800 JoiK.VAL OF TllK DkI'AUTMK.NT OF A(. ItlC FLTUKE. OcT., 1922. 



Til T^nivoii and Kslcouit, considerod to ho llio worst iiifroted 

 distiicis last suninicr, iiiucli licadway has l)fcii made; also in Zulu- 

 land. On the other hand, setbacks were exi)erienced in Vryheid, Paiil- 

 ])ietershuro-, Baljanang'o, T^treeht, ("anipei-down, IHehmond, Ixopo, 

 and Jjower Tu<^(da J)istricls. The ])osiiion, however, on infected 

 farms thr()Uoln)ut the Province is ho])efid, and if nothinji' iinfcireseen 

 cccurs a large area should he (dean in l!ie coni'se of the next six 

 nK)nt lis. 



in the Transkeian Territories there lias, unfortunatidy, heeu a 

 recrudescence of East C'oast fever in several districts owing to a series 

 of happening's, such as the extensive movements of sto(dv necessitated 

 hy the drought and the failure of water sujjjdy, excessive rains follow- 

 ing drought preventing dipping, illicit movements of cattle, evasion 

 of dipi)iiig, natural slackness of the nativ9, insufficiency of di])ping 

 tanks, etc. In this i)art of the Union there are vast, unfenced areas, 

 alnnist entirely occupied hy natives, that render illicit movements 

 easy, and the natives will not divulge anything against each other, 

 nor does the trader care to jeopardize his business hy doing so. Trans- 

 port movements by means of raw oxen, which conditions render a 

 necessary evil, also tend to keep the disease alive. Several districts, 

 however, are free of the disease, and although it has again appeared 

 in four districts, there is reason to expect that they will witliin a 

 reasonable time be clean once more. In eastern Pondoland there has 

 been a decided improvement. Umzimkulu District, with its varying 

 physical and social conditions, causes most anxiety at ])iesent : in it 

 the natives own large numbers of goats which, not being dipped, do 

 inucdi in the breeding of ticks. It was here also that an instance in 

 whi(di inferior dipping material was used, led, it is believed, to serious 

 recurrences of East Coast fever. It is anticipated, however, that 

 befdi'e another year has sped, this district also will be much impi'oved. 



()ii the whole, therefore, it is clear that while setbacks have 

 occurred, the country is .shaking olf the disease, and with a con- 

 tinuance of systennitic dip-jiiiig and ( oiiliidhMl movements of stoclc it 

 should sj)eedily diminisli. 



New Development in the Poultry IndustrY. 



The A'iews of the Department in regard to the suggested creation 

 o1 a P(uiltry Division were given in llu' February, 1922, issue of the 

 JotiriKil, when it was stated that while such a division vvas not likely 

 to be instituted lor some ycais, an aluunative presented itself in the 

 appointment ot a cluet ]Kultry oflicec. vSince then the Agricultural 

 Products Grading Act, 1922, has been passed and under its provisions, 

 ;ind the outcome of the spirit of self-help shown by those engaged 

 in the poulti'v industry, :i (Jcvenmient Xotice (Xo. 1:^90, 1922) has 

 l)een published ])rovi<ling for the levy of 9d. per case to be paid 

 by the cxixuler on consignments (f eggs exported fi'om the Union ; 

 ihis is additional to the ordinary ins])ectioii fee of -'hi. j)er case. 

 There are antici])atioi!s of low ])iic(>s I'uling for eggs on the oversea 

 market, and it is not known at i)resent what the A'olume of the coming 

 season's e^^ export trade wil' be. It is not expected that there will 

 be very many consignments shipped from Durban; there will probably 



