1920.] 



Official Notices and Circulars. 



pastures into a pen littered with damaged straw or other rubbish of a 

 combustible kind. Once in the pen the sheep are driven round, and this 

 disturbance shakes the gorged ticks on to the straw. After a time the 

 sheep are driven out of the pens, and the straw or whatever other litter 

 is employed is burnt, the ticks being destroyed with it. By the adoptic >n 

 of these methods it is believed that tick-infected pastures can be 

 gradually cleaned, and the costly mortahty among the flocks very 

 greatl}' reduced and in time even eradicated. Experiments are to be 

 conducted with a serum which will be injected into sheep suffering from 

 Louping-ill, and it is hoped that this remedy may prove effective in 

 decreasing losses during eradication, but eradication should be the main 

 object. Farmers and shepherds in Northumberland are anxious to 

 adopt any measures that may be either preventive or curative, and 

 Sir Stewart Stockman has agreed to advise upon and supervise any 

 operations for the eradication of Louping-ill which farmers maj' under- 

 take. 



For some time past certain mischievous rumours have been circu- 

 lating in England and Scotland, particularly in Scotland, with reference 

 to the Board of Agriculture's Testing Station 

 The Pirbright Cattle at Pirbright in Surrey. It is difficult to over- 

 Testing Station : take rumour, but it is desirable that in the 

 Mischievous Rumours present case the rumours should as far as 

 denied. possible be met. The result of misleading 



statements are on occasion of quite another kind 

 to that which was intended by the originator. The following letter has 

 been received by the Board from a prominent cattle breeder of 

 Scotland : — 



" I had to be in London last week and went out to l^irbright. 

 I am glad I went. I was anxious to see the conditions under which 

 the animals are kept, and I shall now be able to refute entirely the 

 mischievous reports, born of ignorance and prejudice, that are 

 circulating among cattle dealers in England and Scotland. In my 

 opinion the animals at Pirbright are being kept under ideal con- 

 ditions, and I was more than pleased with everything I saw, so far 

 as the condition of the animals is concerned. I think the Board 

 have an exceedingly capable veterinary inspector and I shall ha\ e 

 no hCvSitation in sending further animals to be tested. 



" Of course, in Scotland, as you will entirely understand, we 

 would much prefer to avoid the expense of sending animals to 

 Surrey and be put to the further expense of bringing back any which 

 may unfortunately react. There is a further difficulty that breeders 

 may object to take back animals which have been in the south of 

 England in a district not far removed from cases of Foot-and-IMouth 

 Disease. I have had occasion to be in Berkshire, Herefordshire, 

 Shropshire and Cumberland since my visit to Pirbright, and while 

 looking for animals for export I took the opportunity of disabusing 

 the minds of breeders of the prevailing notion that their animals 

 might get mixed up with others at Pirbright and run the risk of 

 contamination. I assured them that every animal is absolutelv 

 isolated and that every care and attention are given to them." 

 The Board have received this letter with the greatest pleasure. 



because it supplies much needed information and correction to those who 



have confused rumour with truth. 



