The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1876-01-08
For Wool. Mutton and Money.
SPORTING SHEEP .

''Spotting" sheep consists in placing
the sleeps head into some stationar,
yoke and doctoring such spots on the
sheep as can be discovered to be affected
by the scab. The yoke may be made Of
forked limb of tree; or. take 4xI
scantling and spike on two 2x4 pieces
with holes bored through the same
have peg or bolt that can he inserted
freely into these holes, so as to keen the
sheep from disengaging his neck or
head from the yoke after he has been
placed in position. The yoke is to be
set firmly into the ground or into the
floor OF the place where the work is to
be done. Next inspect the sheep for
scab thoroughly. and with swab dipped
into the "wash," rub all places that
show traces of scab or even look suspi-
cious-for it is easy to overlook a patch
the size of ones hand if the operator be
not up to his work. \ sheep whose fleece
is yet entire may be quite scabby and
need only q few weeks to lose large
patches of wool, yet to the casual OBJ
server there may be nothing wrong
These places in the wool are lighter
colored than the balance of the fleece,
and have dried up, white appearance.
that one may soon learn to detect as
readily as he would were the wool off
and an ugly sore found. Either in spot
ting or dipping sheep l would see that
all bad places. that are sore or 'scabby,"
as the term would imply, should get an
extra allowance Of doctoring. Some adj
vocate rubbing or scarifying the parts
with curry-comb until they bleed.
lint I Il
had any doubt that the liquid was thor
oughly penetrating every part of the
wool clear to the skin. / found it con-
venient to use an ordinary mechanical
oil can filed with coal oil With this
the oil can be squirted into such places,
and then slight kneeding or rubbing
in with the fingers will cause it to pen
citrate all parts. And in fact for ''spot-
ting" sheep coal oil, if not considered
too expensive, is one of the very best
applications that can be used in cases of
scab.
From this account of the process it
will be seen that "spotting" is at best
only halfway plan OF doing the work.
1 have seen open wooded sheep do quite
well when treated by this method; still
one is always in doubt as to itsthorough
ness. When scab has once appeared it
is better to "dip' the sheep each Spring,
continuing it for n season or two after
the affection appears to have been eradi-
Gated from the flock and from the
range. Hence it is best to prepare at
once for dipping, just as one prepares
shearing pens, etc. For the new hand
wants to bear in mind that, no matter
hnV n1yV-t r,f Il, rrl,
bOrs may appear to be keeping down
scab in their tlocks (which, perhaps, are
of common and open wool Sheep, still,
as the new flock goes OH improving each
year, and particularly of breeding up in
either of the merino varieties, the owner
is liable to become Disguised ut times
with with the mpspfest stD 81 9f aH e.
DIPPING.
Chipping" sheep, as the term would
imply, consists in submerGing the whole
animal in the liquid or "wash" used for
the scab. For this purpose troug h or
box of appropriate size is required to
contain the liquid. After being dipped,
the sheep is to be taken out and placed
on shelf or platform near ut hand, set
Mt such inclination that the liquid, rs it
drains off the animal, shall flow back
into the dipping trough. Where large
flock is to be dipped platform or pen
is usually arranged large enough to ac-
commodate fifty to one hundred sheep
at time, the floor SO inclined that the
sheep may be driven through it, thus
obviating the necessity OF catching and
holding each animal. Each shepherd
has, of course, his own ideas OF pen
and dipping trough, and shall give my
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