Phillips. — On Babbit-disease. 317 



due neither to the tall fescue nor the rye-grass, but to the 

 inmute worms from the seed-eggs from the sheep-sick Umds 

 crawling up the long grass left, and so being eaten by the 

 sheep. In both cases it happened upon ploughed ground, 

 and in Mr. Bidwill's case on newly-ploughed land. This is 

 only a supposition upon my part, which Professor Thomas 

 can kindly consider. 



The latest information I have received from a most trust- 

 worthy source is that the cattle near Hastings have also been 

 attacked apparently by a foot-and-mouth disease, and that 

 Mr. Ormond is now having the tall fescue grubbed up. I also 

 faintly remember seeing a draught mare with the staggers in 

 that district. I think it will be found that it is a worm (or 

 worms) that is doing all this mischief, and not ergot. But it 

 may be ergot. All 1 wish is to emphasize the fact that these 

 diseases are attacking the stock near Hastings before any 

 rabbits have been seen there. 



With regard to bladdery rabbits being strong and healthy, 

 I need only say that sheep fatten on fluke disease. Sheep- 

 fluke runs a course of three or four months, and then, if the 

 sheep affected is not killed, it rapidly dwindles away. We 

 used to find scores of Aveak skeletons of rabbits upon the Dry 

 River when the bladder-worm was bad, which could not run 

 away from the dogs. 



I should like to note the fact now, so that it may be after- 

 wards referred to when the rabl)it-pest has been reduced there, 

 that the bladder-worm disease is among the ralibits over the 

 whole of the North Wairarapa. I have heard of it personally 

 from the owners of the following runs : Brancepeth (Mr. 

 Beetham), Abbotsford (Mr. Whatman), Riversdale (Mr. Mere- 

 dith), Matahiwi (Mr. Holmes), Bowlands (from Mr. McCrea, 

 the manager). These runs are fairly wide apart, so that the 

 disease is well distributed. In fact, it has a thorough hold 

 upon the whole of the Wairarapa. Directly proper measures 

 are taken to reduce the pest, similar to those we adopted in 

 South Wairarapa, tlie disease will play its part, and keep the 

 nuisance down to its minimum. 



Professor Thomas says that the expense of distributmg the 

 remedy is not at all proportionate to the benefit to be derived 

 from it. This, too, is quite a mistake. No expense to speak of 

 is incurred in its distribution : therein lies its great beauty. 

 Two shillings a year will provide any runholder with enough 

 areca-nut to dose all his dogs, and so distribute the worm. 

 These dogs must be used in the dail}- hunting. Feed them 

 constantly upon raw rabbit, and they will get mangy and 

 wormy. Each one of them, then, as Professor Thomas himself 

 admits, will spread 900,000 eggs in a da}'. Wherein lies the 

 expense ? 



