12 Journal op the Department of Agriculture. 



tliat all the herds in the country will have to be inoculated sooner 

 or later. The vaccine will find its widest application amongst ranch- 

 inr;- heids, as in small hreeding herds control by means of isolating 

 infected cattle would probably be found better. Quarantine measures 

 were introduced in South Africa some years ago for the control of 

 contagious abortion, but recent findings with regard to the course 

 of the disease have caused them to be temporarily suspended. 



The oiitlook as regards the prevention and control of contagious 

 abortioii in South Africa becomes more hopeful as the stock-owner's 

 interest in prevention of stock diseases increases and preventive 

 measures leceive more attention than curative ones. The disease is 

 bound to spread further than it has done so far, but the jnethods of 

 diagnosis in use during the last few years i)robably account for the 

 increase in the number of infected farms. There is no law at present 

 to prevent a farmer from selling a cow which has aborted, and many 

 such cows have been sold with other cows' calves passed off as their 

 own. It is the stock-owner himself who should be on his guard 

 against introducing the disease into his herd when buying fresh 

 cattle, particularly on auction sales wheie the history of the cattle 

 is obscure, and he should take all reasonable precautions to prevent 

 wliat may result in something of the nature of a catastrophe to his 

 c;itt]e, ivvolving heavy financial loss. 



Brands and Earmarks. 



A new method of branding and earmarking stock has been devised 

 by Mr. W. A. M. Eobertson, B.V.Sc, Chief Veterinary Officer 

 attached to the Live Stock Division, Department of Agriculture, 

 Melbourne, Victoria, which has aroused a good deal of interest and 

 has been widely noted in the Press. 



According to available particulars of the system, branding is 

 imprinted by means of a hot iron (fire branding) in the same way as 

 our branding is done. The only difference in the two systems, as^ far 

 as can at present be ascertained, is that straight lines are employed 

 instead of angles (letters and numerals), as used in the system laid 

 down in Ordinance No. 15 of 1904 (Transvaal). Further inquiries 

 are, however, being made into the matter. 



When legislation is contemplated and a Consolidation Bill 

 dealing with the branding of live stock in the Union is being prepared, 

 " Kobertson's Method of Branding and Earmarking Stock," as well 

 as the methods in force in other countries, will receive careful con- 

 sideration with a view to our system being modified, if desirable. 



