152 
A COLONY IN THE MAKING 
CHAP. 
country breds average from 9 to 12 lb. and has already 
fetched 11 \d. Too much care in preparing and sort¬ 
ing wool can hardly be taken. In this direction South 
Africa furnished an example and a warning to sheep 
farmers. Writing in the Cape Journal for August, 
1909, Mr. Price, one of the largest exporters of wool 
in South Africa, complains that South African wool 
has so bad a name that were the very best Australian 
wool exported from South Africa it would not fetch 
within i>d. of its true market value. This bad name he 
attributes almost entirely to the fact that the early 
wool-growers of the Colony paid such scant attention 
to the get-up of the clip. 
During his pupilage or educationary period the 
intending sheep farmer will naturally spare no pains to 
make himself familiar with as many forms of disease 
as possible. Besides scab and footrot, the latter 
usually the result of yarding at night in wet weather, 
the only disease which is likely seriously to trouble 
him is one known to the Masai as Ngaaruti. The 
mortality, however, even from this has not up to date 
proved severe ; further, the results from the patho¬ 
logical laboratory now show that it is inoculable, and 
that there is every hope that by the end of the year an 
effective antidote will be available. Worms are 
constantly in evidence, especially among the young 
stock, but regular dosing is an insurance. Mild out¬ 
breaks of Variola and Blue Tongue have been 
attended by a negligible mortality. A very much 
heavier loss than from each and every form of disease 
may be, unfortunately, anticipated from the depreda¬ 
tions of vermin, both of the four-legged and two-legged 
varieties. 
A most satisfactory portent to flock masters lies in 
