The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-05-19

army horses, is particularly prevalent
during January and continues as late
as April. It is caused by vapor arising
from the dew on the ground and being
reathed in by the horses. The symp-
toms are very similar to those of ma
laria, and low lying areas or pastures
are the dangerous places. One of the
peculiar features of the disease is that,
although it appears every year in one
or more places, it becomes general over
large areas only in certain seasons. 1t
appeared exceptionally early this year
among the horses. About 80 per cent
of those affected die, While among
mules and donkeys only 25 per cent or
even less of the cases prove fatal
Horses that have been exposed to the
disease three times and have lover
are known as sailed horses, and are
practically immune against the pest.
Various experiments by the Bacteri-
illogical institute at Grahamstown have
shown thai no material can be obtained
from the bodies of animals which have
died of the malady that can be used IN
practice to produce immunity in
healthy animals.
The tsetse fly, which is about three
times as large as the common house
fly, is greatly dreaded by farmers and
herdsmen alike. 1t attacks the cattle
and horses, and within a few hours the
animals are dead. A less dangerous but
more troublesome pest is the ubiquitous
white ant, which is about
of an inch long. It will eat through
anything except iron or steel and can
only be destroyed by killing the queen,
which is sometimes one inch in length
The ant hills make conspicuous land
marks.
There are no forests in South Africa
that can be used for building purposes.
The little wood that does grow to tree
size is not available for either building
above ground or for underground work.
because it decays so rapidly. All the
timber used for constructive purposes
is brought from foreign parts.
The land is generally covered with a
scrub growth. During the height OF
the winter season the Beers burn the
grass which grows in p%rofusion on the
open veldt. They do this to increase
the productiveness of the p~asturage Tor
cattle during the following season. The
veldt fire burns almost nightly, Gaping
the hilltCps with a wavering line OF
light which seems to cut the sky with
a vivid dash of color, outlining the rise
and fall of the hilly country. Fires are
often the result of accident, but more
frequently they are set by the farmers
for purely precautionary n
grass has a tendency to become sour
during the fall season, making very
dangerous fodder for the cattle. The
simple process of burning the grass pro-
duces an alkaline manure which is a
fine fertilizer for the soil. Horses espe-
cially dislike the field fires, and when
ever they hear the cracking of the
flames rush wildly in the opposite d.
r~ection. The rush of burned out little
animals is something extraordinary to
see. They scramble heller SHELTER be-
fore the field fire, regardless of any dam
ger in front of them. Many of them go
headlong into the nearest water and are
drowned. The systematic firing OF the
veldt is said to be a preventive OF ma
laria, owing to the decaying matter be-
ing promptly disposed of instead OK
being allowed to slowly decompose-
A cause of much suffering in South
Africa is the lack of drinking water
The water of the Tugela and the Mod
der rivers is poisonous and cannot be
used for drinking or cooking purpose
but, strange as it may seem, native an
imals can partake of it without any
danger. Buffers troops, when camped
along the Tugela river in December,
the height of the summer season,
brought all the water that was used in
camp from Frere by narrow gauge rail-
way. The scarcity of water is one OF
! the greatest trials of the British SOL
diers during the present invasion, as
the Beers mad it a rule to destroy all
the wells in any neighborhood they Wis
tied.