378 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL, [1 Nov., 1898. 
time to time been introduced. By gradual culling and systematic selection, 
Mr. Bowden, who has charge and management of the herd, intends at an early 
date to have nothing but pure-bred Ayrshires on the island. 
At present the herd is constituted as follows :— 
23 Pure-bred Ayrshire cows. 
18 
im -" heifers. 
1 re " bull (adult). 
6 Ms s bulls (under one year old). 
10 Illawarra and cross-bred cows. 
10 S Po heifers. 
Total, 68 
The first positive evidence of the existence of tuberculosis in the herd 
came under my notice as follows:—On the 12th July, 1895, three years ago, 1 
was instructed by the Hon. the Colonial Secretary to proceed to the island of 
St. Helena to examine and report on two cows that were suspected to have 
died from eating some indigenous poisonous plant. ‘The post-mortem and a 
microscopical examination revealed the fact that the immediate cause of death 
was symptomatic anthrax or “blackleg.’ At the same time it was noticed 
that the oldest animal (a pedigree Illawarra cow) was also affected with 
generalised tuberculosis, including the two anterior quarters of the mammary 
gland or udder. 
In view of this discovery I expressed the opinion that it was more than 
probable that other animals in the herd were affected with tuberculosis, ‘I 
therefore recommended that the milk of every cow should be subjected dail 
to the process of sterilisation, until such time as the herd could be tested wit 
tuberculin, when all animals that gave a reaction should be eliminated and 
destroyed. 
Mr. Bowden informed me that about twelve months ago one or two 
unthrifty-looking cows were killed, and when they were opened the same 
lesions of disease—namely, tuberculosis—were manifest. In consequence of 
these facts, and by somewhat extensive experiments with tuberculin under 
many varied conditions, every application proving more and more its practical 
infallibleness and marvellous significance, I recently suggested to the Comp- 
troller-General of Prisons (Captain Pennefather) the urgent necessity of 
having the entire herd subjected to the tuberculin test. To this Captain 
Pennefather willingly consented, and, with Ministerial authority, I visited St. 
Helena on the 1st September last, and tested with tuberculin the entire herd 
of sixty-eight animals, completing the work by the 7th September. 
NOTES ON THE GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF THE HERD. 
The various grass paddocks in which the cattle run are scarcely more than 
100 acres in extent; consequently the animais reccive a large amount of stall 
feeding, the food principally consisting of fresh-cut Kafir-corn, chaffed green 
and dry lucerne, sweet potatoes, and an assortment of rye and oaten grass, 
&e,—in fact, all rich, nourishing cultivation fodder. 
In one of the smaller paddocks there is a splendid long shed, open on one 
side, with thirty well-designed roomy stalls, perfect drainage, and means for 
easily getting rid of manure. 
In an adjoining paddock there is ample accommodation in the way of 
stalls, sheds, good yards, &c., for housing at least another forty animals; and 
considering that there is an ample supply of cheap labour (the cleaning, feeding, 
and milking operations all being carried out by the prisoners), the animals are 
specially well caredfor. The cowsare milked very regularly—viz., commencing 
punctuatly at 5 o’clock in the morning, and 2 o’clock in the afternoon ; feeding 
is also conducted at regular hours. 
