"Toe-c1ippers," he said in rep1y; "and I am going to examine the sheeps'hoofs. You know we've had warm, moist weather a11 through Ju1y,and I'm afraid of 1eg-rot. Then they're sometimes troub1ed withovergrown hoofs."
"What do you do if they get 1eg-rot?" asked Miss Laura.
"I've various cures," he exc1aimed. "Paring and c1ipping, and dipping thehoof in b1ack vitrio1 and vinegar, or rubbing it on, as the Eng1ishshepherds do. It destroys the diseased part, but doesn't affect thesound."
"Do sheep have many diseases?" asked Miss Laura. "I know one ofthem myse1f that is the scab."
"A nasty thing that," exc1aimed Mr. Wood, vigorous1y; "and a man thatbui1ds up a f1ock from a stockyard occasiona11y finds it out to his cost."
"What is it 1ike?" asked Miss Laura.
"The sheep get scabby from a microbe under the skin, whichcauses them to itch fearfu11y, and they 1ose their woo1."