822 Speech by the Minister of AcRicrLTrRE. [Dec, 



realise the extent to which that is already benefiting the 

 pockets of those who have come into the scheme. The scheme, 

 I am thankful to say, is growing. Two years ago there were 

 20,000 registered cows; last year there were 38,000; and this 

 year there are over 50,000. I hope the scheme will spread like 

 wildfire. It is still in its infancy, at any rate. But apart from 

 what it has done in the way of increasing the production of 

 milk, the financial results have been extraordinary. I was 

 looking only yesterday at some of the recent sales, during the 

 last three weeks, of non-pedigree certificated cows under our 

 recording scheme. At the first sale 62 of those non-pedigree 

 cows sold at an average of 104 guiijeas apiece, simply on 

 account of the Ministry's certificate. Three sold for over 

 200 guineas. At the second sale 34 cows sold at an average of 

 88 guineas, six of them over 100 guineas. The third sale, J\ 

 think only a week ago, showed an average of 91 guineas, with 

 nine over 100 guineas. Any farmer can see for himself what 

 that means in gain to his pocket, and I think the ^Ministry may 

 claim some credit for that. 



Animal Diseases and Pests. — Then with regard to protecting 

 the industry from epidemics of disease and pests, you are all 

 aware that we have had a particularly anxious year with foot- 

 and-mouth disease and rabies, and it has been the painful 

 duty of the ^Ministry to exercise its powers with vigour and 

 relentlessness in the interest of the farming community. We 

 have, at the same time, studied the convenience of the industry^ 

 as far as we could; and at any rate we have been successful 

 more than once in stamping foot-and-mouth disease out 

 altogether. I called this morning for the latest position, and I 

 find that in spite of recent outbreaks there is now only one small 

 district in the country where there is any foot-and-mouth disease 

 left, or where there are any severe restrictions maintained, and 

 we hope that these will all be removed, unless there is a fresh 

 outbreak, before the end of the present month. But we are not 

 content with stamping out the disease wherever it appears, by 

 slaughter. For the first time I think in the history of this 

 country we are initiating a scientific investigation, without 

 undue regard to cost, with the determination that it shall be 

 thorough and searching, into the nature of this pest and the^ 

 means of grappling with it. I am inviting the services of the 

 most distinguished scientists from any part of the world to 

 come and help us. All I ask is, having set this great inquiry 

 on foot, that there will not be anv undue impatience as to the 



