. . . in the late fall, with the ewes on the run, makes a scutter, and does na gude at a’. It has a bad effect on the lambing season following April. It wad be much better if they wad have the first dip in April, and the second in the summer. And ‘tis all nonsense keeping the sheep in the bath a minut, as some do. If you make the dip a little stronger, they can go intil it and pass gently through.”
When Tooting Common was in part laid out for allotments it did not receive its full share of visits. For some reason, too—connected with the level of the land, he thought—the pens at that place get foul. A year or two ago the “fly” attacked the sheep and they had “maggots” every day. He was doubtless referring to the green bottle fly, which lays its eggs in clusters in the wool of the sheep; when these eggs develop into grubs the flock needs almost hourly attention. “I’m afraid I’ll be having the maggot among the sheep badly in the fall. Ye see that one over there twitching her tail, she’s flyed, and I’ll have to see to her to-night, the morning will be too late.” Here he lifted up the under edge of his short coat, and I saw that he carried with him his shears, protected by a kind of half-scabbard.
Besides the green bottle fly, he spoke of the blue bottle, but worst of all was the “beetle maggot,” which, however, is not so numerous, because the parents lay only a few eggs. The sheep get the “beetle maggot” when they lie down, especially on the detested Tooting Common.