384 SYNOPSIS OF CONTINENTAL VETERINARY JOURNALS. 
reserving it for the ox to the exclusion of cows, the Con¬ 
gress decided that when the work is not excessive, and is 
performed on level ground, there is no inconvenience in 
employing cows, and there is great benefit derivable from 
utilisation of animals destined to reproduce the race. With 
regard to an improved method of feeding animals for fatten¬ 
ing, working, and milking purposes, the Congress could not 
do more than hint vague concessions, for this depends so 
much on the various influences of surrounding circumstances, 
the prices of food stuff, and local industry. Thus, the only 
matters decided on were the good effects of green forage 
with oil cake, and of cooked and fermented food. With 
regard to the ovine species, which is so much at home on the 
slopes below the Appenines, the Congress decided that what 
especially prevented rapid increase of sheep is the want of 
food supply in bad seasons. We must obtain from the 
agriculture of the future a modification of this state of 
things. The Congress, then, with unanimity and acclama¬ 
tion, voted as follows :—“ Considering the delay in the com¬ 
pletion of the system of canals and of irrigation of the 
valley of Chiana, which risks the fertility of a country 
whence the best race of Italian cattle is derived, the Con¬ 
gress votes that the government of the Kingdom of Italy, 
shall continue the works of water supply commenced before 
the autonomy of the country.” The meeting terminated its 
sittings, after examining the measures of sanitary police, 
which should be adopted to arrest extension of epizootics, and 
especially to prevent fairsand markets being, as now,the prin¬ 
cipal centres of contagion .—II Zootechnico , January, 1880. 
Bibliography. —Forage Plants, or the Vegetable Consti¬ 
tuents of Meadows and Pasture Lands of Italy, by M. A. 
he Silvestri ; Traite de Zootechnie , by M. Sanson, trans¬ 
lation bv MM. Lemoigne and Tampelini. —Whoever has 
even a slight acquaintance with Italian literature will 
be struck with the great number of its publications. On 
considering the matter, we find an explanation in the cha¬ 
racter and proclivities of the Italian people, which preserves 
them from the excessive centralisation which affects us so 
much and considerably to our prejudice. We, in France, 
have only one capital, which is at once administrative and 
pre-eminent in intellect. Italy, ever since its unity, continues 
to have many which dispute artistic, literary, and scientific 
supremacy—Rome, Florence, Milan, Venice, and Naples. 
This is the secret of the productive power of the Italian 
people. These reflections, which I first made long ago, were 
forcibly recalled to my mind ; when examining a beautiful 
