Journal of the Department of AciRicuLTURE. 



hiul to be made o'ood in the face of serious difficulties: much is still 

 needed, but much, also, has been accomplished, and at present the 

 Department possesses laboratories, etc., which have been instrumental 

 in many ways in the rapid rise of the Union's farming industry. At 

 (Jnderstepoort, near Pretoria, there is now one of the largest and 

 best equipped institutions in the Avorld for investigating diseases of 

 anijnals peculiar to warm countries, and from it results of the greatest 

 scientific and practical value have been obtained. In Pretoria and 

 at the various schools of agriculture and experiment stations, build- 

 ings and other foims of equipment are being gradually extended. 

 Altogether the Department is in an immeasurably better position than 

 it was a few years ago, and able, therefore, to cope to a large extent 

 with the many calls upon it resulting from the visible expansion of 

 agriculture in South Africa. 



Valuable progress has been made in legislation aifecting the 

 farmer. Comprehensive and up-to-date Acts dealing with diseases of 

 live stock and crops, and with fencing, dairying, exports, etc., have 

 been passed. Combined with these there are other Acts, such as 

 those concerning irrigation, land settlement, land bank, forestry, 

 census, etc. The whole covers a wide field and provides an excellent 

 I'lisis of legislation. 



The history of the eradication and control of diseases of live 

 stock, and the men who figure so prominently in it, discloses the wide 

 gull: between the old days of grappling with diseases of obscure 

 o'rigin, or of fleeing from them, and the present standard of know- 

 ledge and equipment. Uui country is particularly prone to epizootic 

 diseases, but much has been done in their control and suppression. 

 We are free from foot-and-mouth disease, such a plague in Europe, 

 liinderpest has heen efiectually stamped out, as well as lung-sickness. 

 Swine fever, mange, glanders, and epizootic lymphangitis have been 

 reduced to small proportions. The cause of East Coast fever, red- 

 water, gall-sickness and gallamziekte, blue-tongue in .sheep, and 

 other diseases, has l)een discovered, and it is believed that fresh 

 discoveries are imminent. The value of this knowledge must be worth 

 millions of pounds every year to the country. These discoveries have 

 no\v rendered possible the keeping of animals in parts admirably 

 suited for stock, bul which formerly could not be used, and, generally, 

 have been the main factor in tlie gratifying progress observed in the 

 livestock industry which is of such moment to the Union. 



Another chapter in our history concerns the combating of local 

 and imported diseases of stock, the development of our economic 

 plants, and the introduction and distribution of new varieties. The 

 present dimensions and importance of our maize crop owe much to 

 the teaching of officers of the Department, who created interest in 

 maize growing and advocated improved methods of cultivation, 

 selection of seed, etc. The introduction of teff grass has had far- 

 reaching and beneficial results; indeed, this crop now vies with lucerne 

 and has an acreage double that of the latter crop. In like manner 

 the Depaitment has brought to the notice of farmers with good, 

 practical results, several leguminous crops. Kikuyu grass has proved 

 an excellent pa.sture grass in places suited to it, and is being widely 

 giown. The Department's aid also in developing the tobacco and 

 cotton indiistries is bearing fruit to-day. 



One of the scourges of the country, the periodic invasion by 



