1910.] Prevention of Epizootic Abortion in Cattle. 481 



being full-fed, the larva pupates in a chamber, surrounded by 

 bore-dust. It issues as a beetle in June, July or August, 

 Plants up to 20 years of age are the most liable to attack. 

 The best remedy is to reach the grub in the chamber with a 

 piece of strong wire in the first stages of the attack, or by 

 injecting bisulphide of carbon in more serious cases. Badly- 

 infested trees should be destroyed. 



A correspondent from Guildford sent up a piece of oak 

 bark, which was taken off an apparently healthv tree of some 

 100 to 120 years' standing. The inside contained a peculiar 

 black substance which filled the interstices of the bark right 

 down the tree, especially on one side. This black substance 

 is a hardened gummy matter, which is mostly structureless 

 towards the free surface. The origin can be traced partly to 

 gummy degeneration of fungus mycelium growing on the 

 bark, and partly, but to a less extent, to the same change in 

 some of the tissues of the bark itself. Unfortunately, the 

 primary cause of the disease could not be determined. 



In the case of diseased ash bark from Banbury, the injury 

 (see Plate) was due to a bacterial disease which most frequently 

 occurs when the trees are growing in a damp, low situation. 

 Excess of moisture causes minute cracks to appear on the 

 stem, and the cracks are enlarged by frost, so affording an 

 entrance for the bacteria, which eventually destroy the wood. 

 The wounds should be cut out when small, and the surface 

 protected with tar. 



The Departmental Committee on Epizootic Abortion were 

 requested by the President of the Board of Agriculture and 



in cattle. The Committee have now presented a Report deal- 

 ing with this aspect of the question (Cd. 5279, price is.). 



The Committee received evidence from all the principal 

 societies representative of cattle-breeding and dairying in 

 Great Britain, which showed that the disease is sufficiently 



Report on the 

 Prevention of 

 Epizootic Abortion 

 in Cattle. 



Fisheries, in a minute dated May 24th, 

 1909, to extend their inquiry so as to 

 include a consideration of the admini- 

 strative measures which should now be 

 taken to deal with cases of this disease 



