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THE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



The cow shed was big, and as is now to 

 be seen whtre the farming is at all up to 

 date, there were stalls for each cow, and 

 to the mangers were attached chains to 

 take the place of reims. As Mr. Hen- 

 wood remarked : " Partitioning prevents 

 poking, and chains don't hurt ; reims, on 

 the other Hand, must be palled tight in 

 the first instance, and then the cows get 

 them still tighter and more painful by 

 tugging, and, moreover, increase the age 

 appearance of wrinkles to their horns." 

 " And about hand-rearing of calves?" 

 " My opinion is this, that the system is 

 impracticable unless one has plenty of 

 good cheap labour. I don't see the need 

 for the paraphanalia recommended by 

 Mr. Alexander. If I have an orphan calf 

 like the one you saw I rear it easily in 

 the old-fashioned way of making it drink 

 skim milk out of a trough I have reared 

 successfully a great many in this way. 

 But my mind is still open on the subject. 

 For milking there is no choice for me as 

 1 3 kafirs or coolies. I have only one kafir. 

 I won't have kafirs living on the place ; 

 for one thing on account of the mi.fing 

 with their stock. I find that the coolies 

 take a lot of interest in the cows and 

 calves, and they never abuse them." 



Crush Pen. 

 Mr. Henwood possesses a crush pen ; it 

 is a pity these pens are not more common. 

 He believes that he was the second to 

 make one in the Colon-^ , and that the late 

 Mr. R. G. Barnes was the first, whose pen 

 he copied. In length they should be 9 feet 

 G inches and in height 7 feet 6 inches. 

 They are of immense advantage in catch- 

 ing stock for inoculation, branding, etc. 

 and the crush pen has a very quieting 

 effect on all animals. 



RlNDBRPBST. 



Bad luck," was the reply of Mr. Hen- 

 wo( d to a question as to how he came 

 through the rinderpest epidemic. "I 

 lost 100," he ccmtinued, " tail on end out of 

 2.50. I, with my brother James, had bought 

 three head of salted cattle in the Trans- 

 vaal, but befoie we could bring them 

 down Mr. Kruger siiddenly put a stop to 

 the export of all cattle. Consulting Mr. 

 Pitchford I inoculated with bile. In three 

 days the disease was in the troo]). Four 

 other troops close by which were inocu- 



lated at the same time showed the disease 

 at periods varying from 7 to 29 days. I 

 then inoculated with oerum from the 

 cattle which had been purchased, Kruger 

 in the meantime having withdrawn his 

 embargo. Here is a carious thing in con- 

 nection with rinderpest. My c lives never 

 used to die in the su aimer previous to the 

 epidemic, but for the three years following 

 the outbreak they suffered much from- 

 diarrhoea. This year they are no longer 

 so affected. It is, of course, possible that 

 the cause is different from what I sup- 

 p Dse, but my neighbours, whosa experi- 

 ence has been just the same, hold the 

 same opinion." 



The Laboratory. 



" I only wish," sai<] Mr. Henwood, 

 " that the laboratory were more acces- 

 sible. It should, in my opinion, be on 

 the railway— Hilton or Howick would be 

 suitable places, and much healthier sites 

 than the present for stock. It is difficult 

 to get at from Maritzbui'g.and besides the 

 loss of time it means a 10s. cab fare— a 

 sort of expense that farmers naturally jib 

 at. Land is now booming about Maritz- 

 burg, and AUerton would sell well. I 

 ftiel sure that if Mr. Pitchford and his 

 laboratory were more accessible that it 

 would be a benefit for stock- farmers, and 

 if he were in this way to come into closer 

 touch with the farmers it might be better 

 for his research work." 



Sheep. 



The Upper Mooi River District is con- 

 sidered one of the best situations in the 

 Colony for sheep-breeding, and I expected 

 to hear good accounts of this side of Mr. 

 Henwood's farming. Here is his ccperi- 

 ence in his own words : " I began with 200 

 merino ewes in 1886, and in the year fol- 

 lowing I bought 130 moie. For four 

 years they did remarkably well, and I re- 

 gretted I had not gone in for them sooner. 

 They then fell oft' somewhat ; I then in- 

 troduced South Devon long-wool rams. 

 For two years the flock did well and then 

 fell off again, but what was much the 

 worst of all they then became afflicted 

 with what I call ' Kafir disease.' I knew 

 they were being stolen and did all I knew 

 to detect the thieves, but without success. 

 I am well fenced, and none could stray- 

 Dead sheep were easily to be found in 



