418 



TEE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



and often tho whole country-side in a 

 disaster which might have been avoided 

 had consideration tor others in position 

 of equal risk been given a iliought. 



It 'was to this lieadstrong and lil-advised 

 action during the earlier part of the last 

 outbreak that much of the unfortunate 

 rresults were due. 



The Veterinary Department will be 

 able to cope with the disease provided 

 the individual farmer will assist by pre- 

 venting panic and promiscuous action by 

 irresponsible persons. If a policy of 

 Siumo qui peut is adopted, in which 



every one insists on ensuring his own 

 safety, irrespective of his neighbours' 

 interests and his obligations to the State, 

 but little can be .lone by the Department, 

 and in this case the disease cannot but be 

 sown broadcast. 



As in a conflagration in a building the 

 unthinking rush of people crowds out 

 the means of safety, so in a serious out- 

 break of the disease the urgency and im- 

 portunity of those often remote from any 

 risk prevents the accomplishment of any 

 good which accrues through organisation 

 and arrangement. 



Belgian Hares, 



IN the present issue will be found an 

 interesting article from the pen of 

 Mr. Douglas Blackburn on the breeding 

 of Belgian Hares. Mr. Blackburn is the 

 author of the popular booklet " Prinsloo, 

 of Trinsloodorp," and is now in Maritz- 

 burg acting as the local representative of 

 the Durban Meixunj. What Mr. Black- 

 burn has written on the Belgian Hares — 

 which, as a matter of fact, are rabbits- 

 will be found suggestive and valuable. 

 About local co.'.ditions much has yet to 

 be learnt. How best to provide cheap 

 succulent and suitable food during the 



dry season will be one qiiestion, and 

 another will be, how do thunderstorms 

 affect them ? Thunder and sudden loud 

 noises induce miscarriage in does, and in 

 this country thunderstorms are both 

 noisy, and, for a month or two in every 

 year, are frequent. If, however, the does 

 fail to accustom themselves to the noises 

 of our storms, the losses by miscarriage 

 should not be of material consequence, 

 considering the marvellous fecundity of 

 the species so strikingly described by Mr. 

 B'ackburu. 



Lungers, 



AN announcement of Mr. Wm. Baynes 

 with reference to certain fat oxen 

 for sale concluded as follows : — " The 

 'Lungers' will be sold separately, and 

 afford an opportunity rarely met with of 



obtaining those valuable animals." At 

 the sale the "Lungers" fetched practi- 

 cally the same bids as the other animals 

 of the lot. 



AgriculiursI Protluce at Durban. 



rHE illustratioi s given in this issue of 

 "War Imports of Agricultural 

 I'roduce," will afford some general idea of 

 the immense quantity of foodstuff's 

 brought into the (Jolony during the War. 

 The accumulations shown are not inten- 

 tional. Practically all that is imported is 



wanted at the front, but the powers of 

 the railway being limited, the stuff' most 

 urgently required is given priority in 

 despatch. At one time every part of 

 Alexandra Square was covered by moun- 

 tains of cases, and enormous stacks of 

 forage. 



