and  the  Prevention  of  Rot. 
303 
any  ground  is  likely  to  give  the  rot  to  sheep,  the  simplest  plan 
would,  of  course,  be  not  to  allow  them  to  graze  upon  it,  but  to 
keep  them  on  drier  and  safer  land.  But  such  advice  would 
seem  a mockery  in  certain  districts,  where  all  the  land  is  more 
or  less  unsound.  A great  deal  of  such  ground  would  probably 
be  found  to  be  heavy,  and  in  urgent  need  of  drainage.  But  it 
must  always  be  remembered  that  even  a sound  porous  soil  may 
become  dangerous  in  a season  of  excessive  wet,  if  it  lies  so  low 
that  it  becomes  clogged  with  water  which  cannot  be  carried  off 
fast  enough  by  the  rivers,  or  if  it  is  flooded. 
If  it  is  necessary  to  send  sheep  on  to  dangerous  ground,  great 
care  should  be  exercised  in  observing  the  following  precau- 
tions : — 
Salt  or  lime  may  be  scattered  on  the  surface  at  the  proper 
. season,  to  destroy  the  germs,  as  already  explained. 
Salt  should  also  be  used  in  another  way.  It  has  long  been 
known  that  salt  is  a preventive  when  given  to  the  sheep  with 
their  food,  but  many  farmers  have  been  slow  to  use  it.  There 
are  two  reasons  for  its  action.  First,  it  acts  injuriously  upon 
the  germs  of  the  liver-fluke  which  may  be  swallowed  ; and 
secondly,  it  improves  the  general  health  of  the  sheep,  enabling 
them  to  digest  the  germs  better.  In  addition  to  the  salt,  dry  food 
should  be  given,  as  this  will,  by  keeping  them  in  good  health, 
greatly  improve  their  chance  of  digesting  the  young  flukes.  If 
the  salt  be  mixed  with  the  dry  food,  each  sheep  is  more  likely 
to  secure  its  proper  proportion,  and  no  more,  than  if  lumps  of 
rock-salt  are  simply  put  dowTn  for  the  sheep  to  lick  when  they 
please.  Care  must,  however,  be  taken  that  breeding-ewes  do 
not  get  too  much. 
It  will  scarcely  be  necessary  to  give  salt  to  them  after 
November,  so  far  as  this  particular  purpose  is  concerned,  for 
there  will  then  be  very  few  of  the  germs  or  cysts  about  on  the 
grass. 
In  this  connection  may  be  mentioned  an  experiment  recently 
tried  by  Mr.  T.  P.  Heath,  veterinary  officer  for  Exeter  and 
Devon,  and  published  in  the  ‘ Western  Morning  News  ’ for 
Oct.  14th,  1882.  It  is  especially  valuable  on  account  of  its 
definite  and  exact  nature.  No  sheep  had  been  kept  in  safety 
on  or  near  Mr.  Heath’s  farm  within  living  memory.  A number 
of  unaffected  sheep  were  selected,  and  divided  into  two  flocks. 
One  flock  was  kept  as  all  other  farmers’  sheep  are  kept  ; to 
each  sheep  of  the  other  flock  was  given  a quarter  of  an  ounce  of 
common  salt,  well  mixed  with  half  a pint  of  oats  every  day  that 
they  fed  on  the  permanent  pastures.  Whilst  they  were  feeding 
on  turnips,  vetches,  &c.,  this  corn  and  salt  allowance  was 
entirely  dispensed  with.  All  the  sheep  were  killed  in  summer. 
