The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-10 00:00:00

THE CATTLE PLAGUE.

MEETING OF BUCKINGHAMSHIRE FARMERS.
AYLESBURY, Wednesday Evening.
The anxiety of the agriculturists of this county appears
to be very greatly intensified in reference to the imminent
spread of the cattle plague throughout the country, if the
large meeting of farmers, graziers, and others held this
afternoon at the Crown Hotel in this town, and the ear-
nestness with which they addressed themselves to the sub-
ject, are to be taken as criteria. The large market-room
of the hotel was so densely crowded that there was scarcely
space sufficient for all who attended. As on the occasion
of the preliminary meeting on Saturday, Mr. W. Rose, of
Eythorpe, again presided, and was supported by many of
the principal owners of stock in the district.

The business was opened by Mr. G. A. LErrEß,veterinary
surgeon to the Vale of Aylesbury Cattle Assurance Associa-
tion,who read an elaboratelyprepared report on the history,
symptoms, &c., of the new disease, together with some very
interesting results of post-mortem examinations which he
had made of animals who had fallen victims to the distemper,
and he concluded by making a variety of practical sugges-
tions with a view to preventing the spread of the disease
in this part of the country.

Mr. H. LEPPER gave a short history of assurance of cattle,
with the view of showing that the ordinary means of re-
lieving farmers from loss of stock would utterly fail in the
present case were the plague to become wide-spread, and
urging the need of a special organisation to meet the pre-
sent special emergency. He suggested that one requirement
to be inserted in the rules of the new society for protection
against the plague should be, that every member observing
the slightest deviation in tho state of health of any of their
cattle should report the same to the committee, that steps
might be taken to isolate them, and other means adopted
to prevent the spread of the disease.
Mr. J. T. SENIOR dwelt on the importance of stopping, if
possible, the importation of cattle from the London markets
into the country. Last Monday about 18 to 20 beasts were
brought thence to Aylesbury, and, as proximity to infected
cattle to the extent of 100 yards would spread the contagion,
it was evident that the Aylesbury farmers were by no means
safe.. He expressed his sense of the importance of killing
the beasts as soon as ever an infected condition was dis-
covered.

Mr. G. M. ALLENDER blamed tho Government with hav-
ing been tardy in the matter. Any local efforts would be
inadequate to grapple with it, and the greatest good the
present meeting could do would be to memorialise the Privy
Council to stir themselves a little more than they had done
by the mere issuing of a letter to the Royal Agricultural
Society of England and the Veterinary College. He thought
the letter was a disgrace to the Government, who appeared
to want to throw the whole of the care of the matter on indi-
viduals. What would be the use of the Vale of Aylesbury
taking action if the Government would not assist at the
ports? For nearly every case was traceable to the importa-
tion of foreign cattle, and the plague would not have been
in England at all if those cattle had not been brought over.
The Government admitted in theirletter that out of 160,000
cattle attacked in Russia last year 105,000 died, and they
said that their powers as vested in thorn were limited; and
moreover—and this was the disgraceful part of the letter
—that "it did not appear that in any country where the
Government possessed the amplest power of dealing with
such cases, and had used it, any very signal success had
resulted." But England was not in a similar set of circum-
stances. The countries referred to already had the disease,
but it did not exist in England, but was brought hither,
and therefore he contended the Government of this coun-
try had the power to prevent its introduction. (Applause.)
He moved that a petition be at once drawri up, memorial-
ising the Government to immediately enforce a quarantine
of seven or ten days. That would stop the foreign impor-
tation, infected animals already in England would be iso-
lated, and thus the disease be speedily arrested. The
memorial should also adopt Mr. Senior's view, that the
beasts should at once be killed as soon as infection was dis-
covered.

Mr. T. C. HOWLAND seconded the motion, giving the
Government credit for issuing circulars to the railway
companies and ports. But railwAy companies did not give
much heed to such advice; and, as an instance, he men-
tioned that at the Aylesbury station of the London and
North Western Railway sometimes the cattle trucks used
by the Bucks farmers were not cleaned out for six weeks
together, and only a few days ago three boasts died from
the plague during transmission from London to Birmingham.
Mr. FREEMAN and several other farmers supported the
motion, and it was unanimously carried, the memorial be-
ing signed in the room by owners of stock representing an
aggregate of 5,000 head of cattle.

The meeting then went into matters of detail regarding
the constitution of the society for mutual assurance against
loss of cattle by the now disease. They decided by a very
•
large majority to allow two-thirds of the value of smitten
baa.stg to rig 7 members as might /oso them from that rause,
the proposal to allow only one half finding but little favour.
The following were also appointed a committee to draw up
the rules, and submit them to the body of members :—Mr.
W. Rose, Eythorpe, chairman ; Mr. Geo. Fell, secretary ;
Messrs. J. Korsley, Fowler, E. Stone, W. 11. Rose, T. W.
Morris, H. Lepper, G. A. Lepper, Humphrey Bull, E. Ben-
nett, Walter Crook, J. P. Parrott, T. C. Howland, T.
Woodman (Tying), J. Biggs, J. Donchfield, M. Bliss, J.
Kingham, W. Mayson, G. French, and J. Trevor, sen.
The meeting then adjourned.

CANTERBURY,
WEDNESDAY.

There is no longer any doubt that the disease which has
made its appearance among cattle in the vicinity of this
city is the murrain. Mr. Vim. Dombrain, who has a farm
at Broad Oak, about a mile and a half from the city, has
already lost ten cows, and the disease, in a less virulent
form, has attacked the stock of other dairymen. It is also
reported that it has appeaaed in various parts of the Isle of
Sheppey and the Isle of Thanet. In the case of Mr. Dom-
brain the infection was communicated to his stock by four
Dutch calves, purchased in the Canterbury market, which
had been sent from London. As soon as there was reason
to apprehend the fearful visitation had broken out here,
the Mayor of Canterbury wrote to tho authorities in Lon-
don, and the result was the sending down of an inspector
to institute inquiries into the matter. For this purpose
Mr. George T. Brown visited Canterbury yesterday, and
the result of his inspection may be gathered from the fol-
lowing letter addressed to the mayorof the city :

" Canterbury, Aug. 8.
" Sir,—having made an inspection of Mr. Dombrain's
farm, and satisfied myself of the existence of the cattle
plague in the neighbourhood, I have the honour to submit
to you the following suggestions for the prevention of the
spread of the disease :

" Ist. On the appearance of any symptoms of ill-health
among cattle, the affected animals should be separated from
the rest, and if the plague is found to bo developed, the
animals should be at once destroyed and buried.

"2nd. No infected animal, dead or alive, should be
taken along public, ways, nor any animals that have been
near infected stock, or that have been attended by men
who have been in contact with animals having the disease.
" 3d. No communication, direct or indirect, should be
permitted to occur between diseased and healthy stock
under any circumstances.

" 4th. The extensive use of some disinfectant, as chlo-
ride of lime, is to be advised in sheds and farm-yards,
oven where no disease has appeared.
" sth. It is very desirable, as a matter of expediency,
that no fresh cattle should bo purchased except for the
purpose of immediate slaughter, or otherwise with the in-
tention to keep them in an isolated position for not less
than 14 days before allowing;them to mix with otherstock.
" The alarming spread of the disease through the coun-
try renders the adoption of the most stringent sanatory
regulations absolutely necessary.—l am, sir, your very

obedient servant, " GEORGE T. Bnowx.
" The Mayor of Canterbury."

The mayor has appdinted au inspector of stock for the
Canterbury market, and meetings of the town council and
also of tho farmers of East Kent have been convened to
adopt other precautionary measures to prevent the spread
of the disease.

Messrs. Durant and Co., reviewing the course of
business in the silk trade during the last month,
say We have had a month of extreme 'quiet in
silk. At the time of the departure of the 10th
July mail, a check had already been established by
a telegram announcing good prospects as to crop
in China, and probably very low opening prices.
Within a few days other telegrams were received
announcing large settlements, and fully confirming
the expectation as to the comparative abundance of
the crop. This effectually put a stop to all busi-
ness, for although they reported a material rise in
prices, this was looked upon as the result of the
greatly improved accounts from this side, rather
than any doubt as to the probable amount of ex-
port. The letters delivered this morning hold out the
hope of a larger quantity than had been previously
contemplated, but there is again a telegram in
town, of later date, giving decidedly unfavourable
accounts of the prospects of the second crop, and
limiting the estimate of total quantity from China
to the original statement of 50,000 bales. This
will no doubt have more or less effect upon the
minds and feelings of the importers of the large
quantity of about 7,000 bales to be landed next
week. For the moment our quotations are merely '
nominal—the few transactions that have taken
place in old silk have been at a reduction of about
10 per cent. Bengal silk has fully shared in the
general quiet, and the little business done has been
at the same reduction.