314 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
September  24  1898. 
A  PREVENTIBLB  DISEASE  AND  ITS  CAUSE, 
How  often  we  notice  that  small  ailments  are  neglected  at 
their  commencement— neglected  because  they  appear  too  trivial 
to  trouble  with,  and  in  consequence  grow  and  increase  till  they 
baffle  the  most  skilful  physician.  These  remarks  apply  with 
equal  force  to  our  own  health,  as  well  as  to  that  of  stock.  To 
ourselves  the  penalty  is  death ;  to  those  dependent  on  us  lossi 
and  possible  poverty. 
Where  stock  is  concerned,  if  death  do  not  ensue  there  is 
great  deterioration  in  its  marketable  value,  and  much  harass 
and  worry  to  the  owner.  We  have  been  very  much  struck  of 
late  in  reading  the  daily  papers  at  the  ever  recurring  accounts 
of  scab  outbreak  in  the  sheep  kingdom,  and  this  in  spite  of  the 
most  stringent  measures  insisted  on  by  the  authorities.  There 
must  be  something  wrong  somewhere;  either  the  authorities 
are  not  stringent  enough,  or  there  is  gross  neglect  ei  her  in. 
discovering  cases  of  disease  or  in  dealing  with  those  cases  when 
discovered. 
We  suppose  that  no  one  likes  to  allow  the  existence  of  this 
disease  on  his  farm,  as  telling  against  him  and  his  shepherd. 
No  one  likes  to  be  put  under  the  surveillance  of  the  Government 
Inspector ;  so  if  a  case  is  found,  remedies  of  a  sort  are  employed, 
and  those  connected  with  the  busmess  keep  a  still  tongue  in 
their  heads  Of  course  there  may  be  ignorant  neglect  as  well 
as  wilful  neglect;  bit  no  shepherd,  or  for  the  matter  of  that 
no  master,  need  for  a  moment  be  in  doubt  over  a  doubtful  case. 
When  in  doubt  play  trumps.”  When  in  doubt,  say  we,  about 
the  nature  of  any  complaint,  isolate  and  carefully  watch  for 
some  time;  if  there  be  disease  it  will  soon  be  very  apparent, 
and  if  not,  well  all  the  better.  Nothing  is  lost  by  being  too 
careful,  and  a  good  practical  lesson  is  gained. 
This  is  BO  new  disease  of  yesterday  The  great  old  Hebrew 
lawgiver  speaks  of  it  several  times,  and  reference  is  also  made 
to  it  in  classical  pages ;  and  that  it  will  exist  to  the  end  of  time 
we  doubt  not,  unless— well,  what  shall  we  say  ?  unless  the 
disease  be  stamped  out  with  careful  thoroughness,  and  no  fresh 
infection  introdu  ed  by  alien  flocks.  We  have  known  in  our 
own  experience  of  several  cases  where  wretched,  emaciated 
foreigners  have  introduced  it  (scab)  into  a  neighbourhood 
which  before  their  advent  ha  i  been  clear  for  years. 
Professor  Brown  gives  a  most  clear  account  of  scab,  its  cause, 
its  effect,  and  its  cure,  in  a  volume  of  the  “Royal  Agricultural 
Journal,"  an  account  so  clear  that  the  veriest  tyro  may,  if  he 
will,  acquaint  himself  thoroughly  with  the  disease  in  all  its  bear¬ 
ings.  That  sheep  scab  is  on  the  increase  is  an  undoubted  fact, 
and  that  is  the  most  prevalent  of  sheep  diseases  is  also  most 
certain.  Why  this  should  be  the  case  when  it  is  a  perfectly 
curable  disease  seems  strange,  but  possibly  “familiarity  breeds 
contempt.”  Not  sufficient  attention  is  pa  d  to  the  I’emedies  used, 
and  the  manner  of  using  them  is  most  superficial. 
What  is  scab  V  Whence  does  it  arise  ?  Scab  is  an  itching 
sore  on  the  outside  of  the  skin  concealed  from  casual  observation 
by  dense  masses  of  wool.  It  is  caused  by  the  poisonous  bite  of  a 
minute  insect  belonging  to  the  family  Acarus  (tick  or  mite). 
Ifflis  insect  usually  does  a  great  dea'  of  mischief  before  it  is 
detected  owing  to  the  fact  that  it  rarely  attacks  a  sheep  on  any 
part  of  the  body  except  that  covered  the  most  closely  withjwool 
A  veterinary  inspecting  a  suspected  sheep  at  an  early(stage  may, 
if  he  be  lucky,  come  upon  an  Acarus,  but  possibly  he  will  not. 
As  soon  as  the  Acarus  begins  to  bite  appears^a  whitish  or  yellow 
pimple,  which  in  time  gives  off  a  glutinous  fluid,  this  mixing,  with 
the  scurf  upon  the  skin  dries  and  forms  a  scab,  which  scab  is  the 
happy  nursery  of  the  parasites  which  produced  it. 
When  we  consider  that  a  pair  of  mites  can  be  answerable  for 
fifteen  full  grown  descendants  in  a  fortnight,  or  a  population  of 
li  million  in  three  months,  we  can  in  a  measure  grasp  the 
magnitude  of  the  danger .  Fancy  what  the  state  of  the  skin 
must  be  with  thousands  of  inflamed  bites.  How  can  a  sheep  be 
healthy  ?  or  how  can  it  possibly  thrive  ?  The  visit  of  a  single 
flea  to  a  human  body  we  do  not  like,  and  there  the  irritation 
is  but  passing. 
This  disease,  unchecked,  produces  not  only  irritation  to  the 
skin,  but,  injuring  the  wool-producing  glands,  causes  it  to  fall  off 
in  masses  and  that  which  remains  is  injured  in  the  fibre  We 
have  said  before  that  it  is  not  a  fatal  disease  ;  perhaps  in  doing 
so  we  give  a  false  impr'ession.  In  cases  where  the  disease  is 
neglected,  or  at  most  carelessly  treated,  the  poor  tortured  animal 
becomes  so  impregnated  by  the  poison  that  tumours  are  formed 
all  over  the  body,  and  to  these  in  time  the  wretched  sheep 
succumbs,  leaving  a  carcass  sufficiently  infectious  to  demand 
instant  destruction  in  quicklime. 
Of  the  remedies  and  treatment  we  must  write  at  a  future 
period. 
WOBK  ON  THE  HOME  FARM. 
Still  more  rain,  and  though  we  are  setting  about  our  preparations  for 
next  year’s  crops  a  great  deal  remains  to  be  done  yet  to  secure  those  of 
the  present  year  ;  in  fact,  for  a  fortnight  things  have  been  at  a  stand¬ 
still.  Fortunately,  there  are  signs  that  the  equinoctial  gales  are  upon 
us,  and  they  are  just  what  is  required  to  dry  the  grain.  In  good  condi¬ 
tion  the  corn  now  out  can  never  be.  Sprouting  is,  we  are  safe  in  saying, 
universal.  We  have  seen  stooka  that  were  hardly  distinguishable  from 
heaps  of  green  turf,  and  where  everything  that  care  and  attention  could 
do  has  been  done  to  preserve  the  crops,  the  loss  in  waste  and  deteriora¬ 
tion  is  very  great  indeed — one-third,  we  should  think,  quite  below  the 
I  mark  ;  indeed,  we  might  say  half. 
Whilst  farmers  in  the  North  have  been  watching  their  crops  rotting 
in  the  fields,  they  of  the  Midlands  and  South,  having  been  fortunate 
enough  to  save  theirs,  rather  rejoicing  in  the  rains  which  have  been 
wanted  in  many  parts  to  bring  the  land  into  ploughing  condition.  Ley 
has  ploughed  very  well  this  month,  and  if  thoroughly  rolled  when  dry  on 
the  top  the  Wheats  should  go  in  well  in  October. 
The  old  system  of  using  a  two-row  presser  to  solidify  the  land  after 
the  plough  is  still  carried  out  by  many  ;  but  though  the  work  is  done 
well  it  is  an  expensive  way,  and  we  prefer  to  use  the  roll.  The  drill  we 
consider  indispensable  if  the  land  is  in  condition  to  take  a  drill  upon. 
The  seed  Wheat  may  be  ploughed  in  or  sown  broadcast,  and  a  good  plant 
secured  ;  but  it  is  never  so  evenly  distributed  at  such  a  regular  depth  as 
when  nicely  drilled.  There  is  an  advantage  in  having  the  seams  a  fair 
width  if  the  land  be  not  in  a  clean  state,  otherwise  the  seed  is  better 
drilled  as  narrowly  as  possible. 
Hitherto,  notwithstanding  the  damp  weather,  the  nights  have  been 
warm  ;  but  we  mast  now  expect  much  lower  temperatures,  and  the 
weaned  calves  up  to  twelve  months  should  be  housed  at  night.  Older 
cattle  too,  if  poor,  would  be  better  under  cover  or  in  warm  yard  when 
nights  grow  cold  and  frosty.  Two  pounds  of  cake  each  in  the  morning 
before  being  turned  out  will  well  repay  the  outlay.  Pastures  now  are 
good,  but  the  grass  is  very  washy,  and  has  not  a  high  value  as  food. 
Potato  lifting  is  just  commencing.  Crops  appear  to  be  fair,  but 
quality  varies  very  much,  and  there  are  many  signs  of  disease. 
MBTEOHOLOGICAL  OBSERVATIONS. 
Oamdbs  SQUARB,  LO-VDON. 
Lat.  51°32'40''  t?. :  Loag.  11°  S'O"  W.:  Altitude  HI  feet. 
Datb. 
9  A.M. 
In  tub  Dap. 
(3 
3 
1898 
September. 
1  Barometer 
1  at  32°,  and 
1  Sea  Level. 
Hygrom  -ter. 
Direc¬ 
tion  of 
Wind. 
Temp, 
of  soil 
at 
1  foot. 
Shade  Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Mav 
Mia 
In 
Sun 
Oa 
Inohs. 
leg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg 
deg 
deg 
deg 
fnehs. 
Sunday  13 
29-318 
61-0 
.  69-2 
S. 
59-1 
641 
66-9 
87-2 
630 
0  451 
Monday  ..  14 
29-497 
6i.-3 
67  2 
S.W. 
59-0 
67-1 
54-4 
102-1 
61  1 
— 
Tuesday  ,.  15 
24-907 
eO'l 
65-6 
W. 
69-0 
68-0 
64-9 
lOl-l 
51-4 
0-028 
Wednesday  16 
30-037 
58-2 
51-6 
w. 
688 
68-7 
49-8 
103  3 
450 
0-030 
Thursday ..  17 
30-104 
fO-2 
56-3 
w. 
581 
6  .-4 
54-7 
84  9 
50-6 
0-140 
Friday  . .  18 
21-761 
60-9 
68-2 
N. 
68-1 
66-3 
58-2 
83  9 
65-6 
— 
Saturday..  19 
29-806 
53-2 
49-4 
w. 
57-9 
65-4 
45-6 
llO-l 
38-8 
— 
29-776 
59-1 
55-8 
58*6 
66-1 
53-5 
97-2 
49-3 
0-649 
REMARKS. 
13th. — Heavy  rain  from  0  A.M.  to  1  A.M.,  3  A.M.  to  6.30  A.M.,  11  A.ii.  to  noon,  and 
6.30  P.M.  to  8  P.M. ;  frequent  showers  be:  ween,  but  some  sunshine  in  afternoon. 
14th.— Frequent  sunshine  in  morning ;  overcast  afternoou,  with  spots  of  rain. 
15th.— Generally  sunny  till  11  A.M. ;  overcast  afternoon,  with  showers  at  intervals. 
18th.— Fine  with  a  fair  amount  of  sunshine  in  m  rnkig;  overcast  with  showers  in 
afternoon. 
17th. — Overcast  early,  frequent  showers  after  11  A..M. 
18th.— Rain  in  small  hours  and  overcast  day,  but  a  gleam  of  sun  about  midday. 
19th.—  Bright  sunshine  almost  throughout,  but  a  slight  shower  about  4.3 '  P.M. 
A  variable  week  with  a  fair  amount  of  sunshine.  Temperature  slightly  above  the 
average.— G.  J.  Sxmons. 
i 
,1 
I 
I 
