108 STATES OP THE RIVER PLATE. 



little respect to limits, or even fences, is observed, and 

 contamination by disease, scab, and the like. Could any- 

 thing be more disheartening to the high-caste breeder, 

 as well as serious in its consequences to the progress 

 of a great national industry, than an irruption of an 

 ordinary or inferior flock vsrith its rams into the choice 

 ewe flock of a high-caste breeder ? And if to this we 

 add, that the scabby flock of a neighbour is participating 

 of the camps, depositing infection not only on the herb- 

 age, to be carried by the winds into the neighbours' 

 ' potreros,' but on every post and every wire, by rubbing 

 their scabby bodies against them, and leaving the scabbed 

 wool attached thereto ; surely, might he say that there is 

 little encouragement held out for, and little of carrying 

 out, improvement ! Yet, these are occurrences which we 

 are constantly subjected to. Our pens are invaded by 

 neighbours' dogs, our ' potreros ' by neighbours' rams and 

 flocks, or an unscrupidous neighbour will lay his scabby 

 flock against, or near to, the ' potreros ' — the grazing 

 ground of the choice rams — to entice them out of the 

 bounds that they may ' encastar ' with his sheep, and 

 return to contaminate the rest with the scab. I may 

 suggest — for the consideration of the governing powers 

 and the public — the question whether or not the law as 

 it stands, or as it is understood, provides redress or com- 

 pensation commensurate with the injury, or whether or 

 not any redress or compensation is to be had, and if 

 to be had, at what cost, and with what trammels and 

 diSiculties ? 



The high-caste breeder is not alone entitled to protec- 

 tion and justice, although in his case protection is more 

 especially called for. What flock-master can hope to 

 have a sound flock of sheep so long as his neighbours 

 are entitled to keep on all sides of him infected sheep ? 



