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ON THE LIVE-STOCK
water eight or ten minutes, and then to inject water-gruelmixed with butter. But none of these experiments ought tobe made in the case of the water-braxy.
It is fortunate, however, that, though the cure of this dis-ease is but too often hopeless, there are measures of preven-tion, which are in the power of most farmers. Turnips, saltmarshes, or any pastures which continue always fresh, arecertain preventives of braxy; and of these the first is withinthe reach of almost every farmer, in the small quantity that isrequired, either by cultivating them himself, or by sending thesheep to a moderate distance. “ The pasture of a very barrenheath, and from three to four double-cart-loads of turnipsper day, were found sufficient for 540 hogs. The turnips weresupposed worth from L. 6 to L. 7 per acre, and eight acresof such turnips were sufficient for 540 hogs for about fourmonths, not only totally preventing the braxy, but the sheepwere found in very good order at clipping time. Less tur-nips would have done, if the sheep had had moss or ling togo to ; but they had nothing, excepting some very indifferentdry heath. The turnips prevent costiveness and indigestion,which are the great causes of the braxy. On the suppositionthat 500 hogs are kept on L. 50 worth of turnips, with theliberty of pasture on the adjoining heath or common, the to-tal expencc would not exceed 2 s. a-piece If the expencewere doubled, (and the turnips in other respects are of use),it would be trifling, compared to the losses that are oftensustained by this disease.
There are other means of preventing braxy, which willprobably be more readily adopted. The first is to pasture theyoung and old sheep together. By this plan, the disease issaid to be almost eradicated in many places. The young ofthe flock share the experience of the old, and feed and rest atthe same times. When it is indispensably necessary, fromthe number of the flock, to pasture the hogs by themselves,