520 Journal of the Department of Agriculture. — Dec, 1922. 



lesiilted from an illegal iiiuvemeiit from some infected area. Out of 

 909 in-contacts, 92 deaths occurred. (5) Zoutpansberg. — The number 

 of infected farms and native locatioiis in this area total 24, as 

 compared with 45 at the end of June, 1921 ; 32 farms became clean 

 during' the year, while 11 fresh outbreaks occurred, all of which, 

 with one exception, were in the Sibasa area and were extensions of 

 infection from pre-existing infected areas. The total number of 

 deaths from East Coast fever in this district was 1977. and 21,017 

 head remain in-contact. (6) Pretoria. — On the 30th .Tune, 1921, there 

 were 87 infected farms in this district. During the year 35 fresh 

 outbreaks occurred, while 29 'farms became clean, leaving a total of 

 93 farms still infected. Practically all the fresh outbreaks were the 

 result of the spread of disease from infected to buffer farms, and 

 comparatively few deaths occurred in the case of these fresh out- 

 breaks. Dipping was only commenced on a number of infected farms 

 in the Bush Veld towards the end o'f 1921, and, in view of all the 

 circumstances, the percentage of deaths was surprisingly small and 

 may be taken as an indication that, generally speaking, dipping 

 operations had proved most effective. The area south of the Pretoria- 

 Middelburg railway line is now rapidly becoming clean. There is 

 every reason to believe that if the present system of supervision and 

 control is maintained the great majority of infected farms in the 

 Pretoria District should be out of quarantine within twelve months. 

 The deaths recorded number 750, and 24,015 head remain in-contact. 

 The position in this district cannot be regarded as other than satis- 

 factory. (7) Carolina. — There was no East Coast fever in this district 

 at the end of June, 1921, but outbreaks occurred on the farms Zoekmy 

 and Kleintheespruit during April, 1922. It has not been definitely 

 ascertained how the disease came to be introduced into this district^ 

 but an illegal movement of cattle was doubtless responsible, either 

 from the Barberton District or 'from Swaziland. Provided the erec- 

 tion of dipping tanks on the surrounding farms can be expedited, 

 no great difficulty is anticipated in controlling the disease. Out of 

 a total of approximately 600 animals in-contaci, 82 deaths from East 

 Coast fever have occurred. (8) Waterberg. — This is another district 

 to which the disease spread during the mouth of March, 1922, an 

 outbreak occurring in the Landsberghoek native location, which also 

 involved the farms Hartebeestfontein No. 1520 and Bloemhof No. 

 1672, and subesquently spread to the adjoining farm Driefontein 

 No. 1547 during the month of Maj', 1922. The most disconcerting 

 feature in regard to this fresh infection is the fact that the farms 

 concerned are about 80 miles distant from the nearest known source 

 of infection, and no light has yet (August, 1922) been thrown on 

 the source of infection, despite all efforts made by the police and the 

 officers of this Division. The deaths recorded total 37, and 1825 

 animals remain in-contact. (9) Middelburg. — In the Witbank sub- 

 division of this district the disease made its appearance in February, 

 1922, on the farm Kranspoort No. 18. The source of the outbreak 

 has, unfortunately, not been traced, but as the main road leading 

 out of the infected portion of the Pretoria District traverses the 

 farms concerned, there is little doubt that an illegal movement over 

 this road took place. 



Natal. — The position in Natal improved appreciably during the 

 year, although in some districts there were fresh outbreaks in clean 



