578 



THE AQBICULTUBAL JOURNAL. 



listless manner. A closer examination of 

 the beast would a redness of the conjunc- 

 tiva or mucous-membrane of the eye, with 

 perhaps a slight flow of tears, or dribbling 

 of saliva from the mouth. Upon the 

 temperature being taken the thermometer 

 will register probably 105 to 106 degrees, 

 and this, in the absence of any ostensible 

 cause for so grave a condition, will sug- 

 gest the necessity for closer observation 

 of all the animals of the herd. Drooping 

 of the ears, purging, and collapse, though 

 suggestive symptoms, should not be 

 waited for before arriving at a provisiooal 

 diagnosis of rinderpest. 



While animals of all ages are falling 

 victims to the disease, younger beasts up 

 to three j ears old are more likely to be- 

 come infected. As far as I have been 

 able to observe, previous inoculation with 

 bile of some years ago will not prove of 

 much avail agaiust the present visitation. 

 Animals thoroughly " salted " in the 

 last outbreak are likely to prove imrnune, 

 or suffer only a temporary indisposition, 

 and those cases having survived an actual 

 attack of the disease, either naturally con- 

 tracted or artificially introduced, will be 

 likely to remain unaffected in the presence 

 of the contagion. I propose making this 

 interesting and important matter one for 

 investigation at once, in order that I may 



be able to state more precisely the 

 probable degree of immuuity which 

 we may be able to look forward to 

 amongst the aaimals having passed 

 through the visitation of some years ago. 



It is hardly necessary to state that all 

 such cases of sickness should be reported 

 at once, either to the Stock Inspector of 

 the district or direct to the District Veteri- 

 nary Surgeon, and it is a far safer policy to 

 run the risk of troubling the officers of 

 the Veterinary Department upon a sus- 

 picion than it is to waste the first valuable 

 hours of an outbreak, during which so 

 much Cin be done to check the evil. We 

 heard lately of a case in which the District 

 Veterinary Surgeon rode 120 miles only to 

 find at the enl of his journey that he had 

 been called out to confirm the diagnosis 

 of a kafir who had, after the death of a 

 beast, observed some green flies settling 

 on the carcase " like they used to do on 

 rinderpest beasts." The excessive caution 

 of this native is less to be commended in 

 this case, however, than the energy of the 

 District Veterinary Surgeon, whose time 

 could have been more profitably employed. 



1 propose In the next issue giving a 

 resume of the various methods applicable 

 to the suppression of the disease in the 

 light of our past experience. 



Paspaium DUataium Propagation, 



SEVERAL of the answers received in 

 reply to the questions in the last issue 

 rei<arding the i)ropagation of paspalu/n 

 dUatahim are disappointing. In one in- 

 stance the statement is made that, despite 

 favoural)le conditions and treatment, not 

 a single seed germinated. The most 

 favourable reply comes from Mr. Temple 

 L. Fy vie, Faldon, Fawn Leas. Summarised, 

 he says : — 



The seed was sown about the 1st of 

 September in soil that was a specially 

 well prepared mixture of kraal manure, 

 wood ash, leaf mould, and sandy loam. 

 The bed was always kept moist by arti- 

 ficial watering, and the seed took about 

 three weeks to breakthrough the ground. 



The trial was a great success, as practically 

 every seed germinated. This was only a 

 small lot in a box kept under a verandah 

 and given every possible care. The grass 

 is about two inches high and doing 

 splendidly. Mr. Fyvie further says :— 

 The rest of the seed I planted in very 

 carefully prepared soil in my vegetable 

 garden and naturally rather moist. I 

 planted about four weeks ago, and kept 

 the beds covered with a light dressing of 

 grass. No artificial manuring was given. 

 Three weeks after planting I noticed the 

 seed just breaking through the ground ; I 

 then commenced gradually taking off" the 

 grass covering. I think this lot will prove 

 a success, but, of course, it has not come 

 up go well as the lot in the box. 



