SHY OF ARGENTINE CATTLE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 967, 7 November 1910, Page 10

SHY OF ARGENTINE CATTLE.

ENGLAND AND THE FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE. Speaking at the North East Somerset Show, recently (says the "Live Stock Journal"), Sir Edward Strachey, Baft., Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture, referred to the recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Yorkshire, and said they had , not yet been, able to decide what was the source of infection, though they were still investigating. On the other hand, he was glad to be able to tell them that the Board of Agriculture had been able to remove all restrictions in regard to Yorkshire for tho movement of cattle, except as regarded the particular farm in question and'fields where the. outbreak took place. They 'hoped that within- a short, time the restrictions would be entirely removed. They were anxious, of course, not to declare the place itself entirely free, until it had been thoroughly disinfected—not only the sheds and buildings, but the-actual . surface of the land upon which the animals were which were infected. He claimed credit on behalf of tho Board of Agriculture for the very prompt way in which the matter: had been dealt with v He thought the case bore out tho contention {Sat they'. must use the greatest caution before admitting cattle from Argentina to England for slaughter at- the port. Some six months ago the Argentine declared it was entirely free from foot and mouth disease. He was attacked from both sides of the THouso on the matter. It was urged that the Board of Agriculture ought at once to remove restric-, tions and that cattle should be imported from Argentina. Ho thought that they would .see that he was justified in Urging that they should have further investigation;/owing to Argentina being 'a country/where- foot and ..■ mouth disease had been very' prevalent, -and' to the difficulties a country like Argentina had in making certain that precautions were taken to stamp out the disease. It would bo seen by the fact that-in Argentina there, had now. been a heavy outbreak of foot and mouth disease that they were entirely, justified in refusing' to admit ■' cattle from that country. _ If any justification were needed, it was furnished Jiy the outbreak with which they had been dealing, and in which they . had not. -yet' been able to trace the source of infection. In the Edinburgh case infection was not brought by cattle, but inlmy.-