Live Stock. 



348 



[April, 1910. 



ascertain the exact dose necessary to 

 confer an active immunity when in- 

 jected simultaneously with virulent 

 blood. 



Serum as a Curative Agent.— Seriim 

 possesses strong curative properties, 

 but must be employed in a very early 

 stage of the disease— at the first rise 

 of temperature — and in very large 

 doses. Its action is much quicker when 

 injected directly into the Jugular vein. 



The inoculation of serum alone has 

 the advantage over the bile inoculation 

 in that it causes immediate full immu- 

 nity and is a curative agent in the 

 early part of the disease. It can be 

 prepared in any quantity and will keep 

 for many months. 



In comparing the merits of the various 

 methods of inoculation, the conditions 

 of the country and of the outbreak 

 must be considered. 



In a 'country such as British East 

 Africa it is certain that natives will 

 not give up seven per cent, of their 

 cattle to provide bile with which to 

 inoculate their herds; in addition to 

 this, bile has other drawbacks which 

 have been mentioned before. 



Whether for producing an active or 

 a passive immunity, the serum inocu- 

 lation stands alone. The objection to 

 producing an active immunity is that 

 one must use virulent blood and thus 

 introduce Rinderpest and possibily other 

 diseases also in a country in which in- 

 fectious cattle affections are common, 

 In a country in which Rinderpest occurs, 

 and in which there is a probability of 

 its remaining a long time, it is advis- 

 able to confer an active immunity. In 

 an isolated outbreak of short duration 

 a passive immunity is sufficient to pro- 

 tect cattle during the short time they 

 will be exposed to contagion. 



Rinderpest in British East Africa, — 

 Since the outbreak which caused such 

 mortality in 1892 onwards, no outbreak 

 on a large scale has occurred South or 

 West of the Tana river. In 1907 Rinder- 

 pest was brought from Italian Somali- 



land, crossed the Juba, and came by 

 Afmadu and Biskaya to the mainland 

 opposite Larnu island. This outbreak 

 was undoubtedly due to Somalis trad- 

 ing cattle. In some marvellous manner 

 it did not cross the Tana river, pos- 

 sibly there was no inducement for 

 natives to take cattle over, nor does it 

 appear to have exten ded very far West. 



Knowledge regarding the existence of 

 Rinderpest, or in fact of any cattle 

 epidemic in Italian Somalilaud or the 

 Boran country is very vague and de- 

 pends chiefly on Native rumours or on 

 information given by white traders. 



It is possible that in these countries 

 Rinderpest is endemic and smoulders 

 on, carrying off a few cattle each year 

 about which we hear nothing, since it 

 is not until their cattle die in great 

 numbers that natives take any notice. 

 It must not be forgotten, however, 

 that, if by any chance a sick animal 

 were brought into the settled districts, 

 Rinderpest wotrld cause enormous havoc. 



It is manifest that to form a serum 

 station, one must first obtain Rinder- 

 pest blood or ar> animal with Rinder- 

 pest. Search was made in Tana laud 

 iir 1908, but no Rirfderpest could be 

 found ; the formation of the station had 

 therefore to be abandoned. 



Regar ding the site for such a station, 

 an island off the Coast, whence con- 

 tagion could not spread to the main- 

 land, would be the most suitable place ; 

 but before finally determining the exact 

 spot, it would be advisable to make 

 certain that Tsetse Fly does not exist 

 there Once this is determined, some 

 salted cattle might be obtained from 

 the mainland near Lamu and kept 

 handy, to be ready for fortification 

 for serum production as soon as Rinder- 

 pest blood could be obtained. Should 

 Rinderpest make its appearance from 

 Uganda or Abyssinia unless serum 

 could be obtained from another country, 

 inoculation with bile would have to 

 be carried on, until a serum Station 

 could be started upcountry. 



APICULTURE. 



UNITING BEES IN THE FALL. 



(From Gleanings in Bee Culture, Vol. 

 XXXVII., No. 19, October, 1909.) 



A correspondent writes: ;< I have 

 quite a few weak colonies of bees that I 

 wish to unite this fall. Hjw should it 

 be done? " 



Select two weak colonies as close to- 

 gether as possible, and bring them, say, 

 two or three feet toward each other 

 every time the bees have days of flight 



until the hives stand side by side. Then 

 leave them until the bees have done one 

 good flight while the hives are close 

 together, and after this the colonies may 

 be united at any time when the temper- 

 ature is 55° F., or above. Sort out from 

 the two hives combs containing the most 

 honey, or at least sufficient for winter- 

 stores — an amount that should not be 

 less than 25 lbs. Set these combs in the 

 hive the best way to occupy in the 

 wiuter, alternating combs from each 

 hive so that the bees will not quarrel. 



