648 



TEE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



Weekly Rinderpest Reports, 



TO 17th DECEMBER, 1901. 



LISBON and rchoou Spruit.— Nothing 

 to report. 



Zand Sprnit. — ^Two deaths occurred 

 here on the 7th December and two on the 

 8th December. Three of these were year- 

 lings and one a calf of two months old. 



Van Reenen's Dipping Station. —Noth- 

 ing to report. 



Kirkintulloch. — Since last report there 

 have been five deaths— two four-year-old 

 animals, two yearlings, and one small calf. 

 All the stock on the farm, with the excep- 

 tion of 32 which have been isolated and 

 not inoculated on account of lungsickness, 

 have been inoculated twice with bile. 



Reitfontein. — No fresh cases reported. 

 'I he cattle are being inoculated a second 

 time with bile. 



Normaudien (Newcastle Division). — 

 An outbreak occurred here on the 13th 

 December. District Veterinary Surgeon 

 Hutchinson is in charge, and has inocu- 

 lated all the cattle with bile. 



Farm Jammerdaal ( Krantz Kop Divi- 

 sion). — Rinderpest was reported here on 

 the 14th December. The I rincipal Veter- 

 inary Surgeon has proceeded to the spot 

 to investigate. 



Matashana's Ward (Nkandhla District, 

 Zululand ).— Stock Inspector Cooper re- 

 ported rinderpest here on the 15th inst. 

 Two dead, two sick. Appliances for in- 

 oculation with bile have been sent to him. 

 The cattle are strictly quarantined. 



(Signed) M. J. HiME, 



For Prin. Vet. Surgeon, 

 17th December, 1901. 



Secretary, Transvaal Administration, to 



Prime Minister. 

 Telegram. 13th December, 1901. 



13th December, M. 316. Following is 

 state of rinderpest as reported for past 

 week : — 



Zeerust, Krugersdorp, Volksrust.— No 

 cases. 



Middleburg. — No fiesh outbreak. 



Boksburg. — 437 cattle inoculated, of 

 which 4?) took disease and 20 died. 



Standerton. — 40 fresh cases during 

 week ; no deaths. 



At Military Dairy Farm. — 107 have died. 



Principal Veterinary Officer Army re- 

 ports no disease at present east of Belfast, 

 including Lydenburg and Barberton ; 

 but, on the northern line, disease is 

 general up to Pietersburg. 



Queensland Cattle, 



HE Government has imported, and is 

 now distributing amongst certain 

 farmers adjacent to the railway, for ex- 

 periment and care, one hundred heifers 

 aad three bulls from Queensland. These 

 animals have come from tick-infested 

 country, and are said to be proof against 

 red water. The Government has imported 

 these animals with a view to ascertaining 

 whether they will be immune from red- 

 water in this Colony. The Government 

 Bacteriologist (Mr. Pitchfnrd) has charge 

 of the cattle, and is conducting the experi- 

 ment. 



Pstspalum Dilatatum 

 Propagation, 



U R, WILLIAM CARTER, Highthorn, 

 jj Estcourt, writes : — 



A small quantity of the seed was sown 

 about the 1st December in fairly good 

 soil, and was watered regularly by means 

 of a hose. Germination, as usual, proved 

 slow, and many of the seeds proved sterile. 

 About six weeks after sowing a few plants 

 came through, and are now about two 

 inches in height, so it will be seen that their 

 growth has been by no means rapid. The 

 common land grasses have proved trouble- 

 some, and threaten to smother the Pas- 

 palum dilatatum. I think that the only 

 means by which the latter grass can be 

 saved is by transplanting it into clean 

 land. I would have picked the land 

 grass out by hand, but as it is not easily 

 distinguishable when young from the 

 Pnspalum dilatahim, I let it be for fear 

 of doing more harm than good. I intend 

 sowing the rest of the seed next Januarj'. 

 as I think it likely to succeed best when 

 sown at that time. 



