, 1866-01-13


4 general hope WAS entertained that the
Tirulence of the disease would ahate ~ the
cold weather set In, but serious reaction In
the opposite direction has, however, taken
place According TO the authorities, there
epidemic has not shown itself with mora or
less severity, and eight IN Scotland; while In
Wales, there arc but two counties where it has
think It will also to your readers, that the
disease is violently contagious, for we can hut
decide from the above fact that the difficulty
Of access to Wales and Scotland, anc to their
mountainous features, has kept the disease
ont Of their fastnesses. From the very itnper-
feet statistics furnished to OF obtained by our
Government, It Ia estimated that, In the re-
gions where tho disease has been known to e1-
lst, upwards ofA per cent Of the cattle have
been attacked. The plague has had, and Is
still having Ito own way In Mtddlese1, York
shire and our eastern, south-1ntdlaud, south
eastern, and northwestern countries whilst
the remainder Of The country II suffering from
greatest loss hns been in the metropolitan dis
triet !; and we are Informed that therein the
number Of animals attacked has reached fig
ure Of between 81 and &c per cent. l think
should have some difficulty IN giving your
readers better 1dea than is otterercd BY these
distemper.
THE FARMERS AND THE GOVERNMENT.
It used 10 be the boast of Englishmeu, that
they could help themselves better than their
government could help them and, until late
y, we were very fond of pointing our fingers
IN dcrisson at those poor Frenchmen across the
charnelwho haye everything done for them and
old " Conse1yatives,n our farmers, are now
besetting the Ministers Of the Grown almost
daily, praying the Government to adopt meas
1rcs OF the most ultra absolutist character.
i general meeting Of representatives of the
Agricultural Societies Of England was held in
agricultural mobiles and gentry being present.
a series Of bitingly stringent resolutions was
adopted, and q dcputation, consisting OF
Lords Combermere, Hill and Leigh, Sir ].
Tyr1ell, Hon. G. Il. Gust, Col. North, Mr.. G.
8. Read, n. F., with delegations from thirty
societies, forthwith waited on the Home Sec
retary, or, as you would cali hin, tho Secre-
tary Of the Inferior The gist Of the whole
series Of resolutions was, that the Govern
Ment should put an immediate stoppaEe on
the cattle traffic. that oxen should not be
permitted to move from one place to another,
except to be slaughtered, and that foreign
cattle should be slaughtered Us soon as landed.
Sir George Grey, The home Secretary, consid-
cred ut the outset that the Government re-
strfctions we're sufficiently stringent, but the
Influential deputation managed: to chango
his opinions on the subject. He remarked,
al the close of the interview, that he would
lay the views Of the leputation before the
Privy Council, together with the series Of
resolutions submitted to him, adding that he
would report majority Of the uobleman md
gentleman calling upon him were IN favor OF
frt7. upon q 1nun's oun farm. At this point,
Lord Hill 1nterposed and declared that such
was the unanimous opinion OF the deputatiou,
and begged leave to put 1t to the vote this
was done, the result being the holding up of
only three bands r. the negative: Your
this Cattle Plague proves to US when our far
mers are praying the Government TO cut their
throats for them in this manner. Fancy
mans not being permitted to move his cattle
from one part Of his own farm to another
part.
COLLECTION or CATTLE STATISTICS.
It will somewhat surprise Americans when
never. until now, attempted the collection Of
statistics relative to cattle had such inior-
nation been In existence, an immense amount
Of anxiety and loss might have been saved to
the. country. At tho eleventh hour, when
perhaps too late to be Of real benefit, our
Slow coach authorities are beginning! TO
move; and battledore and shuttiecock cor
rcspon1ence between the Home Department
and the Board, Of Irada has. Just resulted IN,
the Issuing of q certain form or schedule,
which cattle owners and graziers, &C., ard to
Ill up and forward to the Government by a
given date The returns required are the
number Of ,milch COWS, OF other cattle two
years old and above, cattle under two years,
sheep above md under one ycar; and pigs
and, when these returns are published, i've
shall know for the first time, what the live
stock of the United Kingdom is worth. Ar
the present time, We know nothing whatever
upon the subject. J..
ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF ENGLAND
The annual meeting of this influential
society was held last Wednesday in this
metropolis, md, as usual on these occasions
many Of the most prominent landowners and
falmers were present from all parts Or tha
| country It Is almost useless to remark that
the main question under discussion Wae tne
cattle plague; but little new was enettcd.
The speakers informed each other that tha
animals were dying every which We ~
knew before, and that the only remedy yet
known to stop the plsgue was that OF the
| Folea1c and knife. Lamentable as It may ap-
pear, everybody seems to be coming round to
ibis conclusion. Last Tuesday week. very
Interesting lecture was delivered before Tho
secIety by the eminent agricultural chemist,
| Professor Foelcker, wherein Wa were informed
| Of much that Is novel and interesting IN re-
gard 10 the plague. Tho Professor atatcs tina