THE AGBI CULTURAL JOURNAL. 



223 



eye thean I can hope to express by descrip- 

 lion, it was (juiie easy to distinguish be- 

 tween the two by merely noting the ap- 

 pearances presented. The inoculated 

 animals sometimes looked sick to the 

 skilled observer, but their condition was 

 a mere nothing in comparison with the 

 woebegone, wretched-looking controls. 

 The facts given, tables, and discussed in' 

 the report, clearly exhibit the reasons for 

 the deferences, and are eloquent witnes- 

 ses to the value of inoculation. 



It is unfortunate that our etrnrts to ob- 

 tain guidance as to the possibilities in the 

 way of perfecting the protection were not 

 attended with much success. We found 

 no single detail of inoculation exerting 

 special influence over the amount of re- 

 sistance to tick-fever subsequently ex- 

 hibited. The hope that imitation of the 

 sequence of events by which immunity is 

 acquired by nature, i.e., repeated inocula- 

 tions, would prove effective, lias not been 

 realised — not, at least, with respect to any 

 repetition that could be regarded as with- 

 in the limits of practicability. Upon the 

 question of the influence of time in reduc- 

 ing the protection, the results were also 

 indecisive ; but, at least, they do not in- 

 dicate any deterioration that seriously de- 

 tracts from the value of inoculation. 



Work in another direction was attended 

 with a more definite outcome, since a cer- 

 tain amount of information has been ob- 

 tained as to the precautions to be observed 

 in performing inoculation. If I may be 

 permitted to say so, the facts recorded in 

 Part VI. B, concerning the selection of 

 bleeders, are well worth the attention of 

 those who propose to engage in the prac- 

 tical application of the method. I would 

 lay particular stress on the necessity for 

 checking the infectivity of the blood upon 

 every occasion that it is used. We cannot 

 depend on bleeders for an indefinite time; 

 we cannot secure the continnnnce of the 

 infectivity of their blood; consequently we 

 must satisfy ourselves that it does actually 

 produce reactions whenever it is used to 

 obtain protection. Neglect of this pre- 

 caiition is apt to deceive. It has happened, 

 more than once, that an unsuspecting 

 owner, having injected his herd with blood 

 believed to be suitable, and having there- 



by acquired a false sense of security, has 

 met with a rude awakening when the ticks 

 invaded his cattle. In some such cases 

 the method has been loudly condemned 

 as valueless ; whereas, in reality, the herd 

 has never been inoculated against tick- 

 fever. 



The importance attaching to the pro- 

 vision and maintenance of auimals whose 

 blood is of a suitable kind, suggests the 

 desirability of establishing convenient 

 centres at which an adequate supply of 

 properly "salted" cattle could be kept up 

 under the supervision of competent in- 

 dividuals. 



Although there can be no doubt that 

 inoculation is a very valuable safeguard 

 against tick-fever, opinions differ as to 

 whether we, in this Colony, should inocu- 

 late at once, or postpone operations until 

 the nearer approach of the ticks. It must 

 be admitted that the pros and cons are 

 such as to prohibit any dogmatic state- 

 ment in favour of either plan, and all I 

 venture to do is to give expression to my 

 own individual opinion for whatever it 

 may be worth. 



It appears to me that in the first place 

 one has to decide whether one's cattle 

 are or are not exposed to risk. I should 

 consider any place to or through which 

 cattle from suspected country directly 

 pass as liable to the possibility of tick 

 infestation, and other places as" free from 

 the danger of being taken unawares. 

 The immediate decision as to inoculation 

 need only be made in respect to the for- 

 mer, since ticks will not spread all over 

 the country at a jump, and may be ex- 

 pected to appear first at places on the 

 lines of transport. But, even were I so 

 situated that my cattle were exposed to 

 risk, as above defined, I would still pre- 

 fer not to rely exclusively on either one 

 of the two plans suggested, but to use 

 them in combination. I would have no 

 hesitation in inoculating my cattle at 

 once, but I would certainly also reinocu- 

 late them when the ticks came to close 

 quarters. In breeding herds, inocula- 

 tion would necessarily become something 

 like an annual event, since it would be 

 necessary to treat each year's young 

 stock. Tinder these circumstances I 



