AND ITS RELATION TO ANIMAL LIFE 8 1 



out any apparent reason, there will be almost a 

 complete cessation for one or more years. 



Sooner or later, however, the disease will 

 break out again, till in the end no sheep or 

 goats can be kept on the farm. 



In proof of this I may state that there are farms 

 to-day that can be bought for ten shillings per 

 acre, which, if they would carry sheep, would 

 bring forty shillings per acre in the open 

 market. 



It is evident, therefore, that the capital value 

 of this piece of country is some 10,000,000, 

 representing an annual income of 500,000, 

 less than it would be if there were no heart- 

 water. 



As to the cause of the disease, Veterinary-Sur- 

 geon Soga is strongly of opinion that the 

 mimosa (which is very common over a large 

 portion of Cape Colony), which is steadily 

 spreading and grows very thickly in some of 

 the worst heartwater districts, exhausts the 

 soil, which no doubt it does, and so impoverishes 

 the herbage. 



Another cause of impoverishment, which I 

 have already mentioned, is the yarding of the 

 animals at night, which produces huge stacks 



G 



