Report on the Health of Animals of the Farm. 269 
places or in damp years would be attacked in spring and 
perish. It may not be superfluous to say that the case could 
scarcely be different if the fungus hibernated by means of 
oospores, which germinate in spring. Of course, if they were 
of rare occurrence, then the actual state of things at present would 
be brought about ; but if they occurred very frequently, then an 
immediate and general attack of the disease in the spring would 
be unavoidable. 
I have only to add to what I have said, that the vegetation of 
Phytophthora is known to be largely hastened and assisted by 
damp, and, on the other hand, to be retarded by drought. As a 
rule, however, the period of its first appearance is followed by 
the dry season of the summer. The period of its spreading 
extensively usually coincides with the beginning of the wet 
autumn, or, as was to be seen here in 1875, with the wet seasons 
in the height of summer. In particular localities it may even 
occur on the plant before the arrival of these seasons, as in the 
valleys among our mountains, where there are regular heavy 
dews and comparatively numerous showers. In conclusion, 
attention should also be directed to the possibility of there being 
a connection between the phenomena in question, and the fact 
that the potato-plant in its various stages of development supplies 
a varying nidus for the fungus. From large experience, I con- 
sider it probable that Phytophthora grows more easily on a plant 
at the height of its development than on young stalks and leaves. 
It would be interesting, but not easy, to establish this clearly by 
experiment. It is a question, however, which would lead me 
beyond the limits of my present task were I to follow it out to 
its issue. 
Strasbourg, Deceviber, 1875. 
X. — Report on the Health of the Animals of the Farm. By 
James B. Simonds, Principal of the Royal Veterinary 
College. 
PoOT-xiND-MoUTH DISEASE. 
It may perhaps be affirmed that no Report on " the health of the 
animals of the farm" during the last six months of the year 1875 
would be considered satisfactory, unless notice were taken of the 
prevalence of the " foot-and-mouth disease," notwithstanding that 
the subject has been so often and so well treated by writers on 
veterinary medicine, and the science and practice of agriculture, 
as well as by other persons who have an interest more or less 
