1861 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
141 
Foot Rot in Sheep. 
As warm weather approaches, the inexperi¬ 
enced owner of sheep may he surprised some 
morning to see numbers of his flock limping 
about the field; an expert will at once recog¬ 
nize symptoms of the foot rot. An examination 
of the foot of a sheep so affected will show the 
presence of disease in the skin and flesh in the 
cleft of the hoof. In the first stages, there is in¬ 
flammation in the hinder part of the cleft, where 
the naked skin appears. Ulceration follows, 
and extends to the whole inner part of the foot, 
until in time the horny covering is separated 
from the flesh, and hangs by the skin at the up¬ 
per part. A most offensive discharge issues from 
the sore, attracting the fly, which deposits eggs 
in the diseased part, and the whole becomes a 
living mass of corruption. The rot may be con¬ 
fined to one foot, or it may affect all at the same 
time. Unless cured, it will destroy the sheep, 
which must suffer excruciating pain as the dis¬ 
ease progresses. In the latter stages, when the 
foot is completely disorganized, the poor animal 
is often compelled to hobble about upon its 
knees; and in many instances, the discharge 
from the feet has saturated the wool, attracting 
insects which have burrowed into the skin and 
added to the torments of the sufferer. 
Numerous experiments have shown the dis¬ 
ease to be highly contagious. A healthy sheep 
inoculated in the foot with virus from the ulcer 
of a diseased animal will be sure to take the in¬ 
fection. It has been spread through large flocks 
by the introduction of a single infected animal; 
and it is believed by many experienced flock 
masters, that the poison is retained for a long 
time in pastures where such sheep have fed. 
It can be cured. Mr. Randall, in his “ Sheep 
Husbandry ” gives an interesting account of 
'his successful treatment of a flock numbering 
about eight hundred head, that took the rot 
from a few imported animals. His method was 
substantially as follows: Choose a time, if pos¬ 
sible immediately after a rain, when the hoofs 
■are softened by the wet grass. Drive them into 
an enclosure thickly littered with straw, to keep 
the feet clean. Take each suspected sheep, lay 
it partly on its back and rump between the legs 
•of the operator who may be seated in a chair. 
If the hoofs are too long, shorten them with 
toe-nippers. Remove all filth from the toes by 
■drawing a wet cloth through the cleft. 
If the erosion and ulceration are confined 
do the cuticle and flesh in the cleft above the walls 
■ of the hoof, no paring is necessary. But if the 
ulceration is established between the hoof and 
rthe fleshy sole, the ulcerated parts must be entire¬ 
ly denuded of their horny covering , by paring with 
a sharp knife. In an advanced stage of the dis¬ 
ease it may be necessary to remove the entire 
hoof, as all loose horn should be cut away. If 
■ maggots appear, pour on a little spirits of tur¬ 
pentine and they will leave. Then cleanse the 
foot with a wash made of one pound of chloride 
of lime to one gallon of water; or with water 
■ alone, heated to near scalding. If there be 
“ proud flesh ” remove it with scissors, or by 
■burning with hot iron. If the disease is in the 
first or second stage, and no abscesses are form¬ 
ed in the flesh of the sole, a thorough applica¬ 
tion of a saturated solution of blue vitriol will 
be sufficient. One pound of vitriol will suffice 
for ten or fifteen sheep. Put the solution in a 
tub, keep it as hot as can be borne by the hand, 
and when the hoof is pared, hold the sheep so 
that he will stand in the tub five minutes. Keep 
Ike solution hot by adding fresh supplies. If 
abscesses «are already formed, go over the dis¬ 
eased surface with muriatic acid, which may be 
conveniently applied with a swab of tow; after 
which apply the vitriol solution. Then coat 
the wounded surface with tar, to keep out dirt 
and flies, examine it every three or four days, 
and repeat the treatment if needed, and a cure 
may be looked for with reasonable certainty. * 
“Sparred” Floors for Stables. 
Quite a controversy is going on among our 
cotemporaries in regard to the best stable floors. 
The fact seems to be overlooked that the cir¬ 
cumstances of farmers are widely different, and 
what may be the best stable floor for one, would 
be very bad, or the worst, for another. Aider- 
man Mechi has adopted sparred floors, or those 
made of joists set edgewise, with more or less 
of space between them, according to the size of 
the cattle to be stabled. He has several objects 
in view in this kind of flooring. He wishes to 
turn all the droppings of his cattle into liquid 
manure, to be distributed over his farm by 
means of pipes and hose. He has large tanks 
underneath the stables, into which all the ma¬ 
nure falls through the sparred floor. Here it is 
mixed with water, and prepared for distribu¬ 
tion. Of course, there is no fermentation of the 
manure, and no release of gas from beneath, to 
affect the air of the stables. He also designs by 
this method to save straw, which would be 
needed for bedding with tight stable floors. He 
claims a great saving in using straw for food. 
It is no doubt true that sparred floors 
keep cattle clean with little bedding, and save 
much labor in removing the manure. But al¬ 
most all of our modern barns are constructed 
with reference to making compost, and the 
stables are arranged immediately above the bam 
cellars. The cellar is usually open upon one 
side, and the sparred floor would give a con¬ 
stant draft of cold air from beneath. However 
well this might answer in Summer, it is an in¬ 
superable objection in Winter. They should 
not be used unless the cellar is made perfectly 
close. The saving of labor and straw are the 
main advantages of this floor. 
Another style of floor is the raising of the 
bottom of the stall four or five inches above the 
gutter immediately behind the animals. The 
platform is of tight plank, and inclines two or 
three inches toward the gutter, this carries off 
all the manure, and keeps the animal dry and 
comfortable, without bedding. This may be the 
best flooring for those who have no muck avail¬ 
able, or refuse material for bedding. 
Others, who have well dried peat or muck, 
and bedding, prefer to keep these articles con¬ 
stantly under their cattle. The quantity of urine 
that a load of dry peat will absorb, is much 
greater than any one supposes, who has never 
tried the experiment. A layer a foot thick, with 
a little straw, will keep the animal dry and 
comfortable for a week or more. The solid 
fmces have to be removed daily. The animal 
heat is made available for the decomposition of 
the turf, and the manure heap is increased more 
rapidly by this method, than by any other we 
have ever tried. The peat is also very much 
broken up, and comminuted, by the continued 
tramping of the animal’s feet. Almost every 
particle is brought into repeated contact both 
with the urine, and with the atmosphere. As 
soon as the mass becomes thoroughly moistened, 
and before it is saturated, it is thrown into the 
cellar, and replaced with a new bedding. For 
the man who has plenty of the raw material for 
manure making, this will be found to pay much 
better than sparred floors. 
Galls on Horses. 
As the heat and labors of the season increase, 
horses Will suffer from various flesh-wounds, 
which, if not immediately cured, will cause 
great suffering to the horse, and waste of time 
and temper to the owner. Let, therefore, a hint 
or two be now heeded: 
Prevention is better than cure. In the first 
place, be sure that your harness is in perfect 
working order. See to it especially, that the 
collar fits well, and is smooth and hard. If the 
inner surface is rough, it must chafe, and soon 
wear off the skin. A loose layer of leather un¬ 
der the collar, is a good contrivance to lessen 
friction upon the animal’s neck and shoulders. 
While Spring work is pressing, let the horses’ 
shoulders be washed, every other morning, with 
a solution of alum and whiskey. This being a 
powerful astringent, will serve to toughen the 
skin and prevent its breaking. At night, when 
coming home from work, sweaty and sore, let 
the shoulders be washed with tepid water, then 
rubbed dry. If, notwithstanding these precau¬ 
tions, galls occur on the breast or back, wash 
them clean, then apply an ointment made by 
mixing together a spoonful of pulverized alum 
and the white of an egg. * 
For the American Agriculturist. 
Cost of Keeping a Horse. 
During the past Winter, as well as on previous 
occasions^I have calculated the cost of keeping 
horses, both young and old; and my experience 
has led me to believe that a horse weighing 
1000 lbs., and being worked more or less, sever¬ 
al times a week, can be well kept on fifteen lbs. 
of hay (five lbs. at each meal) with three quarts 
of corn, or six quarts of oats per day. The cost 
will, of course, vary according to the prices of 
hay or grain: when hay is worth, as it now is, 
$20 per tun at the barn, and oats 50 cts. per 
bushel, the cost would be about $1.70 per 
week. Many owners of horses, especially farm¬ 
ers, are apt to give their horses too much hay. 
It is not necessary that the feeding rack should 
be kept full of hay all the time; this is decidedly 
injurious to their health and usefulness. If the 
hay is cut, they can consume enough in six hours 
out of the twenty four, two at each meal, to 
keep them in good condition, and they will be 
much less liable to contract diseases, especially 
heaves, than if more is fed to them. 
F. E. Howard. 
The Family Pig. 
Thousands of our readers reside in villages, 
on homesteads of less than an acre, and raise, 
or might raise, with little expense, their own 
pork. Some have given it up from the rather 
vague conjecture that home-made pork costs 
more than that which is bought in the pickle. 
They have never kept accurate accounts, but 
the frequent calls for another bag of meal, or 
com, give them the impression that piggy is a 
very expensive animal. They do not like the 
bother of slaughtering, of cutting up and salting, 
of curing and smoking hams. So the pig stye 
is abolished, and they forego the luxury of 
home-made pork. 
The winter confesses a penchant for this arti¬ 
cle, so decided that he would continue its mantt- 
