Karakul Sheep. 527 



this central stitcli and the edge of the wound. The wound is then 

 again washed with disinfectant and the lamb put back with its dam. It 

 is best to keep it quiet in a shady place for the rest of the day, or for 

 some hours at least. The following day the ligature round the bone 

 is removed, and if there is a dry scab on the wound and there is any 

 danger from blow-flies tlie scab sliould be painted over with Stockholm 

 tar. There is no necessity to remove tlie other three stitches. 



Lambs to be operated on should always be brought to tlie pLice of 

 operating the niglit before the tailing is done, and the cutting* should 

 take place early next morning, while it is yet cool and before the 

 lambs have run about and got heated up. 



By using this n.iethod the breeder can be sure that his losses 

 t])rough this operation will be so small as to be negligible. 



Weaninr/. — Owing to the vigorous growth and early maturity of 

 the young rams, it is necessary to wean them at the age of about 

 3| months. If left longer than this there is danger of them tupping 

 the ewes and consequently of having lambs born to unknown sires, 

 coming on at all times of the year. The ewe lambs can be left some- 

 vvdiat longer if the condition of the veld permits it. 



[77; (' second part of this article will aijpear, irith illustratio7is, 

 in next month" s Journal. Lt deals with mating, cross-hrceding, etc.~\ 



Fighting a Notorious Pest. 



The United States Department of Agriculture is striving hard 

 to keep the " pink boll worm " out of its country. This notorious 

 pest has proved a frightful scourge in Egypt, and it has spread to 

 several distant lands, inclusive of Mexico. Amongst other measures 

 to prevent its accidental introduction, all raw cotton imported into 

 America is fumigated with cyanide gas. The fumigation is carried 

 out in immense steel cylinders, somewhat like those used in creosoting 

 timber. The bales of cotton are run into the cylinders on trucks, 

 and by exhausting the air from the chambers and then admitting the 

 gas, the poison is forced throughout the mass of cotton, carrying 

 death to any insects that may be present. The growing of cotton 

 is prohibited in a wide belt of country adjoining the infested area of 

 Mexico, and aeroplanes are used to locate any fields that may be 

 planted in ignorance of or in violation of the law. The disinfection 

 of railway cars, etc., coming from Mexico is required, and for this 

 purpose five special fumigation buildings have been erected, in which 

 cars are treated bodily. Fifteen cars at once can be treated in the 

 largest of these buildings. Specially designed apparatus is used for 

 generating, distributing, and expelling the gas. It is expected that 

 the cost of the chemicals for generating the gas in these buildings 

 will amount to £'20,000 a year. The pink boll worm is not known 

 nearer the Union than Zanzibar on the East Coast. It is spread 

 chiefly through the medium of seed, and even a small parcel of 

 infested seed might suffice to get it permanently established in a 

 new country. 



