Captain CRAIGasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware of the mortality among calves and young stock generally at Kilmacow, county Kilkenny; whether, after considerable agitation among the local inhabitants, an inspector was sent down by the Department of Agriculture, who, with a sergeant of police, went round and saw many cattle sick and others recently dead; whether the inspector wrote voluminous notes and took blood and portions of animals away for analysis; whether, since then, an inspector has visited the place; and, if so, can he state the nature of the report submitted; and whether the Department of Agriculture have any remedy to suggest for stopping this rate of mortality?
§ Mr. BIRRELLIn June of last year an inspector of the Department of Agriculture made inquiries in the Kilmacow neighbourhood regarding a wasting disease which had been reported as causing serious mortality locally among cattle. At that time the losses appeared to have ceased, and the inspector was unable satisfactorily to investigate the matter as no acute case or case of recent death in which post-mortem examination could be made was discoverable. The Department are not aware of any subsequent reappearance of the malady.