H.—2

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bearing upon the importation of stock from England be revised, with a view of giving the Stock Departments and the Government Veterinary Surgeons the supervision of all importations for a period of six months after their release from quarantine, with power to take possession of the animals when this or any similar ailment makes its appearance, the costs and charges of supervision to be paid by the owner. In asking this power it may be necessary to point out that it would be impossible to fix a period of quarantine to specially deal with such pests, differing entirely as they do from an infectious or contagious disease having a recognised period of incubation, and which is completely covered by our present term of quarantine. When the Devon cows alluded to had completed their term, I determined to retain possession of them, as warbles continued to appear. I feel assured that, had I released them, the owner would have kept them under strict surveillance, but I hesitated to establish a precedent by allowing stock to leave quarantine while suffering from what would, if introduced, probably be a serious trouble and heavy loss to stockowners. The estimated loss from the attacks of the gad-fly in England is from £2,000,000 to £7,000,000 annually. With a fact such as this before the Conference, I would strongly urge members to consider the desirability of restricting the exportation of cattle from England to the months of April and May. I propose to deal seriatim with the quarantine periods under section 50 of the report of minutes of proceedings, resolutions, &c, of the meeting of Chief Inspectors of Stock held in Sydney in June, 1891; also to show the recognised periods on incubation of diseases likely to attack each individual class of stock under Form C, Eegulation 4: —

Horses.

I believe the term of quarantine fixed will insure safety when it is shown that in cases of glanders and farcy fourteen days would be covered by the sea-voyage. Thus there would be no danger unless an outbreak occurred in course of transit, and this must be reported by the captain under section 44.

Cattle.

The period of quarantine from foreign countries I consider unnecessarily long, and would propose the sixty days be reduced to thirty days, if the Conference will adopt the views promulgated by me in this paper—that cattle shall not be introduced from outside the Australasian Colonies over the age of two years, and only when exported from England during the months of April and May.

Sheep.

The quarantine of ninety days is absurdly long, when it is considered that the period of incubation of the diseases enumerated in no case exceeds eighteen days, and that, as a provision against the introduction of scab, ticks, or lice, sheep are dipped immediately upon entering the quarantine-ground, a second, or even third, dipping being at the discretion of the Chief Inspector. With such precautionary measures I feel sure the Conference will see fit to reduce the term to thirty days.

Period of Quarantine. Disease. Period of Incubation. 'ourteen days I Anthrax ... Farcy, glanders ... i Influenza... Babies \ Mange ... Twenty-four to forty-eight hours ... Eight to fourteen days. ... Very rapid—twenty-four hours. ... Uncertain. .. Uncertain.

Term of Quarantine. Disease. Period of Incubation. lixty days Actinomycosis Anthrax ... Cancer Foot-and-mouth Pleuro-pneumonia ... Babies Einderpest Tuberculosis Slow growth ; not contagious. Twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Not contagious. Extremely rapid. Fourteen to forty-two clays. Uncertain. Under eight days. By inoculation—rapid; slow development.

Term of Quarantine. Disease. Period of Incubation. inety days Anthrax ... Catarrh ... Foot-and-mouth Eabies Einderpest Scab Sheep-pox, ticks, and lice Twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Eapid. Extremely rapid. Uncertain. Under eight days. Sixteen to eighteen days. Three to eight days.