FARM NOTES.

Franklin Times, 3 January 1923, Page 5

FARM NOTES.

wijAT SHEEP HAVE DONE FOIIiH ENGLAND.\ M V ! Few people in this the importance of the shg§§pndus-■ tp6 to the British Isles. liSindus-■ try, which decreased somewhat dur- ■ ing the war, is now gradually in- ■ creasing again, and, in discjussmg the 9 matter, a London paper nays: . ■ Sheep have always been f the most ,*■ numerous of our domestic animals ; r l but on account of their being st> I widely distributed we have not real- •! ised that our. sheep pofnilatjon in recent' times has been little short of the human population*. Flocks of ' 5000 animals are quite common in the North There was a time when Britain was a much a sheep country , as is New South Wales to-day. < Centuries ago we exported. We had few weavers then, and the woolcamd back to us in the! shape of cloth. But about the fifteenth century we began to think of doing our /, own weaving, so the Flemings were*vj brought over to show us how to do j it „ , ‘This was the founding of our great textile industry, which to-day employs millions of capital, and hundreds of thousand® of men and wo- * men. ? Spinning and weaving means en- j gineering. Wherever there are lex- *, tile industries, there are plways • clever men planning how to improve ' on the wonderful machinery. We were the first to make delicate stuff like lace by machinery. Nottingham j lace is known the world over, and -French lace-makers still look to us for machines. \ Wool, indeed paved the way to our great commercial position, for in its train it brought a , score of other industries. And to it we largely owe the revival of learning of Tudor times. Money made from the weaving of wool was spent in building schools and beautifying churches.) In the j West and Midlands many a delightful little town bears, in fine churches and old houses, testimony to the prosperity that was dlue to wool long before there were Bradford millionaires. THE SHEPHERD’S LONELY LIFE. So to those shepherds who keep guard over their flocks in lonely stretches of -the country we owe a great deal; They are carrying on , a, very worthy task that their fathers and grandfathers did. before them. j Much of the shepherdTs work is where hfs flocks are put to graze on the uplands. Often ne may have to be away from home for days with only his dog as companion. Sheep are notorious wandlerers, and in the spring, when lambs are beginning to arrive; they seem ta take a delight in straying 4 from their folds into the wilds. !

. Even in the south of Britain. ar6 to be found Scottish 1 shepherds These men seem to have a wonderful* way with their charges. They never lose their native manner of speech, because they are cut off from towns fof many months <of the year. They hail from the Border, the Cheviot * country, and can tell many) a tale of their forefather’s frays with the sheep-stealers in the. old dlays. There has been a Recurrence! of sheep-stealing quite recently. Opce upon a time this was a hanging crime ; but the Scots farmer ■ who "" had lost his stock in a snow storm thought nothing of sallying forth and “lifting” his neighbour’s sheep* The shepherd leads a hard, lonely existence; but he is used to roughing it. He is driven to make companions of his flock, and that, per-; haps, accounts for the wonderful way in which he can make them do just what ha wants. TREATMENT FOR INDIGESTION. When a cow is seen to be - affected' with severe indigestion, indicated by changes in the consistency and quantity of her feces, withholding of feed for twenty-four hours is one of the best methods of treatment Let the animal have all the water she wants. In less severe derangements lessen-ing;-the feed, reducing the strength or richness of the concentrates, increasing roughage, providing succulent or laxative feed, giving sloppy mashes, and increasing salt are some of the needed and beneficial changes in feeding made by the intelligent herdsman. ‘ 4 f*[ In many instances exercise works wonders In all cases <rf. indigestion, affecting stabled cows, moving the animal into a roomy box stall and giving all feed from the floor level will be likely to help, In addition to such treatment small dbses of drugs that stimulate activity of the liver may have to be given and they will serve the purpose better and more naturally than thq old-fashljoned pound dose or more of “salts.” v Besides increasing bran and oil meal, half to one dram of fluid extract or powdered nux vomica may be given once or oftener daily, as prescribed by the veterinarian. Powdered ginger, gentian* and hydras tic are other* drugs that help in such conditions, and bicarbonate of soda or hyposulphite of soda raay ( be added, or phosphate of soda gfLven when the liver needs stimulation. From two to four teaspoonfuls of suck drugs given two or three times daily, in proper combination, .usually suffice. | *S.v«J.V " Salt always should be accounted a necessary ingredient of the feed and! it is Likewise, a medicine. A cow* needs one ounce..of salt daily arid: gets most Of t*thfl3t*in her feed when iribced rations are allowed, but when indigestion has been induced by overfeeding or disagreeing feed increasing the amount of salt or aL lowing free access to rock salt will generally prove beneficial. When a purgative actually is necessary a Lull dose of Epsom or Ciauber salt, which is one pound or mor®, may be given in 3 pints of tepid water well sweetened with molasses;, give slowly as a drench from a long necked bqttle, or, the veterinarian may employ more concentrated drugs, such as aloes, aSoin, eserine, or even barium chloride, as seem to be indicated, -