The Conquest of the Desert 



tion, and I have very great pleasure in forward- 

 ing this expression of the Union's feelings in 

 the matter by this letter. 



" I have the honour to be, yours faithfully, 



"Duncan M. Eadie, 

 " Secretary" 







Before systematic dipping was started in 

 Natal, had you gone through the cattle of Nels 

 Rust, or indeed those of any other dairy farm, 

 and examined their hair you would have seen 

 myriads of tiny ticks so close together that it 

 was almost impossible to touch the skin with 

 a pin without touching a tick. Then the cattle 

 were listless and emaciated, their hair ruffled, 

 their ears bleeding. Then Nels Rust was one of 

 the most horribly tick-infested spots in Natal. 

 To-day you may wander amongst hundreds of 

 cattle and you will find it a hard task to dis- 

 cover a single tick. The cattle are contented, 

 sleek and shiny. But the important thing is 

 that in eradicating the tick the Natal farmer 

 has not only eliminated East Coast fever and 

 redwater, but a host of minor diseases, such as 

 hairball, ophthalmia, ringworm, and mange. 

 Before dipping the annual loss of calves was 

 enormous, often over 60 per cent. ; now it has 



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