The Coconino sun., 1891-06-06
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
IMPORTANCE OF KIDDING AMI.
 MAILS OF vERMlN.
Of All tho Pests, the Worst Is Those that Infest sheep -Para graphic Point. CTS for the Farmer and
 the stoekman. ,T
look After the Vermin.

Whenever farmer discovers that
 his poultry and live stock are being
 devoured by vermin there is but one
 course for him to pursue if he would
 be robbed of all profits from farming,
 and that is kill the yermin. Vermin-
 pestered stock can no more yield a
 profit than weed-choked vegetables.
 The presence of vermin is the presence
 of disease. It amounts to an attack
 from titanic microbes If the farm
 CT does not destroy these microbes
 they will very soon financially destroy
 him. The way to get rid of poultry
 vermin has been too many times told
 in these columns to need repetition
 here. That way is always easy. With
 the kind that preys on sheep it is diff
 ferent. Owing to the thick, warm
 fleece which covers them, sheep are more subject to vermin than other ami
 mals, and for the same reason the yer
 min is harder to get at Orange Judd
 Farmer says:
 "The three worst pests that trouble
 them are the sheep tick, sheep louse
 and scab mite which is something sim
 liar to the itch mite that attacks the
 hands of dirty people. Crozier says that if lock of wool from a scabby sheep is laid upon sheet of white paper there will be seen particles
 which look like moving dust. These are scab mites. They are terrible in their ravages. They burrow into the animals skin under the wool and set up running sore. The sore becomes covered with scab and the wool peels of. The itching is intolerable. The suffering creature rubs itself against fences and trees in its efforts for relief. and 1t leaves wool and mites scattered along its way, and the next sheep that comes past there will get the infection. When wool from scabby sheep is sold and passes into the hands of wool sort CTS, the mite attacks their bands and frequently produces wool-sorters' itch. It is to be dreaded more than any other scourge of sheep breeders, except perhaps, dogs, and for this reason must be guarded against vigilantly. The moment a sheep in flock is seen to be losing its wool and rubbing itself against posts and buildings examine it at once, to see if there is not scab where the rubbing and bare spots are. If so, separate it from the rest of the flock, and give it a dip into q mixture composed of four ounces of tobacco stems, or coarse to- bacco and one of sulphur, stirred and steepcd thoroughly in a gallon of boiling water. This should be the and the quantity used should be sufficient to cover the sheep all over except the head. The liquid should be hot when the animal is less than 129 degrees. Rub the scab entirely of with a corn cob or a coarse cloth. In two weeks | repeat and dip and the animal will be | cured. The loss from the scab mites to the sheep raisers can not be calcu- lated. Sometimes whole focks are de- 1 5troyed. As a precautionary measure | many extensive sheep farmers practice dipping their hocks twice a year in n | sulphur and tobacco decoction, once at | 'hearing time and again in the fall. The same decoction of sulphur and .obacco will destroy two other trouble some pests of sheep, the tick and louse. When the sheep are shorn in the ,pring, the ticks and lice leave them md crawl off upon the lambs, which hey torment till the helpless creatures sometimes die. The sheep tick is lbout the size and color of the insects hat infest the beds of slovenly human creatures. It sucks sheep's blood just IS the other unnamed nasty little beast ucks the blood of human beings"