GIG 



THE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



Rinderpest ReporiSm 



2Gth NOVEMBER, 1901. 



OUT of six hundred animals treated 

 there have been up to date 85 deaths at 

 Lisbon and Schoon Spruit :— 2, three 

 months old ; 6, six months old ; 5, one 

 year old ; 20, two years old ; 7, four 

 years old ; 5, five years old ; 8, six years 

 old ; 1, seven years old ; and 3, eight 

 years old. 



This shows that 80 per cent, of the 

 deaths have been amongst cattle four 

 J ears old and under, and the death rate 

 works out at 14 per cent. The majority 

 of the deaths, of course, took place in the 

 originally infected herds. The average 

 yield of bile per beast has been 28 doses, 

 or 280 c.c. 



;3rd DECEMBER, 1901. 



Lisbm Outbreak. — Since my last report 

 there have been two deaths amongst the 

 sick animals, and the few sick beasts now 

 there are feeding again. No fresh case 

 has occurred. 



Tintwa-Schoon's Spruit Outbreak.— 

 On the 29th of November only one animal 

 was sick here, and it is stated to be re- 

 covering. 



Zand Spruit Outbreak.— One animal 

 died on the 26th November, and 

 three were sick in one of the in- 

 contact herds. Ihis was after the second 

 inoculation. The other in-contact herd is 

 still clean, and the few sick animals in 

 the originally infected area are said to be 

 recovering. 



From the above it will be seen that the 

 disease in these three outbreaks is dying 

 out. 



Van Reenen's Dipping Station.— The 

 reported outbreak here is undoubtedly 

 rinderpest. Two other animals have be- 

 come sick since inoculation with bile. No 

 further deaths have been reported. 



Kirkiutnlloch.— There have been four 

 fresh cases since the 2Gth. One death has 

 occurred since then. At present there are 

 ten sick. Many of these ap])ear to be re- 

 covering, I have been unable to obtain 

 any reliable evidence as to the source of 

 infection. I think, however, there is little 

 doubt iliat the outbreak was caused by 

 the movement of natives' stock. 



Reitfontein. — On the 29th of November 

 a fresh outbreak occurred amongst the 

 cattle of Messrs. Pepworth and Reid on 

 the farm Reitfontein, about eight miles 

 north-east of Ladysmith. Only one 

 animal was sick. Messrs. Pepworth and 

 Reid have inoculated their cattle (about 

 1,3.50 head) with bile. The source of in- 

 fection in this case is probably from the 

 farm Kirkintulloch. 



(Signed) S. B. WOOLLATT, 

 Principal Veterinary Surgeon. 



3rd December, 1901. 



Locusts Report, 



MR. STOCK INSPECTOR S. A. 

 BUOWN, Lower Tugela, reports :— 

 Locusts have been passing from Zulu- 

 land during the whole of November. 

 About the 13th of the month they started 

 to lay their eggs, and between here and 

 Stanger they have laid thousands ol eggs. 

 I am glad, however, to say that the wet 

 weather has destroyed a good many of 

 their eggs, and 1 have been told that there 

 is a maggot which starts to eat the eggs as 

 they are deposited in the giound. I 

 found a certain piece of ground about an 

 acre in extent, and in this particular place 

 all the grasshoppers have been dying from 

 a disease something similar to the fungus. 

 I forwarded a parcel to the Principal 

 Veterinary Surgeon some time back for 

 his inspection. I have not seen any of the 

 locutts dying so Jar. If the wet weather 

 continues, it will be a good chance to in- 

 troduce the fungus among the young 

 hoppers when they are hatched. 



The Shorthorn bull calf sales in England have 

 again achieved remarkable success. Mr. Duthie's 

 top price was 650gs., given by Sir W. H. Willis, 

 Bart., of Bristol. The average of the Coliynie 

 lot was £157. 



In New South Wales, the most j racticable 

 mt ans of rendering the spines of prickly pear 

 innocuous to cattle has been shown by Mr. W, 

 L. Boyce to be the silo. After a few months 

 the spines become quite soft, and the ensilage 

 thus produced is both nutritious and palatable. 



