When the fly comes near, they give
a sniff and run as if they were crazy, still holding their noses close
to the ground. When I was a boy, and the sheep did that, we thought that
they had colds in their heads, and used to rub tar on their noses. We
knew nothing about the fly then, but the tar cured them, and is just
what I use now. Two or three times a month during hot weather, we put a
few drops of it on the nose of every sheep in the flock."
"I suppose farmers are like other people, and are always finding out
better ways of doing their work, aren't they, uncle?" said Miss Laura.
"Yes, my child. The older I grow, the more I find out, and the better
care I take of my stock. My grandfather would open his eyes in
amazement; and ask me if I was an old women petting her cats, if he were
alive, and could know the care I give my sheep. He used to let his flock
run till the fields were covered with snow, and bite as close as they
liked, till there wasn't a scrap of feed left. Then he would give them
an open shed to run under, and throw down their hay outside. Grain they
scarcely knew the taste of. That they would fall off in flesh, and half
of them lose their lambs in the spring, was an expected thing.
Pages:
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306