The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-02-06
Scab, Cough in Pigs, Hide
Bound. &c.

w z nave De6u dShtu TIE tutS-
ton nearly a dozen times within
a week. What causes the scab
in sheep and how cured! and
among the many letters the other
dav was one from a gentleman
living away out on the borders
Of civilization, who writes:
although | am shut out, as 1t
were, from my former associa-
tons, a thousand or two miles
from the old homestead and
friends, still [ am not deprived
of the pleasure of reading my
old-time friend, the Turf, Field
and Farm, each week. This Is
a true friend, indeed, and follows
me wherever [ go. By virtue Of
our warm friendship | would
like a reply to the following: /,
A cure and the cause of scab in
sheep. 2. For coughs In pigs.
3. Hide-bound horses, and at the
same time a cure for loss of APP
petite. 4. Do you think the
Holsteins a good breed of cattle
for Colorado and Texas?
1. Scab in sheep is a disease
caused by acar1: but this para
site is of three distinct varieties
one kind that burrows in the
canals of the scarf-skin, and are
extremely difficult to eradicate
this kind is known as the sarcop-
It's. Another kind that live on
the surface are very easily dis
posed Of, and are known as
dermatopagus or dermatocoptis.
The third and last variety,
demorder, inhabit the sebaceous
glands, and are not hard to be
gotten rid of. Judging from
your description, we infer that
the latter is the kind which
trouble your sheep, and will, no
doubt, succumb to the following
treatment: Feed nourishing
food have plenty Of cool, clear
air, dry buildings if you house
your sheep, Off not, the ones to be
treated should be under shelter
even in your climate,0 but avoid
herdlng too many in one pen.
When all the foregoing have
been supplied, treat each animal
to a bath in strong soap suds if
they are very bad, however, it
will be best to precede this with
oil, break up and remove the
scabs and crusts, after which ap-
ply thoroughly with a brush the
following decoction:
Oil of tar, 1 ounce.
Whale Oil, 90 ounces.
Tar, s ounces.
Sulphur, 8 ounces.
Alcohol, Is ounces,
Soap, 16 ounces.
If the sheep have very heavy
feeces, it will be good policy to
battle in this decoction, but in
any event care should be taken
to work the same we'll downinto
the wool SO hat it reaches the
skin.
Another sovereign remedy,
and one that will not discolor
the wool or in any way endanger
the lives of the sheep, is made
according the following:
Tobacco. Is pounds.
III OF tar, 3 pints.
soda ash, 30 pounds.
SOFT soap, 4 pounds.
SOFT water, 80 gallons.
Boil the tobacco and dissolve
he rest in a few gallons of boil
.ng water then add water
enough to make fifty gallons
neat and keep at about 1O0F.
This will be found amply suffici-
ent for a flock of so sheep, and
;an be made larger or smaller as
he size Of the flock demands.
Keep each sheep in the bath
;hree minutes, and have two
men breaking up the scabs and
working the juice into the wool
md down to the skin in the
Meantime. When the sheep is
aiken out, lay on an inclined
BOARD or plank and squeeze all
he liquor out of the wool and
lllow 1t to flow back into the
ub. A second and even a third
oath may be necessary to thor