easy problem to find something to counteract it or render it inert; this will be the business of the Physiological Chemist which the Department is obtaining from Europe.

Many farmers pin their faith to a lick of salt, lime, saltpetre, etc.; personally I have had fair success in the Eastern Province with bonemeal. When given to the cattle the results were more than a coincidence, and many farmers there still stick to that as a reliable preventive of the disease.

While working with the disease in the Eastern Province the writer at one time thought he had found the exact cause of lamziekte in the shape of a rod-shaped organism found in the walls of the gut in cases. of the disease, as he found that solutions of this organism when grown for some time produced symptoms approximate to those of lamziekte when injected into clean cattle; when these latter animals. recovered they seemed to resist the disease for a time. A number of cattle were then inoculated, and they also seemed to possess a stronger immunity to lamziekte than those not so treated. Up to the present the results have been contradictory, but this idea is being thoroughly tested this year in the Christiana and Bloemhof Districts; perhaps the reaction set up by the inoculation may set up some oxidation changes in the animal's system which may assist it to throw off the cumulative poison. (Over 1000 head of stock are being inoculated experimentally.)

EXPERIMENTAL WORK AT PRESENT BEING CARRIED OUT BY THE DIVISION IN REGARD TO LAMZIEKTE.

The experimental work in connection with this disease is much hampered by our inability up to the present to produce cases of lamziekte at will; we are thus reduced to waiting for veld infection to supply us with the cases for study; this, as can be imagined, circumscribes the area of our work considerably several cases may occur in an area, and as soon as arrangements are made for the study of the disease in that form the cases often cease, and it is no simple job moving laboratory appliances and apparatus about the veld; besides, the inability to produce cases at will debars us from undertaking a study of the many recommended preventives. The work at present being conducted by the Division aims, in all cases, at producing a case of the disease; when we can do that we can concentrate the work at Onderstepoort and think about methods of prevention and cure.

Dr. Theiler's observations and experiments have led him to believe that the infection of lamziekte was picked up on the veld, probably a continued ingestion of certain injurious vegetable substance being the originating cause; with this object in view certain extensive and detailed experimental work has been started in various parts of the country, viz.:

Vryburg, Cape Province.
Kaffraria, Transvaal.

Immigrant, Orange Free State.

Lower Albany, Cape Province.

I will glance at each set of experiments quite briefly: Vryburg Experiment.-Here at a notorious farm called Armoedsvlakte certain cattle have been grazed over the infected area, and in

addition certain plants, regarded as suspicious by the Government Botanist, are hand-gathered and fed to tethered cattle, which are forced to submit to one plant in each case. In addition, the lam ziekte camp has been fenced down until the disease showed itself in a 100-acre paddock; this has now been fenced into five, so that the actual area affected with the disease may be circumscribed, then every stick and herb can be carefully examined.

Some doubt and some derision has been cast upon the separate grass feeding experiments, but this is quite uncalled for; we are working with an unknown disease and must approach the investiga tions from all sides. The feeding of individual grasses and plants is no easy task; the feeding, it must be understood, should extend over at least a clear year, and during many parts of the year in the Vryburg area, particularly during the drought of 1912, the vegetation completely disappeared and the experiment had to be suspended

I have much hope from the fencing-down experiment, as there we may get the actual cause of the disease.

Transvaal.--Here the work is being conducted on a farm called Kaffraria, in the Christiana District, and as far as possible the Armoedsvlakte experiments are being duplicated; in addition, the suspicious grasses and plants selected as such by the Government Botanist are being planted in lands in acre plots, and in spring cattle will be tethered in these plots of suspected deleterious grasses and fed on them exclusively during the whole season.

Orange Free State.-Here at Bestersput, a farm near to Immigrant Siding on the Bloemfontein-Kimberley line, and long known to be badly infected with lamziekte, extended preparations are being made for the planting of suspected grass plots in readiness for the cattle feeding experiments in the spring. In addition, green veld hay and vegetation is supplied to a number of stabled animals as their only food (from a camp in which a number of control animals are running and in which the disease has shown itself). As soon as ever we get a case of lamziekte by the general hay feeding experiment arrangements will be made to start selective grass and plant experiments with the grass and plants found in the hay.

It is no light work planting and watering ten acres of planted vegetation, and the job has been a strenuous one.

Lower Albany.-Here at a farm, Manley Flats, on the Grahamstown-Kowie Railway, we run in a lamziekte camp thirty head of mixed susceptible cattle; from this camp is cut veld hay which is baled and sent to the Veterinary Laboratory at Grahamstown and fed exclusively to six kraaled animals.

In this district we are also conducting an experiment at Sevenfountains with exposing susceptible cattle in a lamziekte camp in order to differentiate between this disease and heartwater (two very often confounded).

In addition to these outstanding feeding experiments, we are conducting similar work at Onderstepoort, both with hay from Christiana District and from Bechuanaland. A very serious outbreak of the disease occurred at a grass veld farm in the Vryburg area, over twenty head of cattle dying there. I at once sent down men and suitable appliances to collect hay in the camp in which the animals were dying; this baled hay was sent to Onderstepoort and is being fed as an exclusive ration to twenty heifers.

Other Experimental Work.-Much of the inoculation work dealt. with in previous reports is being repeated, but I would say here that with the exception of two suspicious cases amongst our stabled animals at Bestersput, we have so far failed to transmit the disease lamziekte from one animal to another, and also failed to produce a case at will by any of our feeding experiments.

It can easily be seen how this is the first step in the investigation into the nature and cause of lamziekte, and until this is an accomplished fact the outstations must be kept on and the work will be carried on along the present lines.

Turkish Tobacco in the Cape Province.

CULTIVATION AND PREPARATION OF THE LEAF FOR MARKET.

By L. M. STELLA, Officer in Charge, Turkish Tobacco Experiments, of the Tobacco and Cotton Division, Pretoria.

INTRODUCTION.

THE circumstances leading up to the cultivation of Turkish tobacco in the Cape Province and the subsequent history of the industry were set forth in an article appearing in the Cape Agricultural Journal of May, 1910. In order, however, to demonstrate the economic side of the industry, and indicate the lines on which progress has been made, the following brief summary is given:

In 1905 the first experiments with Turkish tobacco were laid out in the Cape Province; since then the industry has made steady progress and has proved very remunerative. As with other new industries, the Turkish tobacco industry has seen many vicissitudes. There was some doubt in the beginning as to whether the venture would ever succeed. Recognizing, however, the latent possibilities of success in the culture. of Turkish tobacco in the Cape Province, the Government engaged the writer's services to lay out experiments on private farms. During the 1906-7 season, six farms were selected in the French Hoek and

Plate No LII.

Turkish Tobacco Seed-Beds, Cape Province, showing cheese-cloth covering.

Groot Drakenstein Valleys. The area under cultivation comprised in all seven and a half acres, and the yield was 3000 lb. This tobacco was subsequently sold by auction at French Hoek, and realized an average price of 1s. 6d. per lb., which was a fair price, considering its immatured state and that the labour was raw and inexperienced, and that the manufacturers were unacquainted with the true value of the produce.

In 1907-08 the experiments were extended to several other districts, and a successful crop of 13,000 lb. was raised and sold by auction at French Hoek, realizing an average price of 1s. 11d. per lb.

In 1908-09 experiments were laid out at fourteen farms. Nearly seventy acres were put under cultivation, and an estimated crop of 35,000 lb. was anticipated, but, unfortunately, owing to severe drought and several pests attacking the plants, only 16,000 lb. were raised. The tobacco was sold by auction, and the average price realized was 2s. per lb.

In 1909-10 the industry saw marked progress, not only in the number of growers and the area under cultivation, but in the increased interest the industry evoked, as indicated by its extension to other districts in the Western Province. Eighteen farms were selected, extending over the Divisions of Stellenbosch, Paarl, Tulbagh, and Caledon. These plots comprised an area of one hundred and thirteen acres, and the total output was 56,000 lb. The immature tobacco was sold by auction; the average price realized was 2s. 1d. per lb.

In 1910-11 experiments were conducted at twenty-four farms; the area under cultivation, including previous growers, was 250 acres; the yield was 140,000 lb. The immature tobacco was sold by auction and realized an average price of 2s. 14d. per lb.

In 1911-12 experiments were conducted at thirty-two farms, the area under cultivation, including other tobacco growers, was nearly 400 acres; the yield was 250,000 lb. The immature tobacco was sold by auction, and the average price realized was 1s. 6d. per lb.

The present year, 1912-13, shows experiments conducted at fortytwo farms, and the area under cultivation, including other tobacco. growers, comprises 525 acres.

It will thus be seen that the industry expanded and grew in popularity every year, and also that the prices obtained for the produce were, on the whole, satisfactory. This will be better seen by a glance at the following table :

Table showing growth of the Turkish tobacco industry.

It will be observed that the producer obtained fair prices for his leaf, and that the prices generally increased with succeeding years.