338 



THE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



coming round Cape Leeuwin. and arrived 

 in Durban on Saturday, June loth, having 

 been 24 days from Melbourne. The 

 return voyage is a warm one as we bear 

 northwards instead of to the south. We 



reached home that night, and although 

 we had had a really good time, and like 

 Australia, we thought there was no place 

 like home, and there are many worse 

 places than Natal, and few better. 



Veterinary Departmental Report for May, 1901- 



ABSTRACTS FROM REPORTS. 



Minister of Agriculture — 



Ihave the honour to forward niy Depart- 

 mental Report herewith for the month 

 of j\Iay. 



The point most deserving of notice in 

 the monthly work of the Department is 

 the state of the Colony north of the 

 Tugela. This still continues to remain 

 in a highly infected state, although all 

 that is possible is being done to minimise 

 the risk of spread of disease. As many 

 as 76 fresh licenses for lungsick cattle 

 have been issued in the Newcastle and 

 Klip River Divisions. These outbreaks 

 are attributed by D.V.S. BTutchinson to 

 the direct importation of the disease 

 amongst xminoculated cattle, which cattle 

 have been collected in the neighbouring 

 Colonies and l)rought into Xatal, having 

 been driven with the columns for some 

 weeks before entering the Colony. The 

 fact also that infected cattle are being 

 continuously introduced in exchange for 

 horses, will tend to keep up the large 

 number of licenses issued by the Veteri- 

 nary Department, many of these licenses 

 being renewals of previous issues. The 

 loss amongst "cattle secured in this 

 manner is very heavy, fully 36 per 

 cent, having succumbed to the dis- 

 ease." In contrast to this is the 

 mortality experienced amongst the 

 discharged military transport oxen 

 at Elandslaagte. Here amongst 

 2,877 head, only 85 deaths have occurred 

 from lungsickness and inoculation, or a 

 percentage of only about 3 per cent. 



Useful work is being still performed 

 by the Pieters Quarantine Depot, as 6.')7 

 animals have been passed into the station, 

 and 959 liberated as clean during the 

 month. 



The numbers of sheep entering the 

 Colony are instructive. Forty thousand 

 captured sheep, and forty-six thousand, 

 the property of surrendered burghers, 

 have entered through Charlestown, while 

 over eighteen thousand have passed 

 through the Coldstream dipping station. 



The purchase of loot horses cannot be 

 a very profitable speculation when an 

 average mortality of about sixty to 

 seventy per cent, will have to be encoun- 

 tered before the deprivations and cold of 

 the winter season give place to more fav- 

 ourable conditions. The possibility 

 of glanders existing amongst these ani- 

 mals should not be forgotten by intend- 

 ing purchasers or existing owners. 



The point brought to notice by D.V.S. 

 Amos as to the occupation by human 

 beings of premises condemned as glan- 

 dered should at once be brought to the 

 notice of the Medical Officer of Health on 

 his appointment. 



Horsesickness has taken a reluctant 

 leave after exacting a terribly high death 

 rate in Durban, as elsewhere. No ex- 

 pense or trouble is too great to endeavour 

 to check this evil, which I concieve to be 

 the greatest drawback to Colonial pros- 

 perity. 



H. Watkins-Pitchford, 



P. V. Surgeon. 



MARITZBURG.— D.V.S. WOOLLATT. 



My duties during the month have con- 

 sisted chiefly in carrying on the ordinary 

 routine office work of the Department. 



On the 14th May I proceeded to Mel- 

 moth, Zululand, to investigate a sus- 

 picious case of glanders, isolated by the 

 stock inspector there. The animal on 



