118 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE, 



air, except the door. The heat is almost suffocating, 

 and the stench abominable. In such unwholesome and 

 pest-breeding places as these the cattle, often to the ex- 

 tent of forty or fifty in a shed, are kept for weeks toge- 

 ther to be fatted for the market, by being fed chiefly on 

 the wash and grains which come from the distilleries. 



The cattle which are sent from Friesland are shipped 

 at Harllngen direct for England, and the numbers put 

 on board there are fully six times greater than at Am- 

 sterdam. Friesland is one of the great cattle districts of 

 Holland, and supplies not only the Euglish market with 

 many animals, but other countries likewise. She there- 

 fore receives no imports, nor does it appear that any of 

 the vessels conveying cattle from the ports of the Elbe 

 or the Weser, or from any part of the coast of Holstein, 

 ever touch at the Dutch ports, so that a contagious 

 raalady like rinderpest, existing in Holstein or in the 

 countries watered by those rivers, would have to make 

 its entrance by way of the land into Holland. 



No restrictions are put upon the cattle trade with re- 

 ference to the bringing of animals over the frontier, but 

 all importations of the kind would be immediately pro- 

 hibited on the appearance of the disease in question in 

 any neighbouring states. The prices obtained for cattle 

 in the English market are not viewed as being sufficiently 

 remunerative just now by the Dutch feeders, and hence 

 the diminished numbers sent here. When the contrary 

 state of things prevailed, many animals were purchased 

 in Prussia by the dealers, and forwarded to the different 

 ports of Holland for exportation ; and not a few, it is 

 said, came even from Switzerland down the Rhine for 

 the same purpose. These facts show that it is possible 

 for a disease of a malignant kind, which is incubated in 

 the system of an animal for ten days or a fortnight, to 

 be introduced into England from other countries via 

 Holland : and, also, how necessary it is that we should 

 be acquainted with what is passing on the continent with 

 regard to diseases in general as affecting cattle, and 

 particularly if belonging to the class which forms the 

 subject of this report. 



The continuance of a well-ordered and rigid system of 

 inspection of imported animals on our part will, how- 

 ever do much to protect us, and that not merely by its 

 leading to the detection of diseased animals on their ar- 

 rival, but by the efiect which it will have upon the ex- 

 port trade of foreign countries. Proof of this is given 

 by the circumstance that last year, when it became known 

 that our Customs' inspectors had received orders to be 

 particularly strict in the examinations of cattle, the Ge- 

 neral Steam Navigation Company of Rotterdam, un- 

 willing to take the responsibility of the probable rejec- 

 tion of animals committed to their care, appointed a 

 veterinary surgeon to examine them when put on board 

 their boats. This company brings by far the largest 

 proportion of cattle to England, and although this pre- 

 cautionary measure was not adopted by other shipping 

 companies, they nevertheless declared their intention of 

 having recourse to it, and only refrained from so doing, 

 because of the gieat diminution which took place in the 

 number of the animals which were shipped. The sys- 

 tem of examination was kept in force for about three 

 months, when also, and from the same cause, the Gene- 

 ral Steam Navigation Company discontinued it. The 

 returns of these examinations, together with the results 

 were regularly transmitted to the British Consul. Should 

 the prices again rise in England to an extent which 

 would, in the opinion of the cattle feeders, justify them 

 in sending us more animals, then there cannot be a 

 doubt of the re-establishment of this system of inspec- 

 tion. 



No duty is chargeable on animals imported into Hol- 

 land, but an export one has to be paid, and which 

 amounts ia English money to about the following rate 



per head, namely, oxen, lOd., calves 2d., sheep 2d., 

 lambs Id., pigs Id., with an additional duty of thirteen 

 per cent, on the gross sura. 



Although Holland rears immense numbers of cattle, 

 she, for her great export trade in these animals, becomes 

 an importing country for hides, receiving her chief sup- 

 ply of these from Java and Buenos Ayres, with some 

 England, but none from Russia, so that all fear of our 

 introduction of contagious diseases through the means 

 of skins may cease, in so far as Holland is concerned. 



Our investigations led us to visit the cattle feer'ers, 

 and among others we saw Mynheer A. Poot, who resides 

 within a few miles of Rotterdam. M. Poot ships upon 

 an average 600 animals a-year. He informed us that no 

 disease had prevailed in his sheds since February last, 

 prior to which time he had several cases of pleuro- 

 pneumonia. He appeared to be an entire stranger to 

 any other contagious disease, and said that, in the event 

 of an affection like rinderpest breaking out among his 

 stock, a cordon would be immediately placed around 

 the farm by the local authorities, and that he should be 

 compelled to slaughter the diseased animals and bury 

 them with their skins on in quick lime. In his opinion 

 it would be an impossibility to export any portion of 

 their carcases to England, even if attempts were made to 

 lo so, in consequence of the strictness with which the 

 police sanitary regulations are carried out. He adduced 

 as an instance that on the first breaking out of pleuro- 

 pneumonia in 1829, and before experience had shown 

 that the flesh could safely be used for food, he and others 

 had to kill the affected cattle and bury them entire, with 

 a view to prevent injury being done to the people, as 

 well as to limit the spread of the malady. 



On the question of our Government ordering all im- 

 ported animals to be slaughtered on their arrival in the 

 docks, and their carcases sent to the meat market, M. 

 Poot considered that such a step would be tantamount 

 to the stopping of the importations entirely. The boats 

 very rarely, if indeed at any time, are freighted with 

 cattle all belonging to the same person ; the cargo is there- 

 fore mostly comprised of animals the property of several 

 individuals, and identity of each particular animal, which 

 is necessary for the purposes of trade, could scarcely be 

 made under such circumstances ; besides, he said, a ne- 

 cessity would be created for an immediate sale of the meat 

 to the injury of the interests of the persons sending the 

 animals. He was equally opposed to the establishment 

 of a quarantine, and was of opinion that it could never 

 be carried into practice, and England continue to receive 

 full supplies of foreign cattle. 



The system at present adopted is for various feeders 

 to consign their cattle to salesmen in the London mar- 

 tet, who, as in the home trade, charge a commission on 

 /he sales they sffect. As no animals are brought into 

 Rotterdam coastways for re-shipment, all consequently 

 have to pass through the town to reach the vessels, so that 

 they are thus subjected to the general inspection of the 

 local authorities, regulations existing to prevent diseased 

 animals from entering into this and the other towns of 

 Holland. Besides the security thus afforded it is clearly 

 not in accordance with the interests of the exporters to 

 put diseased cattle on board, as it is impossible for them 

 to bear up against tbe fatigue of a sea-voyage, or to be 

 on their arrival here in a fit state to pass the scrutiny of 

 our Customs inspectors. 



The cattle which are fatted either for the Dutch mar- 

 kets or for exportation are purchased at the different 

 fairs and markets in thecountry, and are for the most part 

 reared in Friesland and Guelderland, scarcelj' any being 

 brought in from other countries 



Upon the whole, notwithstanding the dangers we have 

 pointed out, the system which prevails generally with 

 regard to the cattle trade, and the additional regulations 



