The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1909-08-19
SHEEP SCAB QUARANTINE

States Government quarantine against
Kentucky sheep which went into eff
feet Monday of this week.
The order for the quarantine, pro-
vides that sheep shall be moved in
terstate from Kentucky only under
the following. conditions: Sheep that
are diseased with scabies and that
have been dipped once in an approx
ed dip under the supervision of an
inspector of the Bureau of Animal
Industry within ten days before ship
ment may be shipped interstate to
a recognized slaughtering center for
immediate slaughter. If diseased
sheep are to be shipped interstate for
stocking or feeding purposes they
shall be dipped twice within an in
terval of ten days. Other sheep may
be moved interstate for feeding or
stocking purposes after one dipping
under Government supervision or they
may be shipped interstate under quar-
antine restrictions for immediate
slaughter without dipping
Inspections and clippings under the
regulations will be performed only
at points where Federal inspectors are
stationed. Louisville is at present the
only place in the State having dip
ping facilities, but If proper yarding
and dipping facilities should be INSTALL
ed at other points the Department of
Agriculture would consider the advis-
ability of establishing inspection at
such places for the convenience OF
shippers.
There is no one who is affected
more severely by this than the noun
tain farmer, for while the roads re-
main as they are he must depend
for raising ready money chiefly on
the crops that can take themselves
to market, such as cattle and other
animals, and sheep form a large part
of this class of crops. Also, the
scab greatly Injuries the wool and
lessons the crop, so that even IL
there is no desire to ship the sheep,
their value at home is greatly
lessened. In short, the scab hurts
the mountains badly, and the noun
tains has got to do something about it
If it does not want to suffer severe
ly, and. even to have the Federal en-
barge placed against it.
The Fiscal Courts of different coun-
ties have a great deal of power in
the matter, tho most OF the work
must be done by the individual farm
ers. The Fiscal Courts can and should
engage inspectors who will diagnose
all cases of scab and see that proper
remedies are applied IL the quaran-
tine comes it will last till the farm
ers and the state do something, and
stamp out the disease, and the loss
and great penalties going with the
quarantine can only be averted by
acting at once. A little work now
will save all this, and the work will
have to be done sooner or later, or
sheep raising will have to be stopp-
ed in the state
There is no disease which can be
stopped more easily or cheaply than
scab in sheep, and there is none
that does more damage. Many farm
ers know this and keep their flocks
entirely free from it, resulting in a
great saving of money to them. The
cause and cure Of the diseases are
fully understood, and any man that
wants to can have a clean flock. II
even a few men begin to do this the
danger of quarantine will be avert
ed.
The cause of a sheep. scab is a
little bug, about the size of a CHG
ger, that is, as large as the period
at the end of this sentence. IL Is
grayish in color, and the only way
to tell that it Is alive is to put 1t In
something dark colored and see whe-
Their It moves This is the only way
of knowing surely that a sheep has
the scab, for other things may cause
all the other symptoms.
The symptoms are very bad, when
the disease gets a good start. First
the sheep begins rubbing parts of its
back and sides, then there appear
little scabs which grow larger. look
ing at first like dandruff, but soon
becoming running sores. The wool
falls off. the sheep loses flesh, and
finally, If not cured, dies. But by
Proper treatment the sheep may DE
saved, and the wool started to
growing again. This treatment costs
about five cents sheep in flocks
where there are a hundred sheep,
1t is more expensive to cure fewer
sheep, but several farmers can always
go in together and get the necessary
number together.
To find out whether a sheep has
the scab. find one of the little spots.
like dandruff or a little scab on its
skin, and either carefully pull 1T
tie wool out or clip close enough TO
the skin to draw a little blood. Lay
the material on a piece of dark pa