The country-man's guide or plain directions for ordering. Curing. Breeding choice, use, and feeding. Of horses, cows, sheep, hoggs, &c. Adorn'd with sculptuers, shewing the proper places in the bodies of the said several beasts, where the said distempers do usually happen. Published for the publick good, by W.W.

Introduction.

I Shall not particularize the many advantages which arise trom Sheep, as the Wooll, Flesh, Pelt, Dung, and many others; there∣fore in the first place, the Country-man ought to get a good Breeder, and to buy Sheep for his store, that may be in all particulars answerable to his Bu∣siness, which I need not here relate.

Marks of a good Yew.

The best Yews have generally a great Body, a long Neck, long Wooll, oright and shining like Silk, having a great Belly, and covered with Wooll▪ and having great Paps, great Eyes with long Legs, and a long Tail.

Marks of a good Ram.

The best sort of Rams are high and long of Body, great Belly, well covered with Wooll, long and thick Tail, the

Fore-head broad and thick with Hair, the Eyes black, covered round about with much Wooll, great Cods, broad Loins, great Ears, covered with Wooll; the whole Fleece of one Co∣lour, well Horned; the Tongue and the Pallate all White; for if the Tongue or undermost part of the Tongue should be black or speckled, notwith∣standing his Body is all White, yet the Colour of the Lambs which he produces will be Speckled, Gray, or Black, and therefore less esteemed for profit: It is better that the Ram hath Horns than not, for the Ram that hath no Horns, is as a Man disarmed, and is not so valiant to fight, nor so hot after the Yew.

When a Yew ought to be covered.

The Yew ought to be covered when she is two years old, and she will bring forth good Lambs until she is seven; but a Yew that is covered be∣fore she is two years old bringeth forth weak Fruit; but if it happen that a Yew is with Lamb before she be two years, then you ought to sell

the Lamb; and the most convenient time to dispose of it is in the Month of October, that the Yew (which bears five months) may bring forth her Lamb in the Spring or Lent, at which time she will find Grass sufficient to nouris her Lambs.

Salt Water to drink.

Farther, you must give the Yews some few days before they be covered by the Ram, Salt Water to drink, and they will the better keep their Seed, and the Ram shall grow the more fiery and vehement.

The way to have such Lambs as you please▪

If you would have your Yews bring forth Ram-Lambs, then you must put the Ram to the Yew in dry Wea∣ther, and observe to drive the Yew towards the blowing of the North Wind, that when they are feeding toward the North, they may take Ram; but if you will have Yew-Lambs, then you must let them feed towards the South Wind, and let them be co∣vered.

To know what coloured Lambs a Yew will bring forth.

When the Yew is big, in case her Tongue is black, its a sign that she will bring forth a black Lamb; and if her Tongue be white, she will bring forth a white Lamb; but if the Tongue be speckled, then she will bring forth a speckled Lamb.

Of Sickness in Sheep.

The Sheep are inclined to many Di∣stempers, as Scabs or Scurveyness, Cough, and the Red Water, which proceed from an exceeding Pain in the Head, and also the Plague: The three last Distempers are incurable; inso∣much, as if any Sheep be sick with either of the said three Distempers, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 occasions infections in the rest, thereof many of them die; all such scknesses are occasioned by eating of bad Herbs, or by drinking of bad Water or standing Puddles or Pools in the Fields; or because the places

which they feed on, are wet and moist by frequent Showers and bad Weather; by which means they undoubtedly fall sick in six weeks time.

Here follows an account of all the Distempers incident to Sheep.

1. The Head-ach.

If your Sheep are troubled with the Head-ach and Staggers, which is oc∣casioned by Surfeits, the best Reme∣dy is, to take Asafettida, and dis∣solve it in a spoonful of White Wine, or bruise the Juice out of Sage and give it to the Sheep.

2. Giddiness.

Giddiness in the Head befalls Sheep most commonly in the Dog-days, in∣somuch, as it makes them turn a∣bout and leap; and in case you touch their Fore-head or Feet, you will find that they burn exceedingly. Against this Sickness you must let them blood in the middle of the Nose with a piece of Horn made sharp for that purpose, thrust up as high as you can

possible; which will cause the Sheep presently to fall into a sound, and im∣mediately they will come again to themselves. This being applied, they will either be immediately well of this Distemper, or die very speedily; yet more do recover than die. Some Shep∣herds have tried the letting of Blood in the Temples of the Head, losing their Blood by little and little, which hath proved very successful afterward, giving them a spoonful of Brandy mixt with Mithridate.

3. Loss of Cud.

Take Leaven and Salt, and mix them with Clay, and the Piss of a lusty young Man, and let him swallow it, and that will recover him.

4. Diseases in the Eyes.

Make an Eye-water of Eve Eye-bright and Horse-leech, and wash their Eyes therewith, or beat Wormwood with the Milk of a Yew, and mix it with Rose-water.

5. Ague in Lambs.

If a young Lamb have an Ague, or other Sickness, then you must give it to drink the Milk of its Dam, mingled with as much water.

6. Ague in Sheep.

When Sheep have an Ague, you must blood them on the Heels, be∣tween the two Claws of the Feet, or on the Ear, and keep them a good while from Water: the best remedy for to cure them of the Ague, is to boil in Spring Water and Wine, the Stomach of a Ram, and give the di∣stempered Sheep the Broth to drink.

7. Rheum or Catarrhe.

The Sheep gets Humours and Rheums in the Dog days, by the great Heat of the Sun; for prevention of which, the Shepherd in such hot seasons ought to drive his Flock in the Fore-noon towards the West, and in the After∣noon towards the East; for it is a

great matter that the Heads of the Sheep, as they'r feeding, be turned a∣gainst the Sun; which in the beginning of the Dog-days is often times the cause of this Distemper▪

8. Diseases in the Teeth.

For Diseases in the Teeth, let the Sheep blood in the Gum, or Vein of the upper Lip, and rub his Teeth with old Leaven and Sage.

9. Aposthumes or Ʋlcers.

In case the Sheep hath any Matter∣ing Aposthume or Ulcer, then you must prick it with a Lance, and put into the Wound Salt burnt in a Fire-shovel, rubbed small and mingled with melted Pitch.

10. Boils.

You may cure Boils with Allum, Sulphur, Vinegar, and Brimstone, mixt together; or with burnt Gall-nuts, being mixt with Wine and laid upon the Sore.

11. Boils or Scabs under the Skin of Lambs.

The Lamb many times gets Scabs under the Chin, by eating of Herbs when the Dew lies upon them; the Remedy against which is to take Hy∣sop and Salt, of each an ounce, well bruised together, and with this you must annoint the Pallate of the Mouth and Tongue; then wash the Boil with Vinegar, and afterwards chafe it with Tar and Grease.

12. Pursiness or short-winded.

The Rheum or Catarrhe of the Sheep, as well as of the Horse, sticks so fast to the Lungs that it cannot be re∣moved with Bleeding, nor with a Po∣tion; and if this Sickness continue, the best Remedy is, that the Sheep be kept without Food for a day or two; likewise it is convenient that whatever Hay or Fodder hath been eaten among, the Sheep, while one that hath been sick hath been amongst them, the Oughts thereof be taken

clean away; for such Sheep get the same sickness, by eating after them that are sick. Some say that for this sickness it is good to hang about the Neck of the Sheep a living Toad, put in a little bag of Linnen; and to let it hang nine days: Others say that it is good to bruise Lock and Noble Sage together, and make a Potion thereof with very strong Vinegar: Others pour in their Mouths a spoonful of Brandy with Mithridate; but there is but lit∣tle help for this Distemper, for they often die after several Medicines have been given to them; because the Lungs are quite dried up with a continual Coughing: There is no better Remedy against this Distemper than for to throw them upon their Backs in a stink∣ing unclean Gutter.

13. Rot or Plague.

Against the Plague there is no other Remedy for Beast than for Man; but for to keep them from this Distemper, the best way is, often to give them Melilot, Scitisers, Wild Polly, or Wild Balsom.

But to prevent the Rot in those Sheep that are not tainted by that In∣fection, you must give them Salt mingled with Brimstone in a Fire-shovel, which will purge them and preserve them from this Contagion.

14. St. Anthony's Fire.

The Fire of St. Anthony, is by the Shepherd called Wild-fire, very diffi∣cult to cure, and there is no other Remedy to use in this Distemper than to bathe the Sheep with She-Goats-milk; but my Advice is to separate the first Sheep that hath this Distem∣per from the Flock, that the rest be not infected.

15. Scab or Itch.

Against Scabbiness or Scurveyness in Sheep, you must make a Salve of these following Ingredients: Take Brimstone, Cyprus Roots, of each three ounces, which you must incorporate with Camphire and White Rosin, Wax a con∣venient quantity; after that you have annointed the scabby or scurvey Sheep,

three nights one after another, then wash it with Lie, Sea-water, or Pickel, and the Sheep will be well.

16. Diseases in the Lungs.

If your Sheep be distempered in the Lungs, you must give him Colts-foot, Sage, and Pursland, mixed with Me∣theglin, or a spoonful or two of Mithridate in White Wine, or a head of Garlick mixt with Vinegar.

17. Cough.

Against the Cough, you must give the Sheep to drink in the morning out of a little Horn, Oyl of sweet Almonds, mixt with White VVine, being made luke-warm; also let the Sheep eat the Herb Colts-foot, if the Cough come in the spring; but if it be in any other season, then you may give him some bruised Fenugrick, with some Cummin-seed.

18. Swallowing of a Venemous Creature.

In case the Sheep swallow down an

Horse-leech, or any other Venemous Creature, you must pour into his Throat strong Vinegar warm'd, or Oyl.

19. Swelling of the Belly.

There is an Herb which is called a Thousand Buttons, and the Herb Cen∣tory is very unwholesome for Sheep, whereof if they eat, the whole Belly swells up, voiding a thick and stinking humour; then the best Remedy is to let them blood presently under the Tail, near the Buttock, or on the Vein of the uppermost Lip.

20. Lame in the Claws.

In case the Sheep becomes Lame, be∣cause its Claws are grown weak, by having stood too long in his own Dung, and that it can't go, then you must cut off the end of the Nail affect∣ed, or Claw of the Foot affected, and lay thereupon unslacked Lime with a Cloth, leaving it but one day there∣upon, and the next day lay Spanish

Green thereupon; laying it on by turns, until the Claw be healed.

21. Maggots, Lice, or Ticks.

The same Remedy is good also for a Sheep that hath Maggots, Lice, or Ticks, as for a Sheep that hath the Scab or Itch, as you will find in the 15th Receipt for Sheep.

22. Broken or Bruised Joynts.

For Broken or Bruised Joynts, give the Sheep a Drink made of Bettony, Mugwort, and Multowes, of each a spoonful of the Juice, and annoint the Wound with black Sope, or mix Bird-lime with Tallow, and lay a hot Plai∣ster on the Wound.