Williams news., 1916-07-13

owing Area Denuded of Wool.
 guesswork. Dipping solutions that are more than ten days old frequently lose their effectiveness.
 Time in Solution.
 The time in which the sheep are held in the bath is another matter of importance. In cases in which the scab is not advanced, from two to three minutes may be sufficient, but in eradicating hard scab on fine-wool sheep better results are obtained if the animals are held from three to five minutes during the first dipping When the disease is advanced it is also recommended that the hard scabs be broken and dressed by hand with a solution of the dipping fluid before the animal is immersed in the bath. In this process care should be taken not to cause the wound to bleed
 The value of proper dipping has been abundantly demonstrated by past experience. Nearly all of the states which formerly suffered from the dis ease have been released from quaran- tine, and losses have been reduced to minimum over the entire area af- fected. The disease has not, however, been entirely eradicated, and, if neg lected, may assume much of it's for mer importance. It is extremely con- tagious and may be spread in a num- Der of ways. A flock of scabby sheep will infect roads, old bed, grounds, sheds, trails, pastures, ranges and the ground around watering places. Dur ing the dry summer months the scab often remains dormant, and it Is not uncommon at these periods for the flock master to believe that he has eradicated it. With the coming of cold, rainy weather, however, the dis ease reappears.
 Cause of Disease.
 Common sheep scab is caused by minute parasite, which is just large enough to be seen under favorable circumstances by the naked eye These parasites deposit their eggs in clumps on the skin at the base of the wool fbers. They multiply with such extraordinary rapidity that if few mites gain foothold on one or two sheep, in short time their descend ants will be numerous enough to in- fest and injure seriously an entire flock. The damage consists not only in the death of a large number of the infected sheep, but in decreasing the quantity of wool produced by those which survive and in general loss in weight and condition. The first symp- toms to be noticed are restlessness on the part of the affected animals and tendency to bite and scratch themselves. If the affected parts are within reach of the mouth, the wool is likely to be pulled out Elsewhere it is scratched or rubbed SO that it assumes discolored and ragged ap- pearance. As the disease advances, larger and larger areas are entirely stripped of wool. When the presence of scab is suspected, it is sometimes possible to discover the live mite by suddenly parting the wool around the affected area. With the aid of mag nifying glass, or even with the naked eye, the mites can then be seen mov- lu6 away lTOIA Iuc iSHt OCIdpiuSS may also be taken from the outer edges of the affected areas with a blunt-edged knife. In warm sunlight the mites on these scrapings will be- come active, and they may be seen as minute gray bodies moving against dark background. Well-advanced cases are easy to recognize, but the disease should never be allowed to become far advanced. Any condition which causes the sheep to bite and scratch should be investigated at once. Occasionally the trouble may be found to be due to sheep ticks common ticks, and lice. Both ticks and lice are much larger than the scab mites and can easily be found on examination. It must be remem- | bered, however, that their presence does not mean that the sheep are not also infested with scab mites.