THE CULTIVATOR. 
261 
give us all the tables from the Treasury department since 
1789, to show that we are four hundred millions poorer 
than we should be, because our balance of imports 
amount to nearly this. 
If it had not amounted to this, and much more, we 
should have been poor indeed. It is truly astonishing 
that the balance has been so much, when we reflect that 
so much has been paid abroad for the old national debt 
and interest, and so much is yearly absorbed in paying 
interest on State, corporation and individual loans abroad. 
True, a great part of these latter have come home in 
goods and swelled the import tables. Our exports are 
valued at the place of departure, and our imports, until 
1833, were valued at the foreign invoice with 20 per 
cent added for those from beyond the Cape of Good Hope, 
and 10 per cent for all others, as cost of transport and 
profit. Since then, they are valued by the true price at 
the port of entry. Now it is easy to see, the value of 
imports should be so much greater than that of the ex¬ 
ports as to cover the use of ships, wages of men, finding, 
insurance and profits. 
The profits or balance at this time would be nearer 
thirty millions per annum, than twenty, if we were > 
obliged to leave in Europe some twelve or fifteen mil¬ 
lions of interest money. 
That individuals or nations who consume more than 
they 'produce , must grow poor, is evident; but that a na¬ 
tion should not import more than they export, is sheer 
nonsense. Yours, &c. James Bates. 
Norridgewock , Me., July 12, 1844. 
P. S. Hay, except on old fields, will be good. Grain 
and potatoes never looked better, corn is small, but of 
healthy appearance. The season has been cool, the ear¬ 
ly part dry. But latterly, rain in abundance. 
THE SHEEP. 
History , Structure, Economy, and Diseases of the Sheep — 
Illustrated with fine engravings. By W. C. Spooner, 
Y. S., London. 
We acknowledge the reception of a copy of the above 
work. We consider it one of the most valuable publi¬ 
cations that has yet been issued on the subject to which 
it relates. It is divided into three parts. The first re¬ 
lates to the Breeds of Sheep, with their Origin and An¬ 
cient History—the second to the Structure and Economy 
of the Sheep—-and the third to the Diseases of the Sheep. 
We here present our readers with a valuable extract from 
the last division of the work, on the subject of the most 
destructive diseases to which the sheep is liable. Al¬ 
though it has not yet, from the drier nature of our cli¬ 
mate and herbage, prevailed in this country, to the ex¬ 
tent it has done in England and some other countries, we 
are satisfied that it has carried off many flocks, though 
the owners have been generally totally ignorant of the 
name and nature of the disease: 
THE ROT IN SHEEP. 
“ The first symptoms attending this disease are by no 
means strongly marked; there is no loss of condition, but 
rather apparently the contrary; indeed, sheep intended 
for the butcher have been purposely cothed or rotted in 
order to increase their fattening properties for a few 
weeks, a practice which was adopted by the celebrated 
Bakely. A want of liveliness and paleness of the mem¬ 
branes generally may be considered as the first symptoms 
of the disease, to which may be added a yellowness of the 
caruncle at the corner of the eye. Dr. Harrison observes, 
<f when in warm sultry and rainy weather, sheep that are 
grazing on low and moist lands feed rapidly, and some 
of them die suddenly, there is fear that they have con¬ 
tracted the rot.” This suspicion will be further increa¬ 
sed if a few weeks afterwards the sheep begin to shrink, 
and become flaccid about the loins. By pressure about 
the hips at this time a crackling is perceptible now or 
soon afterwards, the countenance looks pale, and upon 
parting the fleece the skin is found to have changed its 
Vermillion tint for a pale red, and the wool is easily se¬ 
parated from the pelt; and as the disorder advances, the 
skin becomes dappled with yellow or black spots. To 
these symptoms succeed increased dulness, loss of condi¬ 
tion, greater paleness of the mucous membranes, the eye¬ 
lids becoming almost white, and afterwards yellow. This 
yellowness extends to other parts of the body, and a wa 
tery fluid appears under the skin, which becomes loose 
and flabby, the wool coming off readily. The symptoms 
of dropsy often extend over the body, and sometimes the 
sheep becomes chockered, as it is termed—a large swell¬ 
ing forms under the jaw—which, from the appearance 
of the fluid it contains, is in some places called the wa¬ 
tery poke. The duration of the disease is uncertain; the 
animal occasionally dies shortly after becoming affected, 
but more frequently it extends to from three to six 
months, the sheep gradually losing flesh and pining away, 
particularly if, as is frequently the case, an obstinate pur¬ 
ging supervenes. 
With regard to our remedial measures, little satisfac¬ 
tory matter can be offered. There are few drugs which 
the laboratory can supply but what have been tried and 
found wanting; and though salt has appeared to have had 
more effect on it than any thing else, it must be confessed 
that hitherto medicine has offered no remedy for this 
formidable and destructive disease. Prevention must be 
our chief aim, and it is satisfactory to know that much 
can !»e done by means of extensive and general draining; 
and it is hoped that before long, by the aid of the legisla¬ 
ture and the conjoint energy and capital of both owners 
and occupiers of land, the system will be adopted almost 
universally, by which alone this disease is likely to be 
controlled or eradicated; and at the same time increased 
labor employed on the land, and more abundant crops 
obtained from the bounty of nature. 
It appears that, whether as a preventive or as a cure, 
salt has a more powerful influence over this disease than 
any other remedy. Its presence preserves even wet 
pastures from the disposition to give the rot, for it is well 
known that salt marshes are free from danger. In what 
manner salt thus operates it is difficult to explain. The 
blood in this disease is in a state of unnatural dilution—it 
is deficient in its fibrous and coloring principles; now, 
whether salt, which is a combination of chlorine and so¬ 
da, acts by restoring some portion of those salts of which 
the blood is deficient, or whether it is prejudicial to the 
vitality of the flukes and the eggs, or whether it acts by 
the antiseptic power which belongs to chlorine, we can¬ 
not tell, though its influence over the disease is generally 
acknowledged. 
Our own advice as to remedial treatment may be 
summed up in a small compass. The sheep should be 
removed from the unsound pasture as soon as possible, 
either to a salt marsh or the driest pasture that can be 
found; as much salt may be given as the animals will take 
with their food; to this the sulphate of iron may be 
joined. Half a drachm daily for each sheep, with the 
same quantity of ginger, may be given innourishing gru¬ 
el. An aperient should be given once or twice during 
the treatment, and may consist of one or two ounces of 
sulphate of magnesia, or a large table-spoonful of com¬ 
mon salt dissolved in warm gruel or water. Food should 
be given in as nutritious form as possible; and a pint of 
beans daily will be an excellent diet with good hay on 
sound pasture. 
Though turneps cannot be considered as a cause of rot, 
yet from the superabundance of water they contain, they 
are highly prejudicial to sheep that are affected with the 
disease, particularly if taken whilst a hoar-frost is on 
them. Calomel has been strongly advised, but the re- 
comenendation, as far as I am aware, has not been backed 
by any successful cases. If tried by way of experiment, 
about five grains daiiy, with four of opium, supended in 
thick gruel, may be repeated once a day for the space of 
a week at a time. 
PHILOSOPHY OF WOOL. 
Mr. Foster of the Tennessee Agriculturist, and a cor 
respondent of the same paper, M. R. Cockrill, Esq. 
object to the theory advanced by our correspondent, p 
156, on the influence of temperature on the growth of 
wool. As it is a subject of much importance, and one 
upon which the light of experience is needed, we copy 
Mr. C.’s remarks: 
« Messrs. Editors —I observe in the May number of 
the Albany Cultivator, page 156, Mr. L. A. Morrell^ 
