Report of the Department or AGRictTLTURE. 539 



and up to 54d. per i)ound was paid during- the season for super 

 sumiuer kids, while super summer firsts were sold at 16d. These may 

 be considered as record prices. For other classes the niarket was less 

 active, and inferior descriptions were difficult to dispose of. 



4. Scab. — (a) Legislatinu. — Two important amendments to the 

 regulations were effected. In duly, 1921, the definition " Authorized 

 Dip " was amended to include any manufactured lime and sulphur 

 dip coming up to the standard of efficiency and sold with a guarantee 

 as required by Government Notice No. 1084 of 1921. and section 23 

 of the regulations dealing with movements o'f shee]) and goats into 

 protected aad semi-protected areas was amended so that the permit 

 is now issued by the inspector from whose area the sheep are moved. 



(h) Cnmpulsorij Dipping. — As the result of a conference of senior 

 sheep inspectors at Pretoria m July, 1921, comi)ulsory dipping was 

 completed in 67 districts, viz. :--Cape (including Transkei), 45; 

 Orange Free State, ]4; and Transvaal 8; 9-18,985 sheep being dipped 

 twice by the itinerant staff. Ajntit from compulsory dipping, 

 7,271,713 sheep were dipped twice under the supervision of area 

 inspectors. The majority of these were clean sheep dipped as a 

 precautionary measure on entering protected areas, as well as contact 

 flocks. Comparing these figures with those of the year before, it will 

 be seen that the itinerant staff dipped about half a million less, and 

 area inspectors one million more sheep, the total of sheep dipjJed 

 during the period under review exceeding that of the previous year 

 by half a million. Tins is accounted for by the fact that some 

 itinerant inspectors were seconded for duty in Swaziland, to which 

 territory many farmers trek for several months in the year, while 

 others assisted ai^ea inspectors in cleaning v,]) their areas. Although 

 it was found necessary to subject some districts, ab'eady protected, 

 to a compulsory dipping owing to intioductions of infected flocks, 

 most of the dipping wis carried out in districts which had no protec- 

 tion so as to clean them up and ])re])are them for protection. Reports 

 from most of the districts are satisfactory, and to some a preliminary 

 protection has been extended, which means that flocks moved into 

 them from non-protected areas m.ist l)e dipped, and when sufficient 

 time has elapsed to judge of the position, semi-protection will be 

 extended to them. 



(c) ProtecferJ and Senii-Z^rotrcted Areas. — During the year pro- 

 tection was extended to 27 districts, as follows: — Protected: Cape, 

 13; Orange Free State, 4. Semi-prc^tecied : Cape, 8; Orange Free 

 State, 2. Present total for the T^nion — Protected : Cape, 28, ( )range 

 Free State, 16; Transvaal, 4. Semi-protected: Cape, 35; Orange 

 Free State, 2; Transvaal, 1; Natal, 5. 



(d) Compensatio)). — Two owners were compensated to an amount 

 of £157 for stock lost through dipping. Certain claims were disal- 

 lowed because they did not fall within the terms governing the pay- 

 ment of compensation. Considering the large iiumber of stock dipped 

 under supervision, the losses are A'ery small indeed. This is a credit 

 to the inspectors, proving that they exercise great care in administer- 

 ing the dippings. 



(e) Movements of Infected ,SYot7..- -Notwithstanding the warning 

 sent out the previous year that no facilities would be given owners 



