Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-06-28
Agricultural.
Grubs in the Head Of sheep.

oiubo AL blC hUau Va oucCp'
The following valuable communication, writ
ten by Robert NJ. Montgomery, President OF the
Ohio STATE Wool Growers Association is copied,
somewhat abridged, from the Rural Ncw Yorker
In April, 1862, my atteni ION was called to
flock oil sheep owned by my oelghbor MIR. A.
lie had about one huDdred of which thirty five
were what are hereafter 10 be known az tegs.
They were apparently IN fine condition until the
tlrst Of February. But then the tegs began 70
decIlne--relused their food, and went languIdIy
about with watery eyes and dropping ears-dis
charging from The n0strils, and exhibiting gen
eraI aud increasing debility. Early i'll March
they began 10 die. Those which sickened early
died in from three to Tour weeks. But those
which slckened late died in from five to eight
days. Alter some ten or twelve were dead, il
was suggested that there might be /" Rrubs,"
and an examination disclosed large numbers Of
them lying high up in the head, and macy of
them III the root Of the horns The onlv avail.
able remedy known to us, being decoction Of
tobacco, was, oil course, resorted TO-, ana was
administered 10 sick and well ones indlscriml.
nately. There was some asaloetida in the to-
bacco juice, but do not consider this pOrtant.
All which showed an advanced stage Of the DIS
ease whtn the tobacco was FIRST given, died A
part OF these which exhibited "a miller indispo-
slton recovered slowly, and those which seemed
well at that time continued we'll, and the disease,
whatever it was, ceased to prey upon the flock
And here let it be noted, none Of MIR. AS sheep
sickened or died exc pit the tegs Let it be no.
ted also that the male portion Of them remained
entire until they were five or six months old,
and consequently had horns nearly or quite as
large as II they mad been rams. The ewes and
weathers (stags) were kept together and treated
in every way alike. Two only OF those without
horns, either ewes or wethers, died while but
three or four OF the eighteen having horns were
lett.
Taking counsel Of my neighbours misfortune,
then paid more attention u my own sIeep
found nothing wrong with any vi the hucks *.
crpt the rdm tegs, vi winch had about sixty
| luuud hut one 81 them wmcn would have at
traced tne al.e Liun oi u Casual observer but
tnrse uf lUur o hers 20 I'LL experienced eye,
showed vluent symptoms vi disease. The syr.
huge Was immediately IN r,quislton and tobacco
anu saoe ida injected up the nostrils OF the
SICK ana we'll alike, on every alternate, or at
most on every third Jay, tor perhaps two weeks.
Some eight or ten Others sickened but eventually
recovered, and the remaining forty-fye continued
in good health and condition.
IL may be remarked here that my neighbor,
who neglected to apply any remedy till the dis
ease had made serious lnroads, lost about eighty
per cent. Of his horned legs, while l, having
applied remedies early, lost only ten per cent.
Presenting that the gruhs were the probable
cause Of the disease two questions arose. Could
liquids be so injected Us 10 reach their location
and what effect would certain liquids have To
obtain an answer 10 the first question, exam
ine1 carefully the structure oil the head. But
to make " assurance doubly sure" selected a
sheep which was quite sick, and bored hole
one-iourth of an inch in diameter in each Of
the horns about an inch above the WOOL and also
two holes 10 bis head, about half way between
his horns and eyes. found that liquids iniec.
ted into the nostrils came out freely through
each and all Of these holes
IL then remained to determine the effect on
the grubs In different stages Of development,
varying from the white one OF less than quar-.
ter Of an inch in length to the full grown brown
one of one and quarter inches. placed them
first 10 decostiol OF tobacco and asaiostida.
The small ones died IN about two minutes, but
the larper ones although showing s,gns of di..
comfort, gave no indication of immediate death
From the above, and from other obsery tons,
dednce the folloriog couclns,nns m, Il,
eggs arc u,ually denos,ted in the latter mar, ~
simmer tina, |, denend, verv much nm cironn''
stances when thew are hatcbsd ,ha, lar',o
nronor,;on ara t6rovn on, ana ava na. 49,
bs,ehs1 that !, also densnds on c,r,nn,.,aeas.
whe,hsr the grnbs are min dsveIonad ~ ,on'
ar short time usually howsye, IL ,ha la.,d s
mart of winter and e,rlv snr,na r., ~
seao them yery small in tho sn,,n, and INV ha.o
also seen them lull grown in ths lall 7 oonolndo ma
also. that thew ara not confined 10 anv am, elas,
OF sheen, though Young sheen. and esneci,llv IL
thew have horns are more snbec, IN fhsm h.
eanse the larger opening A, the root q, tho hasa
AFT ,ras them q more secure resting nlace ahoso
AID beyond The snesring porer al tbs sbssn an, ~
dslodps them; that sheen in delicate health ara
more subject 10 be Affected nv tbsm thar s,,an,,
healthy ones that sheen NAV and often 40 bay.