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ing the racks, troughs, &c. and the hide of the beaft, every day, with plenty of water; and, as the generality of people feem to place great confidence in ftrong aromatic fumigations, they are advised, inftead of the expenfive drugs of which fuch fumigations are compofed, to ufe fires made with the branches of green wood, throwing pitch on it to quicken the flames and perfume the air; thefe fires must be lighted at fome diftance from the houses, for fear of accidents.

buted the ficknefs and death of many beafts which fall victims to them.

There is another accident no lefs dangerous, to which cattle are liable, which is, the washing them with waters prepared with different forts of poifons, efpecially with arfenic, to kill the vermin; thefe waters occafion an itching of the fkin, which obliges the animal to lick himfelf; in doing which he fucks in the poifon. It is evident, that fuch pernicious practices may occafion as fatal difafters and unhappy loffes to farmers, as even the Epizooty itself; it cannot, therefore, be too much recommended to them to forbear the ufe of fuch things, which never fail doing the mifchief above defcribed.

Common falt, given in fmall quantities every day to horned cattle, is reckoned an excellent prefervative, particularly in a learned differtation on the contagious diftempers among horned cattle, by Monf. De Limbourg, M. D. and F. R. S. of London. It should be observed, that though the report of an Epizooty is often Thoughts on the Rot in Sheep. From fpread, yet all the diforders to

which cattle are liable thould not

be attributed to this epidemical distemper, fince they are not exempted from this even when no contagious diftemper reigns.Therefore, when a beaft is taken ill, enquiry fhould be made if the infection is in the neighbourhood, as in fuch cafe, a fufpicion of its being the Epizooty would be well grounded, and immediate recourfe fhould be had to the remedies above mentioned.

But, as it often happens that cattle fall fick after having eaten bad fodder, or having grazed in frosty weather on the tops of herbs, &c. when covered with ice and fnow (to prevent their doing which, all poflible care fhould be taken), to these accidents only are frequently to be attri

the fame.

HE caufe of the rot in sheep,

THE

days Mr. Bofwell, in his late ufeful and ingenious publication, is unknown.-Mr. Arthur. Young, in recapitulating all the information he could get, in his Eastern tour, obferves, that "the accounts are fo amazingly contradictory, that nothing can be gathered from them," but concludes, that "every one knows that moilture is the caufe."

In differing from an author of Mr. Young's acknowledged merit, fupported by the general opinion of mankind, I am led to examine my own fentiments with caution and diftruft ;-but, unless it is only meant, that moisture is generally the remote caufe, it will be difficult to account for the rot be

ing taken on fallows in a fingle day, and in water meadows fometimes in half an hour, when in grounds of a different fort, although exceffively wet and flabby, theep will remain for many weeks together uninjured.

Another opinion, which has many adherents, is, that the rot is owing to the quick growth of grafs or herbs that grow in wet places.

Without premifing, that allbounteous Providence has given to every animal its peculiar tafte, by which it diftinguishes the food proper for its prefervation and fupport (if not vitiated by fortuitous circumstances), it seems very difficult to discover on philofophical principles, why the quick growth of grafs fhould render it noxious, or why any herb fhould at one feafon produce fatal effects, by the admiffion of pure water only into its component parts, which at other times is perfectly innocent, although brought to its utmost strength and maturity by the genial influence of the fun. So far from agreeing with thofe who attribute the rot to quick growing grafs, which they call Hafhy, infipid, and deftitute of falts, to me the quicknefs of growth is a proof of its being endued with the most active principles of vegetation, and is one of the criterions of its fuperior excellence. Befides, the conftant practice of most farmers in the kingdom, who with the greatest fecurity, feed their meadows in the fpring, when the grafs fhoots quick, and is full of juices, militates directly against this opi

nion.

Let us now confider whether

another cause may not be affigned more reconcileablewith the various accounts we receive of this diforder. If our arguments, however fpecious, are contradictory to known facts, instead of conducting us in the plain paths of truth, they leave us in the mazes of error and uncertainty.

Each fpecies of vegetables and animals has its peculiar foil, fituation, and food, affigned to it.Taught by unerring inftinct, "the fparrow findeth her a house, the fwallow a neft, and the ftork in the heavens knoweth her appointed time." The whole feathered tribe, indeed, display a wonderful fagacity and variety in the choice and ftructure of their habitations. Nor can it be doubted that the minuteft reptile has its fixed laws, appointed by him, whofe "tender mercies are over all his works."

The numerous inhabitants of the air, earth, and waters, are ftrongly influenced by the seasons, and by the ftate of the atmosphere; and the fame caufes, perhaps, that rapidly call myriads of one fpecies into being, may frequently prove the deftruction of another. Is it then improbable that fome infect finds its food, and lays its eggs, on the tender fucculent grafs found on particular foils (efpecially wet ones), which it most delights in-Or, that this infect fhould, after a redundancy of moifture, by an inftinctive impulfe, quit its dank and dreary habitation, and its fecundity be greatly increafed by fuch seasons, in conjunction with the prolific warmth of the fun?

The flesh-fly lays her eggs upon her food, which alfo ferves to fupport

fupport her future offspring: and the common earth-worm propagates its fpecies above ground, when the weather is mild and moift, of the earth dewy.

The eggs, depofited on the tender gem, are conveyed with the food into the stomach and intestines of the animals, whence they are received into the lacteal veffels, carried off in the chyle, and pass into the blood; nor do they meet with any obstruction until they arrive at the capillary vessels of the liver.-Here, as the blood filtrates through the extreme branches, anfwering to thofe of the vena porta in the human body, the fecerning veffels are too minute to admit the impregnated ova, which, adhering to the membrane, produce thofe animalculæ that feed upon the liver and destroy the sheep. They much resemble the flat fifh called plaice, are fometimes as large as a filver wo-pence, and are found both in the liver and in the pipe, (answering to that of the vena cava) which conveys the blood from the liver to the heart.

If the form of this animal is unlike any thing we meet with among the infect tribe, we fhould confider that it may be fo fmall in its natural ftate as to escape our obfervation. Or might not its form have changed with its fituation?" The caterpillar undergoes feveral changes before it produces a butterfly."

The various accounts which every diligent enquirer muft have met with (as well as the indefatigable Mr. Young), feem very confiftent with the theory of this diforder.

If dry, limed land in Derby

fhire will rot in common with water-meadows, and stagnant marfhes; if fome fpringy lands rot when others are perfectly fafe; is it owing to the circumftance of water, or that of producing the proper food or nidus of the infect? Those who find their aftergrafs rot till the autumnal watering, and fafe afterwards, might probably be of opinion, that the embryo laid there in the fummer, is then washed away or destroyed.

With regard to those lands that are accounted never safe, if there is not fomething peculiar in the foil or fituation, which allures or forces the infect to quit its abode at unusual feafous, it may be well worth enquiring, whether from the coarseness of their nature, or for want of being fufficiently fed, there is not fome grafs in thefe lands always left of a fufficient length to fecure the eggs of the infect above the reach of the water.

Such who affert that flowing water alone is the cause of the rot, can have but little acquaintance with the Somersetshire clays, and are diametrically opposite to those who find their worft land for rotting cured by watering. Yet, may not the water which produces this effect, be impregnated with particles deftructive to the infect, or to the tender germ which ferves for its food or nidus?

For folving another difficulty, that "no ewe ever rots while the has a lamb by her fide," the gentlemen of the faculty can beft inform us, whether it is not probable, that the impregnated ovum paffes into the milk, and never arrives at the liver. The same H4

learned

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learned gentlemen may think the following queftion also not unworthy their confideration :

Why is the rot fatal to theep, hares, and rabbits (and fometimes to calves), when cattle of greater bulk, which probably take the fame food, efcape uninjured? Is the digeftive matter in the ftomach of these different from that of the others, and fuch as will turn the ova into a state of corruption; or rather, are not the fecretory ducts in the liver large enough to let them pafs through, and be carried on in the ufual current of the blood?

It seems to be an acknowledged fact, that falt marshes never rot. Salt is pernicious to most infects. They never infeft gardens where fea-weed is laid. Common falt and water is a powerful expellent of worms bred in the human body. I could with the intelligent farmer would confider these truths with attention, and not neglect a remedy which is cheap, and always at hand.

Lifle, in his book of hufbandry, informs us of a farmer who cured his whole flock of the rot, by giving each fheep a handful of Spanish falt, for five or fix mornings fucceffively. The hint was probably taken from the Spaniards, who frequently give their fheep falt to keep them healthy.

On fome farms, perhaps, the utmost caution cannot always prevent the disorder. In wet and warm feasons, the prudent farmer will remove his fheep from the lands liable to rot. Thofe who have it not in their power to do this, I would advife to give each fheep a fpoonful of common falt, with the fame quantity of our,

in a quarter of a pint of water, once or twice a week. When the rot is recently taken, the fame remedy given four or five mornings fucceffively, will in all probability effect a cure. The addition of the flour and water will, in the opinion of the writer of this, not only abate the pungency of the falt, but difpofe it to mix with the chyle in a more friendly and efficacious manner.

Were it in my power to communicate to the fociety the refult of actual experiment, it would doubtlefs be more fatisfactory. They will, however, I am perfuaded, accept of these hints, at leaft as an earneft of my defire to be ferviceable. Should they only tend to awaken the attention of the induftrious husbandman, or to excite the curiosity of fome other enquirer, who has more leifure and greater abilities, I fhall have the fatisfaction of thinking that my fpeculations, however imperfect, are not entirely useless. I am, Sir,

Your very humble fervant,
BENJAMIN PRICE.

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hend, are formed on fo fmall a fcale as to preclude the practicability of taking into their hands a few fields (and a few would be fufficient), and of appointing fome perfon or perfons to cultivate them, and inftruct the pupils, either according to the idea of Lord Molefworth, which points to the education of poor men's children; or, according to the ideas of Cowley and Sir William Petty, which refpect the education of gentlemen's fons as well as others. At prefent, however, let us attend to the advantages accruing from each of the above plans; premifing only, that lectures on the theory of husbandry muft, by all means, be accompanied with a close attention to the practical part of it, in fuch a manner as may tend to correct the mistakes of fpeculation, to open and enlarge the mind, and to give a clearer infight into the nature of vegetation, and the very fundamental principles of agriculture.

Were schools eftablished in different parts of the kingdom for the education of farmer's fons who might be but in low circumftances, gentlemen would never want fenfible and rational improvers of their eftates, who would likewife be the most proper perfons to instruct parish apprentices and inferior fervants. This the old experienced Varro reckoned to be of principal importance. "The bailiffs," fays he, "fhould be men of fome erudition and fome degree of refinement." But more efpecially ought a bailiff to be well Skilled in rural economics: he fhould not only give orders, but alfo work himself; that the labourers might imitate him, and be convinced it is with propriety

he prefides over them, becaufe he excels them in the practical part, as well as the fcientific.

Were this the cafe with us, local and established customs would be regarded no farther than they are founded in propriety; younger fervants would be accuftomed to a variation in their methods of culture as circumftances varied; new modes will not be defpifed, because they are new; the effects of experiments would be modeftly expected; the advantages and difadvantages attending them, would be accurately difcerned; and a continual progrefs would be made in the fcience and practice of agriculture. Were fome smart boys felected by each fociety, and educated on the above plan, they would hereafter convey knowledge wherever they went; and their obfervations would be better attended to by inferior fervants, than if they came from perfons of high rank. In fhort, they would effect what even the fuperior knowledge of noblemen and gen tlemen could not perform, who have more important objects in view than to cultivate the neg-lected understanding of every rustic labourer they may have occafion to employ. Like fmaller rivulets, branching from the main ftream, they would water and fertilize thofe lands where a larger river cannot with propriety expand itself.

While under tuition they will learn the expediency of a clean and fpirited fyftem of husbandry; as it is fuppofed that their tutor's fields will be cultivated on these principles. On comparing his crops with thofe of many others, the truth of Hefiod's maxim would be apparent, that balf may be more

than

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