THE NEW SPECIFIC FOR SCAB

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 6, Issue 357, 4 February 1863, Page 3

THE NEW SPECIFIC FOR SCAB

(From the Melbourne Argus, Jan. 7.) The present position of the sheep-owners of this colony, in relation to the frequent appearance of scab, is a most critical one, and creative of great anxiety. The new law has not yet been acted upon, but there are rumours that a gentleman holding a station, through which run the. upper waters of the River Werribee, is to be prosecuted very shortly, for that his sheep have suffered from the prevailing pestilence, and yet live. It is not at all unnatural that, under these circumstances, gfe'aii attention should be paid to the supposed discovery — by Mr. P. Hayes, of Kensington — of a specific which he has patented as a "simple, economical, and most effectual cure for scab in sheep." All the world knows that for many years the remedy commonly applied to this disease has been a decoction of tobacco mixed with arsenic or sulphur, in which the sheep have been periodically dipped. This has by no means proved wholly effectual, and is comparatively expensive, the treatment of each sheep being computed to cost 5d ; and hence it is no wonder that the announcement of Mr. Hayes's invention has been made much of. It is now about twelve months since he first turned his attention to the subject, and in September he secured his patent rights, innumerable experiments having enabled him to gain for his compound those characteristics which make it readily soluble in water, and without which it would be comparatively useless. The article now patented was first used upon twenty scabby sheep, on a station some seventeen miles from Melbourne, and after a ; fair application, and the lapse of a short interval, the manager of the station wrote to his employer a letter, purposely left open, and. the contents of which were seen by many persons of repute. It stated definitely that the sheep were " perfectly cured," and that the specific supplied a better and much cheaper cure than any before known. This was enough to put wool growers on the alert, for it had long been a matter of complaint that the tobacco and arsenic process was a very slow one, and rendered the wool harsh in texture, if it did not injure its colour. At this stage, the services of the Board of Agriculture were brought to bear, as it was desired that an undeniable test should be applied. Twenty scabby sheep, so far gone in the disease as to be held almost if not quite incurable, were accordingly selected, and brought to the Experimental Farm. They were designedly most unpromising objects for they had been closely and rather clumsily shorn, so that their skins were cut about. In this state, in the presence of a large number of gentlemen, including Mr. Matson, secretary to the board, an old experienced settler, on whom the responsibility of the experiment lay, the specific was applied. This took place early in November last, and since then there have been circulated a large number of rumours on the subject. Some said one thing and some another, and it was actually/ asserted that the sheep had all died.^Such, was not the ease^ however. As jth^aboTte is a simple, relation of facts, we may add to them r another, viz., that we paid a visit to the Experimental Farm yesterday, where were to" be seen all the sheep, looking in first-rate condition, and each covered with what appeai*ed to be a fine coat of Wool. This much, at all events, is certain. In a few days the inspector of sheep under the. Scab Act and Mr. Matson will give a final report on

the matter, and, if the opinion expressed on all hands by those who have watched the experiment, without more interest in it than a desire that the specific should prove successful, is to have any weight, it would seem that their report can only conclusively announce Mr. Haye^t success. If so, the colony, and, indeed, all sheep countries, will gain something considerable. We may remark that the specific has been already extensively used as a preventative on stations near Pyalong and Burnbank, as well as in many other localities, nameless now because settlers having scabby sheep are by no means desirous to bring upon themselves a visit from an inspector. It is easy of carriage, one gallon requiring to be mixed with thirty gallons of water ; and its price, ss. per gallon, makes the cost of application amount to about one penny per sheep. It is much to be hoped that the fair expectations now raised will meet with no baulk.