672 MORTALITY AMONG THE EWES OF A FLOCK OF SHEEP. 
barbarous mode of planting orchard vallies, usually reaches its 
consummation in about thirty years, and sometimes much less, as 
in the valley under notice. Thus it is, that such spots, often the 
richest in capabilities on the estate (the deep soil being the waste 
and spoil of the higher ground and slopes), become a bane to every 
form of useful vegetation ; and, at the same time, are a hot-bed of 
luxuriance to every thing that is poisonous, destructive, and de- 
leterious to almost every form of animal life. And such an animal 
as the sheep, while feeding among such herbage, would inhale a 
sufficiency of noxious gases, especially in summer, through the 
nostrils alone, to produce disease even in a few hours, though the 
herbage devoured should lie harmless in the stomach. But with 
regard to the sheep in the present case, we fear they had no choice 
in the matter, and were driven by hunger to feed, being shut into 
these orchards; and thus not only ate the poisoned grasses, but 
with every mouthful swallow a portion of the water engender- 
ing mint, the acrid crowfoot, ranunculus leaves, &c., surrounding 
every blade of grass ; while the other essential elements of vege- 
table poison, the most virulent forms of agarici and their spawn, 
with other destructive fungi, were swallowed as a sauce to the 
whole. This fearful state of things, to which sheep had access, 
soon manifested its results ; for although a hog or a badger might 
here fatten, yet to an animal so susceptible to atmospheric in- 
fluences, unwholesome undrained land, &c., as the sheep, the 
organization forbids the assimilation of such food; and although a 
process of digestion goes on, yet its hydrous results (if we may 
use such a term) not only overcharge the blood with serum, but, 
through unnatural channels, causes effusion into the chest, heart, 
veins, &c., when its effects are soon manifested in sudden and 
quick dissolution, being found dead in the attitude of sleep. 
Now, whether Mr. Bartlett be right or wrong — and that, direct 
experiment can alone decide — I can hardly help thinking, since 
Mr. B. knew the history of the case prior to examining the 
orchards, without knowing either from Mr. Bickford or myself the 
cause of death or the appearances presented after, that he “ cut the 
coat according to the cloth.” As a theory, it is certainly ingenious, 
and, as far as it applies to the vegetation, doubtless right. But 
with respect to the effects of these poisonous plants on the sheep, 
I am by no means decided. Certain is it that these sheep have 
been away from the orchards more than two months, and in this 
interval have been on dry grass land, and folded on rape; they have 
also been all bled and? purged, and yet up to this time they con- 
tinue to die as before. Vegetable poisons act as narcotics or acrids 
(stimulant!), or both conjointly, and that in a short space of time 
after being taken into the stomach. Again, had they inhaled car- 
