THE CULTIVATOR. 
157 
animals feeding on very dry pastures. Before the extensive draining 
of the pasture-lands, where it is now found, the disease was unknown. 
The rot was then common; but with the draining of the lands the rot 
disappeared, and this new disease took its place. The former practice 
of management in the districts where the disease now prevails, was to 
keep the sheep in flocks which were moved about along their allotted 
range of pastures. They are now, under a more approved system of 
management, suffered to spread over a large extent of pasture; and thus 
they are not obliged to take exercise, but are allowed to feed more on a 
given spot of ground. 
A change of place and food is the preventive or the remedy; and if 
a change of food is resorted to in time, it is generally sufficient to ar¬ 
rest the progress of the disease. Even a removal to a fresh heath will 
sometimes accomplish the purpose, but the proper and effectual remedy 
in all cases is a change to a more rich and succulent pasture. The dis¬ 
ease is sometimes very fatal, destroying entire flocks like a pestilence. 
The braxy is similar to some of the diseases mentioned in its violence 
and effects; but it arises from different causes, and affects the animal 
in a different manner. Under the general term braxy, several diseases 
or rather varieties of the same disease seem to be included. But in all 
cases when the bodies are opened they exhibit marks of inflammation. 
The progress of this disease is so sudden and violent, that even if 
we possessed a remedy, it would generally be too late to apply it. Of 
the remedies employed, bleeding seems to be that which the nature of 
the disease points out. This disease seems generally to be caused by 
bad food, and the most efficient preventive is known to be good feed¬ 
ing. Turnips or other succulent roots given to young sheep feeding on 
natural pastures are always beneficial; and it is to be observed that in 
proportion as the treatment of sheep in a country has improved, this 
dangerous malady has diminished. 
Diarrhoea and dysentery are likewise diseases of sheep. Diarrhoea 
is frequently produced by loo sudden a growth of grass in spring, and 
it most frequently affects young sheep. It may be generally cured by 
removing tne animals to drier pasture; and a little corn may be always 
given with good effects. Dysentery is a more serious disease, and is 
often very destructive. It is believed to be infectious, though upon ve¬ 
ry questionable grounds. 
Sneep are liable to various cutaneous diseases. The principal of 
these is termed scab; and it is indicated by extreme itching and erup¬ 
tions of the skin. When introduced into a flock it may be attended 
with very serious effects, unless checked by efficient remedies. 
The most common remedy for the disease is sulphur mixed with some 
unctuous substance to fix it on the skin. One of the best recipes per¬ 
haps is a decoction of tobacco and spirits of turpentine, with the addi¬ 
tion of a little soft soap and sulphur vivum. The decoction of tobacco 
may be obtained by boiling the tobacco in brine or salt water. The li¬ 
quid when prepared is applied from a vessel like a teapot with a spout, 
or from a bottle with a quill passed through the cork. A person lays 
the wool back in lines so as to expose the sksn, and pours out the liquid 
along the lines upon the skin. But when the distemper is very violent, 
a mercurial preparation may be required. This is now to be obtained 
in apothecaries’ shops, under the name of sheep-ointment. It is made 
in balls, and when used it is dissolved in oil, and applied to the skin of 
the animal. 
Sometimes infected sheep will find their way into the best managed 
flocks; but every care must be taken to keep the disease from breaking 
out, or to cure it as quickly as possible when it appears. The infec¬ 
tion of a diseased flock is left behind it upon the hedges and pasture- 
fields, and therefore precaution is to be used before a fresh flock is 
turned into fields where infected sheep had been recently feeding. 
Another disease of sheep is the foot-rot, which is an inflammation of 
the foot, followed by an ulceration and destruction of the hoof. The 
disease chiefly prevails in wet seasons, or in soft grounds. It is a very 
painful disease, causing the entire lameness and loss of condition of the 
animal. Certain grounds are noted for communicating the foot-rot; 
and as it appears amongst the pasturing stock season after reason, such 
grounds are commonly said to be infected with the foot-rot. The opin¬ 
ion that it is of a highly infectious nature is almost universal amongst 
farmers and shepherds. But however circumstances may seem to fa¬ 
vour this opinion, it is more consistent with the effects observed to re¬ 
gard it as connected with the state of the pasture-grounds. 
Although painful, and destructive to the good condition of the ani¬ 
mal, this disease is not absolutely fatal, except under entire neglect, in 
which case the animal becomes unable to seek his food, crawls upon 
his knees, and, worn away by exhaustion, perishes. But if early at¬ 
tention be paid, the disease admits of remedy. In the first place, let 
all the infected part of the hoof be pared away, and the ulcerous mat¬ 
ter removed, and then let the foot be washed with soap and hot water, 
and let the surface be dressed with some caustic, of which the best is 
muriate of antimony. In incipient cases, by simply paring the hoof 
and cleansing it with soap and water, and then dipping it in boiled tar, 
the progress of the disease will be arrested. 
The next disease to be mentioned is of frequent occurrence. This is 
hydatids, staggers, or water-in-the-head, as it is frequently termed. The 
cause of this disease is in an animal, Tcenias globulus, which finds its 
way into the brain, where it enlarges in size, and which, if not remov¬ 
ed, ultimately destroys the animal. This creature resembles a round 
vesicle filled with water, and hence it was long supposed to be water, 
and the disease, in consequence, termed water-in-the-head. The hyda¬ 
tids, though found chiefly in the brain of sheep, is found also in other 
parts of the body, as the liver and spleen. 
When the hydatids is in the brain, the animal affected shows great 
symptoms of distress; he leans his head to one side, mopes by himself, 
continues turning round, and finally dies. The remedy for this disease 
is to reach the hydatids, and to extract it, or merely to perforate it in 
such a manner as to destroy its vitality. When it is situated at the sur¬ 
face of the brain, the part feels soft, and it is easy to reach it by a com¬ 
mon awl or gimlet, or by a species of rude trepanning, which may be 
done by a common pen-knife. A little circular portion of the skull is 
to be cut, and raised up like a lid, a portion of the skull being left for 
this purpose. The hydatids being exposed, is to be pulled out by pinc¬ 
ers, and the fluid absorbed by a sponge. The skull is then to be replac¬ 
ed, and dressed with common tar put upon a piece of soft leather. 
When the hydatids is situated in the ventricle of the brain, it may be 
reached by a wire thrust up the nostrils. Some shepherds are very 
dextrous at this operation, and rarely fail in effecting a cure. 
Sheep are liable to the attacks of various animals. One of these, a 
species of aphis, termed the sheep-louse, is very common, and chiefly 
prevails where the sheep are in an unhealthy condition. It is of a flat 
form, and attaching itself to the throat and other parts, occasions much 
irritation. Tar, turpentine, or tobacco liquor, are the substances chief¬ 
ly used to destroy this animal, and any simple mercurial preparation 
is effectual. 
But the most pernicious enemy that attacks sheep is the common 
sheep-maggot, the larvae of a species of flesh-fly. The fly having de¬ 
posited her eggs on the skin of the sheep, the larvae are hatched in 
great numbers, and grow with amazing quickness. They commonly 
appear about the root of the tail, or wherever filth has allowed the fly 
to attach her eggs, and thence they spread over the entire body, consum¬ 
ing the skin, and eating into the flesh. The sheep, when attacked, 
manifest a strong sense of suffering. They frequently run with vio¬ 
lence, until at length overpowered and exhausted, they lie down and 
perish. 
It is in the moist and warm seasons of the year that the sheep-mag¬ 
got is chiefly produced. Constant vigilance is then demanded on the 
part of the shepherd, so that all foulness of the wool shall be dipt 
away; and the sheep must be daily inspected, lest this dangerous ene¬ 
my establish itself- The maggot is effectually destroyed by a solution 
of corrosive sublimate, and in its early stages by less potent applica¬ 
tions, as by urine and lime. 
We must remember that the sheep, in his domesticated state, is 
yielded up to the care of man; his natural instincts are blunted, and he 
is unfitted to use those means cf preservation which in his wild state 
he might possess. He is the prey of a multitude of enemies, against 
which he has no defence; and the more artificial his condition is, the 
more is he dependent on our care. 
M iscellais eouis. 
From the New- York Farmer. 
NOTES ON TRANSPLANTING. 
“ The functions of the root are to fix plants in the earth, and to absorb nou¬ 
rishment from it. This absorption takes place almost exclusively by the ex¬ 
tremities, which consist of a lax coating of cellular lubes, lying on a concen¬ 
tric layer of woody fibres, in the midst of which is placed a bundle of ducts.” 
—Professor L'mdley. 
We wish to call the attention of some horticulturists to the facts stat¬ 
ed in the above paragraph, not as something new, but as a fact not ge¬ 
nerally known, or if known, is neither heeded nor acted upon. It has 
doubtless been observed by every vegetable physiologist who has called 
into his minute investigations the assistance of the microscope, how 
beautifully the extremities of the small fibrous roots are adapted to the 
introsusception of the food of the plant. Almost every common plant¬ 
er attaches an importance to these fibrous roots, but yet not that im¬ 
portance which they so eminently deserve. It is the common opinion 
of such planters, that the absorption of vegetable food takes place 
throughout the whole surface of that portion of the plant which is usu¬ 
ally termed the root; and provided they retain a certain quantum of that 
necessary member, it is with many apparently a matter of indifference, 
which particular part is lost, mutilated, or remains whole. Persons 
engaged in these operations, should impress upon their minds the fact 
that it is only the extremities of the roots of plants that serve the pur¬ 
pose of collecting and assimilating the material which is so necessary 
to the support of the branches, and that the larger parts of the roots 
only serve as channels through which this support is carried to the 
branches. 
