Extracts from British and Foreign Journals. 
PROEESSOK BRANFORD’S ADDRESS AT THE ALBANY 
FARMERS’ ASSOCIATION, GRAHAM’S TOWN, CAPE OF 
GOOD HOPE. 
We have received The Journal, Graham's Town, Cape of 
Good Hope, of May 16th, containing an important address 
delivered by Professor Branford to the Albany Farmers 5 
Association on his investigations into the nature and causes 
of the losses among animals and Colonial sheep in particular. 
The length of the address compels us to omit much inter¬ 
esting matter, and only to lay before our readers its chief 
salient points. 
“ A meeting of farmers was held at the Town Office on 
Tuesday, May loth, with the object of meeting Professor 
Branford, and making arrangements for utilising his stay in 
these parts. A committee consisting of Messrs. G. White, 
J. Webb, and J. Gadd was instructed to make the necessary 
appointments for the Professor to visit different centres in 
the district. After some preliminary remarks Mr. Branford 
said that— 
“ The great interest taken by your Premier, the Hon. J. Gordon 
Sprigg, in the welfare of all colonists, but particularly of those engaged 
in pastoral and agricultural pursuits, more especially in these eastern 
districts, together with a knowledge of the very serious and hitherto 
apparently undescribed and unaccountable causes of the terrible losses 
through the great decadence in sheep farming, together with the reduction 
of agricultural profits in this immediate neighbourhood, induced that 
gentleman to give earnest attention to the statements of‘the deputation 
which waited upon him at the request of the Association in October last, 
the result of which has been his ready compliance with your wishes that 
I should visit Lower Albany, together with adjacent districts, and 
endeavour to ascertain the why and the wherefore of these serious, yet, I 
hope, not incomprehensible though well-known facts. 
“ I elected to take my tour of investigation overland, through the 
Midland, Northern, and North-Eastern and Eastern districts, intending 
to be in this neighbourhood at such a time as those gentlemen before 
alluded to consider best. For the delay which has occurred I am to a 
great extent personally responsible; but not entirely so, inasmuch as in 
consequence of disease amongst the horses of the Colonial Government 
at Kingwilliamstown, detaining me in that district longer than at first 
anticipated, my absence is partially attributable. I trust, however, that 
some good may result from my present visit, and that the love of inquiry 
may be sown broadcast amongst you, and that great benefits will ulti¬ 
mately result to the community at large from the action of this Associa¬ 
tion. Your indefatigable secretary, Mr. Gadd, has asked me to give a 
slight sketch of the evils at present so entirely engaging the attention of 
us all, and the few, I may say very brief remarks I make, will, I trust, 
throw some information on the subject. I need not occupy your time 
