shelter hurdles are always placed about differei 
parts of the field. 
Mr. Henry Woods, of Merton, Thetford, Norfolk, agent li 
Lord Walsingham, has lately collected and published a mai] 
of most valuable information on the management of breedinjj 
flocks and the causes of the prevalent and excessive loss of ewi 
from abortion — the facts having been gathered from four hundre 
flock-masters in all parts of the kingdom. In fifty cases of shee 
management, where the feeding and results were satisfactor 
there were 25,281 ewes ; in that number the cases of abortic 
amounted to 126, and the deaths from all causes during tl 
breeding season were 222. In fifty unsatisfactory cases, then 
were 21,682 ewes ; and in these returns, 22 farmers owned 
very heavy losses, while 28 stated a total of abortions amountinil 
to 1884. In 40 of the reports there were totalled 1255 death 
Thus, 50 satisfactory cases showed one abortion and not quii 
1^ deaths for every 200 ewes ; whereas the other cases showe 
17 J abortions and 11 J deaths for every 200 ewes, though near] 
one-half the abortions and one-fifth of the deaths were ni| 
recorded. 
In a lecture at Watton, on ]May 28th, 1877, Mr. Wod 
described the particulars of management of five representati) 
flocks in Norfolk, Warwickshire, Sussex, Kent, and Nottin) 
hamshire, comprising 5109 ewes, in which there occurred on) 
4 cases of abortion and 31 deaths. He contrasted these wil 
five other and smaller flocks in Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolh 
Warwickshire, and Wiltshire, comprising 2240 ewes, in whici 
occurred 576 cases of abortion and 234 deaths. i 
In his general conclusions, he said : — " A most carefij 
analysis of the returns — in making which I have had soni 
able assistance — shows that sheep fed on turnips noto are m 
I 
