cvi 
Monthly Council, July 30, 1890. 
published on the 30th June and had 
been issued immediately to the mem- 
bers. A list had been received from 
the Judges of farms at Plymouth of 
persons engaged on the competing 
farms, who were recommended by the 
competitors for the Society's certifi- 
cates, in recognition of distinguished 
merit and length of service. The 
Committee recommended that certifi- 
cates be granted to the following per- 
sons, accompanied by a gratuity of 
£1 in each case : — 
Mr. Vosper's Farm : — George and 
Ann Haddock, James and Elizabeth 
Avery, Henry Gabriel, William Hemp- 
hill. John and Eliza Ellis, John 
Duckham. 
Mr. Lawry's Farm : — William 
Youlton, Stephen Spear. 
Mr. Ford, Sen.'s, Farm : — Samuel 
Freeman, Samuel Hurrell. 
Mr. Franklin's Farm : — Thomas 
Cowley, James Grant, John Grant. 
The Editor had submitted his 
arrangements, as at present proposed, 
for the next number of the Journal. 
These had been considered and 
approved. Various suggestions for 
papers in the Journal had been dis- 
cussed, and instructions thereon given 
to the Editor. Authority was given 
to extend to public libraries and 
similar institutions the same facilities 
for the purchase of back numbers of 
the Journal as were accorded to mem- 
bers of the Society. 
Earl Cathcaet wished to draw 
the particular attention of the Veterin- 
ary Committee to the subject of foot- 
rot in sheep, in reference to a paper 
submitted for the Journal on the con- 
tagious character of that disease. 
There was a very strong opinion 
amongst practical men that the disease 
was contagious, but in that opinion 
they did not carry with them the 
veterinary profession. He believed 
that this idea was not altogether 
orthodox ; but he thought the matter 
ought to be inquired into and set at 
rest. He understood that the Royal 
Veterinary College had just acquired 
magnificent microscopical and other 
apparat us for bacteriological research , 
and they would have no difficulty in 
finding sheep affected with foot-rot 
for the purposes of experiments. 
Sir John Thobold observed that 
in the case in question the sheep sent 
to the Royal Veterinary College as 
animals which would develop foot-rot 
had remained perfectly sound. 
Mr. Bowex-Joxes said that this 
was a subject of the very greatest im- 
portance, and although he, during all 
his life, had taken a different view to 
that expressed, he had forwarded the 
paper for the consideration of the 
Journal Committee, knowing the 
writer to be a thoroughly practical 
man of careful judgment. He thought 
it most important that investigation 
should be made in the direction sug- 
gested. 
Mr. Rawlexce said he had had as 
many as 10,000 sheep under his care, 
and had suffered some years ago 
frightful losses from this disease, but 
he had hardly any sheep now suffering 
from it. A great deal depended upon 
the shepherd and the supervision 
which the master gave to see that the 
sheep were properly looked after and 
their feet properly pared. He had 
adopted the Australian plan of running 
them about twice or three times a 
week through a shallow tank, some- 
thing like a brewer's vat. By this 
means he had entirely eradicated the 
disease, and he thought that with 
proper attention they could put a stop 
to the disease themselves. 
Mr. be Laune quoted the opinion 
of Professor Axe that the disease was 
neither contagious nor infectious; bat 
still, his own experiments always 
pointed to the fact that the sheep did 
catch it one from another. They had 
only to put a foot-rot sheep amongst 
a hundred sound ones, and after a few 
weeks many of them would have the 
disease. He thought it would be a 
very good thing that the Society 
should institute investigations under 
practical and scientific mep combined, 
so that they might find out what was 
the cause of this disease which had 
done so much harm. He had himself 
spent six weeks in dressing sheep's 
feet, so that he had had some experi- 
ence in the matter. 
Mr. Howaed would be glad if an 
investigation into this terrible disease 
were undertaken. He knew no disease 
from wh ich sheep breedershad suffered 
so much. The remedy suggested 
might do very well for his friend Mr. 
Rawlence, who perhaps lived upon 
chalk soil, where foot-rot was not so 
