CO129-473 - Individuals - 1921 — Page 355

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The Colonial Veterinary Surgeon's recommendation was agreed to and the matter was left over for the time being. Twenty pure bred of Holstein cows imported from New Zealand were given the "credit bringing this disease to the farm. Before inoculation, about twelve died. Inoculation caused two more deaths, while in a few other cases it was necessary to snip off the point of the tail where inoculation took place in order to prevent the animals from incurring too severe reaction.

RINDERPEST.

In 1896, rinderpest made its first appearance at the Company's farm. At that time the whole herd was confined to the limited space within the gates of Mains of Pokfulum. The manager at that time not being acquaint- ed with the diagnosis of Asiatic rinderpest, and the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon being absent on leave in England, all the doctors in the Colony visited the farm to inspect the sick animals and hold post-mortems on the dead ones.

After some days, it was found that the disease was contagious and that the entire herd was in grave danger of being wiped out. The Sanitary department took charge of the whole premises, engaging a squad of coolies to bury the dead animals. The coolies bolted, and were replaced by others in great numbers, yet they were not able to keep pace with the rapid mortality, and the dead animals were being piled up in a heap in a cattle paddock in the centre of the farm.

The farm entrance was closed and was guarded by a European constable day and night to prevent anything or anybody leaving the farm. In connection with this arrangement there was an amusing incident when two prominent doctors entered the farm to hold a post-mortem on one of the cattle, and were refused permission to leave until the constable on duty had himself been requested by the Governor to allow the doctors to go home. The Company protested against the closed door, and desired permission to bring out the healthy animals to be segregated. This permission was ultimately granted, but too late, for the disease accompanied the cattle from site to site until only thirty cows were left out of a herd of 230 head. The weather chanced to be wet and cold. Mat-sheds were run up here and there, and the first move made for segregation. Sick animals were picked out daily and the healthy moved on to fresh quarters, until the disease was finally confined to one lot of seventy young animals, the first young stock reared on the farm. These were all more or less affected, and

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to end the disastrous disease the manager marched the seventy head to the seaside one Sunday morning and shot them. It was a sad day for him, The fruits of his first three years' labour as manager came to a sudden and deplorable end in the short space of ten days.

There was much controversy at Sanitary Board Meetings (which took place almost daily in connection with the disease) as to the best method of disposing of the carcases. It was eventually decided to drag them down to the seaside and load them in lighters to be dumped in the open sea. To facilitate this move, the Acting Captain Superintendent of Police, the Acting Colonial Treasurer, the Acting Postmaster General and several European Police and Sanitary Inspectors volunteered each to take charge of twenty coolies and a dead cow and continue dragging day and night to the seaside until the premises were clear of dead animals. A second army of men was stationed at the seaside to put the carcases on board the lighters. During the prolonged burial operations, the pile of carcases became dense" in more ways than one; one of these attracted the dogs from the neighbouring village, which gave work to a party of police with firearms. The Sanitary department thoroughly disinfected the whole of the premises, at a cost to themselves of about $3,000. They further bought all fodder and grain on the farm from the Company and burned it. The directors tried their very best to get some compensation for the great loss which they had sustained but without avail. For six months the Company was not allowed to recommence business and during the interval other dairies sprang into existence.

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In 1894, the herd of cattle was doubled, and for the year 1895 a dividend of 10% was paid, leaving a balance of $24,000 to be carried forward. This sum, and a call of $10,000, made up the total amount that the Company had with which to start business again. The property known as Sassoon's had previously been bought, and in order not to put new cattle into the old sheds, this property was developed by converting the then existing outhouses into cow-sheds. When they were completed, a raid " was made on the Chinese dairies and sixty of their best milkers were purchased while seventy cows were imported from Tacoma. Trouble did not cease, however, for in the spring of 1897 rinderpest again broke out, this time at Sassoon's Farm. Profiting from previous experience, segregation of the animals was commenced at once, and this had the effect of reducing the mortality to thirty head, three affected animals recovered. About this time rinderpest was very prevalent in South Africa and information from

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