The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-27 00:00:00

WORCESTERSHIRE.

Lord Lyttelton, Lord Lieutenant of this county,
invited the magistrates of Worcestershire to meet
him on Saturday last to discuss the question of uni-
formity throughout the district of the orders to be
issued ; restricting the cattle trade ; and also in
reference to the statistical returns recently called
for by the Government. The orders made by the
magistrates of the different petty sessional divisions
of the county are very various, some restricting the
prohibition of public sales to cattle, while others
extend the prohibition to sheep and swine.

YORKSHIRE.

The reports of the past week as to the cattle plague
from almost all parts of Yorkshire indicate that its
virulence in some localities has rather increased than
diminished. In York itself only 10 head of mulch
cows have died, 19 being the number lost during the
previous week. As there is in that city a fund of
about £1,500 to reimburse those who have had losses,
69 claimants have sent in applications which repre-
sent 226 deaths of cattle by the disease, the value of
which is estimated at £3,483. A return of the cattle
affected in the Balmer West division of the North
Riding shows that 260 beasts have been attacked-
-165 of which have died, 55 are still ill, 10 have been
killed, and 20 recovered. The returns which have
been made from the neighbourhood of Easingwold
show that the deaths are greatly on the increase.
At Easingwold the deaths are 35, Alne 5, Craike 30,
Farlington 24, Helperby 13, Huby 118, Marton
Lordship 1, Myton-on-Swale 50, Scackelton 3, Stil-
lington 1, Tholthorpe 2, and Whenby 12. In this
district, including losses at Shipton, Tollerton, Sut-
ton-on-the-Forest, Linton-on-Ouse, Aldniark, Be-
ningbrough, and Overton, there have been no less
than 452 deaths. The disease has been most preva-
lent in low flat places of the district. In the neigh-
bourhood of Boroughbridge the disease is steadily
making progress. In the neighbourhood of Thirsk it
has confined itself to last week's area, but it has
caused sad havoc. At Northallerton, the inspectors'
reports show it to be greatly on theincrease, there
having been in the division of Allertonshire 146
cases. Bedale is this week affected -for the first
time, and the magistrates have stopped the usual
markets. At Darlington the disease is extending,
and iu the neighbourhood of Pocklington 44 beasts
have died during the week. Pickering has at length
been visited, and has led to a meeting with a view
of establishing an assurance society. But in no dis-
trict has so much damage been created as in the
ainsty of the West Riding, where upwards of 100 head
of cattle have fallen victims to disease during the past
week. In several parts of the county farmers have
been prosecuted for neglecting to report its presence
upon their farms to the inspectors, and the latter'
have freely expressed their opinion that it is totally
incurable unless the animals are treated when first
affected with premonitory symptoms. From the
inspector's reports presented to the Malton Bench
on Saturday, it appeared that the plague had
spread rapidly in old places, and that there were
many fresh outbreaks, chiefly among small holders
of stock—generally milch cows. The disease has
been very fatal during the week, and iu some cases
the burial of dead cattle has been a daily occupa-
tion on certain farms. The rapid spread of the
plague caused a perfect scramble to effect insurance
at Malton on Saturday, the committee room of the
association recently formed being besieged with ap-
plicants all day—many waiting hours for their '
turn. There is a singular feature observable in the
North and East Ridings. In the low lying coun-
try the plague
prevalent most prevails, and it is also very
on the summits of the W olds and the
Howardian and Moor hills ; but the middle eleva-
tions of the country, from 2OOf t.to 600ft.hese
in altitude, are most ranging
singularly free from it. These
districts represent the estates of Lord Carlisle in the
North Riding, and those of Lord Middleton in the
East Riding, and these districts have refrained from
joining the central association at Malton, and have
now formed separate associations of their own.
Farmers throughout the North and East Ridings
look with the utmost anxiety to the spring, when
the horned cattle, from slaughter and disease, pro-
mise to be altogether destroyed in some parts. It is
admitted that the plague yields to no remedy yet
discovered, and the treatment now adopted is good
nursing chiefly. The best idea of the state in which
this district will be found in the summer may be
seen by reference to the import figures. Morecambe
is the port at which the Irish cattle are landed
for the Yorkshire districts ; but that trade is
virtually annihilated, the imports for last month
being only 230 head against 3,000 for the previous
year, and where by chance a truck of cattle is found
attached to a railway train people collect round it as a
novelty. Farmers are very much alarmed for the safety
of their feeding cattle, and they eagerly sell beasts
in half condition whenever a buyer turns up. The
demand for beef, however, is sensibly lessening, and
butchers finding difficulty in selling buy very cau-
tiously, and values are consequently much reduced.
A new alarm
has arisen during the past week in
the reported disease among
the pigs—similar to, if