Soil Culture: Containing a Comprehensive View of Agriculture, Horticulture, Pomology, Domestic Animals, Rural Economy, and Agricultural LiteratureWalden, J. H.
Science
Soil Culture: Containing a Comprehensive View of Agriculture, Horticulture, Pomology, Domestic Animals, Rural Economy, and Agricultural Literature
Walden, J. H.
Agriculture -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
_Water in the head_ is a disease caused by long exposure to wet and
cold. This is prevented by a small blanket on the back of the sheep. The
wool on the backs of sheep will be seen to be often parted, exposing the
skin. Water falling on the back will penetrate the wool and run down,
and wet and chill the whole body. A small cotton blanket, fifteen inches
wide, and long enough to reach from the neck to the tail, fastened to
its place by tying to the wool, and painted on the outside, will cause
all the water to run off, saving the health of the sheep, and causing
him to require less food. In the cold, wet season, every sheep should
have such a blanket; they would cost three or four cents each, and be
worth many times their cost in the saving of feed for the animals. The
more comfortable an animal is, the less food will he require. Applying
tar above the noses of sheep at shearing, that they may be compelled to
smell it and eat a little for a long time, is considered favorable to
their general health, and a preventive of rot.
The foot-rot, in cattle, sheep, and hogs, is a prevalent disease. Boys
walking the path, barefoot, where such diseased animals frequently pass,
may contract the disease. This is always cured by washing in blue
vitriol. Most cases are cured by one application, and the most confirmed
by two or three. Make a narrow passage, where only one animal can pass
at once. Put in a trough twelve feet long, twelve inches wide, and as
many deep. Put in that fifty pounds of blue vitriol and fill with water,
throwing a little straw over the top. Cause the diseased animals to pass
through that, and they will be cured. This is thought to be an
invariable remedy. If sheep do not appear healthy on lowland pasture,
give them small quantities of fine charcoal and salt, and they will be
as healthy as on the hills. A little salt for sheep is useful during the
whole year. The health of sheep is injured more in fall than at any
other season; they are very apt to be neglected at the beginning of
winter. They grow poor rapidly when their green feed first fails; a
little hay and grain and a few roots then will keep them up, prevent
disease, and make it less expensive to keep them through the winter.
Feed in racks or troughs, when they can not get their food under foot,
and as far as practicable, under shelter, and in a warm place. It is
much cheaper, and keeps the sheep much more healthy. They should have
fresh water, where they can drink, two or three times a day. Salt, mixed
with wood-ashes and pulverized charcoal, should also be constantly
within their reach. A few beets, carrots, or parsnips, are always
valuable. Some green feed is very essential for ewes, for some time
before the yeaning season. Corn is good for fattening sheep; but, for
increasing the wool, it is not half as valuable as beans. Good
bean-straw is better than hay. Corn-fodder is excellent. The product of
one and a half acres of land, sowed with corn, will winter, in fine
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