Report of the Chief Inspector of Stock. 865 



I have repeatedly striven to impress on landholders in the northern 

 areas the great injustice they were committing- on their animals by 

 not planting hedges, which would act as a shelter and breakwind 

 during the winter's cold and summer's heat. Too often the straw- 

 stacks were also burnt out of the way, and it seemed as if nothing- 

 would make them depart from their old habits. 1 note with pleasure 

 this year they have acted wisely in saving their straw-stacks for the 

 stock to camp round during- the extreme cold of winter. 



Central District. — Western Portion. 

 Mr. Pariitt reports : — The stock in my portion of the Central and 

 Goulburn Valley districts are in a very healthy condition, owing 

 probably to the severe droughts they have just passed through having 

 killed oft' all but the healthiest animals. 



Dairies throughout my district are in a sanitary state. There have 

 been no outbreaks of pleuro-pneumonia during the past half-year, nor 

 of anthrax for such period. 



Lambing averages are exceptionally good ; farmers' lots will 

 average about 90 per cent., larger flocks 80 to 85 per cent. 



Irrigation is carried on extensively in parts of the Goulburn 

 Valley, and lucerne grown with great success. 



The eai'ly summer rains caused a new growth in the grass in 

 January and February, but the moisture not continuing the autumn 

 sun soon dried it up, consequently we have have had a bad autumn 

 for grass. 



Cattle inspected, including 3,570 dairy, o8,631, of which number 

 38 were destroyed for tuberculosis and one for actinomycosis. 



North Gippsland District. 



Mr. Corney reports : — I have inspected 29,230 cattle, 30,000 

 sheep, and 7,8(31 pigs in all in the various portions of my district which 

 1 have visited, and regret to have to report a number of cases of 

 pleuro-pneumonia, outbreaks having occurred at eight centres, ten 

 holdings being affected. There were many deaths .prior to quarantine 

 and inoculation, but this joint restriction and remedial agency has 

 proved effective in checkioig the spread of disease. I have had 

 sixteen animals destroyed for tuberculosis, and ten for actinomycosis 

 in an aggravated form. Swine fever made its appearance in two 

 centres, and several owners suffered considerable loss, six of whom 

 have had their properties quarantined, and the precautions adopted 

 by them seem to have checked the progress of the disease, as no 

 deaths have occurred on these holdings since. 



Apart, however, from, the cases cited, the stock in tlie district are 

 veiy healthy, the season has been particularly favourable, the grass 

 remaining- green throughout the summer, consequently (;attle are in 

 better than average condition for this time of year. Sheep are 

 scarce; cattle breeding stations being now well nigh all broken up, 

 and dairying extensively carried on. It is gratifying to find dairy- 



