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AGRICULTURE

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The record of swine fever in Great Britain is discouraging. distributed have ranged between 24 in 1890 and 52 in Between 1879 and 1892 inclusive, the administration was 1879. As a matter of fact, however, the disease is entrusted to local authorities. The largest number of Table XXIY.—Outbreaks of Anthrax in Great Britain, outbreaks reported in any one of those years was 7926 in 1887 to 1900. 1885, and the smallest 1717 in 1881. In 1893 the Board of Agriculture took over the management, and Table Animals attacked. XXYI. shows the number of counties in which swine fever Year, i Counties. Outbreaks. Cattle. Sheep. Swine. Horses. Table XXVI.—Outbreaks of Swine Fever in Great Britain, 184 37 415 236 51 1887 1894 to 1900. 76 45 280 180 18881 49 69 4 236 167 45 Slaughtered as Diseased, 1889 Outbreaks Swine 210 72 253 or as having been Exposed to 152 Counties. confirmed. 48 1890 Infection. 156 15 300 226 50 1891 190 11 445 289 18922 60 56,296 46 313 5682 73 108 1894 833 563 68 1893 69,931 62 188 6305 73 125 1895 625 494 64 1894 79,586 32 140 5166 158 77 604 1896 434 66 1895 40,432 38 200 2155 34 74 632 1897 488 64 1896 43,756 38 284 2514 39 72 521 1898 433 67 1897 39 30,797 161 2322 22 71 634 1899 556 73 1898 17,933 30 253 1940 69 62 634 1900 534 67 1899 44 204 40 668 571 74 1900 existed, the number of outbreaks confirmed, and the strongly centred upon the metropolitan area, more than number of swine slaughtered by order of the Board in each half of the outbreaks being reported from the county ot year since. The trouble with this disease is mainly in England, the outbreaks in Wales and Scotland being London alone. The Rabies Order was passed in 1886, and the num- comparatively few. What are termed “ Swine-fever inber of counties in Great Britain in which cases of rabies fected areas ” are scheduled by the Board when and where in dogs have been reported in each subsequent year is circumstances seem to require, and the movement of swine shown in Table XXV. In addition there have been within such areas is prohibited, much inconvenience to some cases of rabies in animals other than dogs. I e trade resulting from restrictions of this kind. Frequently, disease was very rife in 1895, but the extensive applica- moreover, the exhibition of pigs at agricultural shows has tion of the muzzling restrictions of the Board of Agri- to be abandoned in consequence of these swine-fever culture was accompanied by so steady a diminution m the regulations. Table XXV.—Cases of Rabies in Dogs in Great Britain, The Trade in Live Stock between Ireland and 1887 to 1900. Great Britain. Year. Counties. Cases. Year. Counties. Cases. The compulsory slaughter at the place of landing does 248 17 1894 not extend to animals shipped from Ireland into Great 217 28 7887 672 29 1895 160 19 Britain, and this is a matter of the highest importance to 1888 438 41 1896 312 20 1889 Irish stockbreeders, who find their best market close at 151 30 1897 129 20 1890 hand on the east of St George’s Channel. Table XXVII. 17 10 1898 79 17 1891 9 4 1899 38 12 1892 Table XXVII.—Imports of Live Stock from Ireland into 6 2 1900 93 18 1893 Great Britain, 1891 to 1900. Pigs. prevalence of the disease that it was thought the latter Sheep. Cattle. Year. had been- extirpated. The entire revocation of the 33,396 503,584 893,175 630,802 1891 muzzling order which accordingly followed proved, how32,481 500,951 1,080,202 624,457 1892 30,390 ever to be premature, and it became necessary to reimpose 456,571 1,107,960 688,669 1893 33,589 584,967 957,101 it in the districts where it had last been operative, 826,954 1894 34,560 547,220 652,578 791,607 1895 namely, certain parts of South Wales. 39,856 610,589 737,306 681,560 1896 Pleuro-pneumonia in Great Britain was dealt with by 38,422 695,307 804,515 746,012 1897 38,804 the local authorities up to the year 1890. Between 1870 588,785 833,458 803,362 1898 42,087 688,553 871,953 and 1889 the annual outbreaks had ranged between a 772,272 1899 35,606 715,202 862,263 745,519 'minimum of 312 in 1884 and a maximum of 3262 in 1900 1874, the largest number of cattle attacked in any one year being 7983 in 1872. The largest number of counties shows the numbers of cattle, sheep, and pigs shipped from over which the outbreaks were distributed was. 72 in Ireland into Great Britain in each of the ten years 1891 1873. On 1st September 1890, the Board of Agriculture to 1900, the numbers of horses similarly shipped being assumed powers with respect to pleuro-pneumonia under also indicated. On the average rather more than half the Diseases of Animals Act of that year. Their adminis- the total of cattle is made up of store animals for fattening tration was attended by success, for from 192 outbreaks or breeding purposes, the fattening of Irish stores being a in Great Britain in 1891 the total fell to 35 in 1892, and business of considerable magnitude in Norfolk and other to nine in 1893. In the four subsequent years, 1893 to counties. Calves constitute about one-twelfth of the 1897, the outbreaks numbered two, one, two, and seven total number of cattle. Most of the pigs sent from Ireland respectively. In January 1898 an outbreak was dis- into Great Britain are fat, the store pigs accounting for covered in a London cow-shed. This proved to be the less than one-tenth of the total number. The returns last case in the 19th century of what at one time had from Ireland under the Diseases of Animals Acts, 1894 been a veritable scourge to cattle-owners, and a source of and 1896, are less significant than those of Great Britain. Thus, in 1900, they included 2 outbreaks of anthrax, heavy financial loss. 10 of glanders, 233 of swine fever, and 545 of sheep-scab, 1 In 1889 the animals attacked included 461 deer. together with 15 cases of rabies. Compared with the 2 Before 1893, horses, asses, and mules were not included in the export trade in live stock from Ireland to Great Britain word “ animals ” in the Orders relating to anthrax.