THE FARM INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 425, 6 February 1909, Page 3

THE FARM INDUSTRY.

■ » SEWS .AND NOTES , FOB THE r MAN ON THB ,LAES

- TUBERCULIN TEST. ITS USE DESCRIBED. HOW IT SPOTS THE'DANGEROUSCOWS: To make farmers familiar with what tuberi culm is, 1 and with how it is appliod in tho I testing of cows for tuborculosis, is, perhaps, the best of all methods of making its use I more gqneral. i« In America the tuberculin > is supplied,to the farmers .themselves by. tho r Government, and thoy make their own tests; ; but this is not yet the case in Now Zealand. i A veterinary: writer: in "Farm,. Field', nnd j Fireside" (England) makes tho following-in- , • foresting remarks on the subject —•» ' Tuberpullh?Contains no'•Gei;ms > ;':r ; ;:;' ;., "! ' ■ ;■;"'Dairy''fanners , -often ;ask whj;they./xan-, '.' not) undertake the'.testing'of .their 'own , cows,': f. arid, thefatiswer'tisually. given , is "that'special? 1 . training; is required to ■ appreciate xr the', symp- ' fcoms, ■:■ and';go' through with';the, te's,t yn-Va ': satisfactory-manner,.besides which the'/cetti- '. ficateVof:a•yeterihary surgeon'.has value, anil '!' th 6; evidence; of .the; layman none .''in .any ' casefof' ; dispute': concerning :the;' ; reactionyto'. ': tuberculin.:: ..It.niay be said .that" the-'intet; 1 ligentvlayman/'.who'-will the'.sanie ! care.asCtne"expert, , ;wiU; : arrive;at-simUar.-co6-1 elusions-if;;he. ; carries: out the.test, and-.will ! make ■ himself. conversint with. the' conditions ;. under-:which ;;it ; ; should he undertaken,! a'nd follow:: the'/direction's /issued, by '■ Hβ. should; !first'understand- ivhati tuberculin' 1 iß!\;"^Thei)flipd; , Mnib'vbut: , iindei\--t)\e^nam'e-qf tuberculin';. doe'sV not,, contain tubercle,; bacilli,/ ; or-it .would-'bVlikely to.produce > : What .it;does'!contain/is the.'i'rodijctsVdfitKe 1: bacfllif-their "excreta..and,''debris,'-to iput-Mt " briefly :;and.;n.bt ! too- scientifically.! .'--These. ;' products. -''arei ; mixed• with* -'a /dilutei'cafbqlic ; preparation; ■■ ; Why .does - tuberculin . : affeot 1 the 'animal^lnta-.whp'm'.it^-is'-injected.-.irY!-it : . .does) not.'-;.cqn'taih/-tbe • tubercle'',bapilli,.' : and: ■' why ■' should.; itxause' a : rise'of: temperature -in; .those.-.aff^ited-;with the"disease;Vahdrnot!in :those"which' are, I healthy?- :v l;.will-jattempthto, answer : iny; own/question by asking- the; reader, ; ■to.-o6nsider.;fdr.'itt':-moment ; 'qtiite' , : eaise;7tetanusi^r ; lock-jaw; v :-- ; ;v >;>•"'; ,':'■>; •• ; ;inte:restln^: : 'Parallel, ; ;; ;:'- 1 /- : \;: : ' ':•;■ ."Suppose;.; 'a^broken'■ knee,l into which-the .bacillus of VtetanjißJ : has,.entered. : , .. !.In- the '.the" wound ; the ,baoiili:multi-. .;: ply,Vibutvthey'jicl.o'not;:gef; : into/"the': v geh4ral .. '; blood, rt;biit/onlyv in :: -the.:,deeperip6rtiohs.' ! bi; • the:..wound.y.The"effects—the. spasmv and :the ; results of C the; ;excre-. tions , of;the bacilli; call urine, if you \ will^o^dungi-iThesß;poison;:the v ariimal^'and: ■ produced the: -familiar. , symptom's, of; tetaniis ( ;, mbre';;M'nMonly.:calle^:!;lo'ckjaw^.'biMate , i muscles , ; are.' largely^-compromised, •; and:::the.;jaws ; opened; ; with:difliculty/JorVonly' i, '^ery' slightly.' If the' infected , -wound■:we ,- haye imagined is reopeneiil.'a'ridvibqttomed :with powerful disinfectants: Jhe.bacilli •:are killed, and the production of ■ poison: ceases.. If the patient has not ;top large aVdbse;.'til- > ready free in his blood,-he wiU.-then'recovef." i The Tuberculous «3ow, ■J ",'::;'Iu the case of the cpw.with:.tuberculosis,; there is a more or loss acquired .endurance ; of the products of tviberol.e.-' .V 'AviQibr-v"- ; tain amount of accommodation: haa; been reached. TJie cells have.jgrown'accustomed .to small quantities of, this andjif ; the animal is free from chill at!,:the;itime' . and not at oestrum, her •temperature-will-: be 'normal, but if you suddenly .make A .■seriousaddition to tho amount:--oft-tubercle;;'waste , (tuberculin) , there will •'- tu're. Much experimentation.; was ; .needed;-at. first to'find what the dose'pr. quantity would ■ be-that could be given-to'a.'healthy;ariiinal: without producing the inoculation- fever;..and ! ' many miscalculations brought'the; :' ;discri3dit.':; ( does.!: not^oovejivthe/wbole l of,ithe ■case.;.;"!!! the; tube.rculous-;:cow'.uthere is ■ 'an.'.additiohal' '■ ■;and.%poi l , ;eous;injec.twn : as; , wheij/ia- gland; is'iaffected, but not active,;or throwing ;off bacilli, whioh will, reach.'others.""'and.■■'set'- "up;'new! centres. ■;•;'r' : .;>..;..- •':,.i:y'-- : r■■ ''-''iy' ..■ r.■) :■■. ' 'Clean Cows Not , ;;; In the clean animal; then;"the/correct;dose'' of tuberculin will - not ■'■produceUa'vtempe'ra-' ture c'lagnostic of.tiib'erculpsis..Vln [inMimat with the latent form it ~wili-'almost certainly do so In an advanced case fit'will not'pro'ye : , reliable, because the blood'is.'alreadyrso'fiill: :ofi the poison that a ;little?mor«i or-leW'ypiil , ! 'not materially affect J. the ■■ 'subject' -of' exipeH- : -nient. '^^^< : :: : ) : ::>-y.Cii' A : Mode of t -i ;"The following ; directions;, issued l , ibyrthe Principal ;of the'-Royal Veterinaxy ;College, ; ;■ .'"(1) While under the tubercuh"n test; cattle : - ■ ;ought keptiin-the house,: fed ; on ; their' usual food, and•ip'rotected.;from'-:draughts.-.They ought not to be: allowedvto; drink large'' ' :quantitiesiof cold-water •between-the''Bixth'' :; and eighteenth hoursvafter/injection^vXt^is;' - (well to take their.vteinperatureJat'least.orice" ! on-..the day preceding'-:the itesfc--v.:'^':^;. ; ;< r -'•;.'■' : i i ;"(2).^The : do.se:of;.tuberculiii';for,.a.;medium-' ■' .sized;;cpw;;is'three'^cvfbio;;centimetres::br : fifty< ;j 'minima , (drops), ;ahd. it:'may '-be 'varied'above : : 'or.-below..;that;'according to , 'the , "size.'of/:the ,: •■, !animaL,y Large ; bulls;ought, 'to deceive i icentime6reß;'i L .':v,.:v''-vi''■•'■:■>■ ■■■ : >S~>■-■-?;i:|- v r.:--:';'V i. ~: ;"(3):;It; oughj .to, bo:-injected :; skin .with;- a tcjeanfh'yperdermio • syringei -.The ; , : ; i: ;{wuifcof:;the;elbow..-; ! .The:'best;,fdm .;. iis one/;^thr;an.asbest6s,.piston,asithe ; .whole; : . anstrume.ni': may ;be sterilised by- .boiling, it -in :!, water; for -fiye' ; -minutes ibef6f6:',use.: ; " '. ,'' ■■ : ". -."•.• i-i j-* *_(4>jL/Tli«r-<>fc'«.'tNe «: wlin f- : vau β-fcj -l»er -In j e>&t>Gia . jia.'fco ' ■ f : :. >mustvbe;taken ithat^the;whole, dose. is ; intra-" 1 ;du6ed::! '■■y : ,t}}:'f- ; i :' : : : v ; i ;^A--; 'i-;>.-;;:i!-.•".;■ ) '»^wlthe^yeVdlo^Cp#7:; '■':"(Si'-.Qrdiiarfly-; : the;>temperature'.'must-. bo, ~ ,talf enj; at'. the, ■'■ time v.'of. ■• in jection',- anS ■at - : the' \ mnth,^weJM,%ftf^nth', I v;:aii ( d. , ,'; hours-;afterwards":;: When: there':is l aiiy v reason' ■'. ,to''.supMse 'thaii;the'animal may :l)aro 'already' ; been;.tested;!with; : tuberculinC .'■ ;;cedmg i;. 'to;^take) ; ,the ;at.;:the:;third;i'afid; .' sixtliihour's: as:weu'as'^at. ; the !titaes just;inen-,' \ tipnedif!s'vy;'^i^'v : vv'i-'!■ •.'■•; : ';:;';-;.'v> i^/;i '- ,-.■.;; : '■''~-" _({!)\ A nimals■ in■'.which ;the ; '- temperature. ; during-, .the7eight«en hours ..following .-the. in-; , .' j'ecti6n.;rises: gradually from'..the'nbrmal (be- , ;,-tweeniior. de'g..arid;. 102!deg.) to, 104,' dog, of ■ morej;;may' v bei:classed , asstuberculousV.-and' ' those; in- Twhich' it, remains '■. under ,IQ3 : deg: as/ ': not'tuberqulous.V.When"the maximum'tem- : perature.,attaine'd ; is:!under:ip4 - , dei.V:butbver.; .; Ip3. : ;deg.,;.the'ca^ r may, be re-tested'after~a' month.- ,'■ '■■'.i:<j .:' : /-.-.', • ■■'-;: .::;;■''■ ■'■■'■ >' v When, the Test; Fails;; >; ■■:■ -^■ : '^'■''}. ■ -■■■•■■ 'C>A -: ; ;.•.'•';■', is hot'reliable;;in -the 'case , ;- -■ 'of, ( animals;jn the.last stage';of;;the..'disease, , ;- ': or; ; m:th'dse;'in which'jthe.temperature'is'over ' 103':.de'gree'S'i.before injection.; ':;,\' ; ' *!-- ;,i , ;;;:;'Vi(B),,^iTOHubi3rculin' ; sh6uldibe;kept:in : !a ? ;. ; cool-place,''and protected;fro'm light;- 1 Should, ;. it-.becomeiturbid dr. : .clou'dy, it...must not' be;' ;"■ !;<;';';.:. r ;\W: ~?.'>;/ ;'-,■;! Ji.:'. : :'. '. ',''. Xp)i Thev.tuberculjni-.test'does : not,render' ': the;;milki'in ; ;any;.way:-ihjurious.'V;!'''::'' ,; ;-^ : ;' I, . .; , '.THe:;,tuberctilin ß prepared at;.thei.labo'ra-:. : ; tory, : ; of.-the:Royal/Veterinary College-is ; 'on]y ■ C; suppliedvtoi members; of the! Royaj ; Collegia 'of ',- ..Veterinary Surgeons, .as l^^'the;p'owefsthdt:-be',?.1 1 do nit'Cpnsider.it'Va l proper :thing/to-place -ih;; > the-, hands; of;the' publibj but .this -view is ; not .; b.eld;by.all(cattle men, some'of'whom-wotild-ft like, : :tb;:make;.what. :, thej; consider. arfa'irSand; ::' proper-use-.bf'lit-to;:test;their-,'own;;herjds,. i; atid.j.as'■usual;.; where 1 questions'-of-yprivilege-j .are scented; others are.ready.:to supply what 3 Me-pHblic desire.;',-., :■'; .. '-.' ..-V'.'vV;-.: v./:-';:i y- 'Skiir;Necess^ry^ : ;l ' : -;'','\X\ '■'■'', ':■-''• ;^\: :f- }:: I. : :"-Anyone-:- ; w,ho rhas -read; :the';;directi6hfl ■ above-willv'see'.that -trained- observation ; and S precautions-are necessary to carry .Out the .- test,''Or.the:'results : .will ; be altpgether. incon-. i elusive. -V.When every care has been taken to -.' eliminate error,' a. certain proportion of-cattle - leave the expert in doubt, and:the tuberculin ?: inoculation, like' most others,,-is only, a3 , latively;. ; good, thing. ,; In careful' hands i-it t enables :'us' to do a .lot of wcedlngj but a few.. " seeds wilr always be left, and the elimination 5 of.tuberculosis from,our heeds will .not'take. { pjace dilriiig- the-life of the p'reserit-genera-; 1 : tidn,";-.".,; : ';>-.'.'." |"."'',' ':'. '''• .';'-.- V,. ."'■: •.'•.;■■■■"

i SHOW JUDGES TALK,' A FEILDINC SOCIAL. COMPARE VIEWS WITH EXHIBITORS. Judges and exhibitors of the Fcildmg show eired thoir viowa on Tuesday evening at an interesting little social at Hastie's ' Mr. A. L. Jacob, of Hiccarton, who judged fat lambs, said that when carcasses were sent t<ALondon to be reiudged, it was only fair that the New Zealand judges should be made aware of the details of the London report If their local judgment wae%not confirmed by the subsequent examination, they wanted to , know exactly where they had erred. Again the London judging ought to be done by experts l and not decides solely by the prices which the various animals happened to fetch. For instance, if an animal had 6, 7, 8, 10, or '121b. of fat, that fat should be valued at the factory price per pound, if there was a skm to be reckoned, any auctioneer or wool man in Wellington could value it. As to the kind of sheep that was profitable was the one which could give the greatest return v to the owner's pocket in the shortest time. There were ' sheep in the show which', he was positive, would top the market so far as mutton was concerned, but when the valuo of fat, wool, and skin was counted' they wero beaten by other animals. If Feilding show aimed to teach the greatest value par pound of the aheep, then they were educating the people, but in some of the present classes the small eize sheep had no chance against the big sheep of 1401b. Farmers could be taught whether it paid best to get their sheep out in six months or nine, but no farmer needed . to be told that it did not pay to- keep sheep | for three years. Big "sheep were not the things to pay the taxes with. They should not, attempt to value their sheep at per carcass, but at per pound. Mr. Thomas Blackley, of believed in big lambs, so* long as they really were lambs. This season there were plenty of lambs and plenty of feed But the trouble was that they were paying 6d per pound for store lambs, and the men who were going round buying the fattened animals were giving only 4Jd per pound Consequently, they were keeping the lambs and making them heavier. Whereas some time ago he epuld get, only 14s. 6d a head, now, since ie had"kept them, he was getting 16s 6d. rbat illustrated the value of heavy lambs. In regard to heavy sheep, however, he did not think they were, profitable Once he was working for a company, and he used to glory y ;n the big sheep. But now he was working for himself, and there were no big ones on the-plaqe. He believed there-should be a Eve-weight fixed for the freezing classes. Borne of the lambs he had given first prize to were over freezing weight if they were in Canterbury. They were of fine quality, and he did not think he would he justified m dislualifying them because of the weights. If, however, the'live weights wero specified, then if a judge had any doubt about it he could get some spring balances and put this on the shoulders of two of the stewards and Keigh the lambs. It would do away with the /emark often heard:—"They are good lambs, but I think thoy are over weight." Mr William -Milk,,a judge of the Jerseys and the dairy cattle,\said he found some of the exhibitors of* grade shorthorns dissatisfied at having to compete against purebred Jerseys and Ayrshires. A judge of milking stock could not look for, beef, but only for milking qualities. The shorthorns could not come up to the purebreds in theso points, and the pure} reds, 1 therefore, had to have the prizes. Hβ thought the best way would be to provide separate classes for grades _ and separate classes for purebreds. Otherwise people would not enter their ■> grades. i> - i ."'<" ' Sir Gadsby, f speaking as an,,, exhibitor, .said ho noticed "old broken-mouthed stock scoring over good young stock. That ought not to be—and with good judges, too. A sheep should not win a pnzo on what, she had Doenj but on what she was now. An old sheep vDiight Btill be yery valuable and pro-, duce better stock than the younger sheep,' and if he had an-old ram or ewe he would not condemn them on that account. But he would keep them at home. (Hear, hoar.) Mr. Joseph advised that old judges should make the young stewards (who were learning to be- judges) write out their notes for theta i in regard to tho exhibits This would assist then "to learn Another point -worth considering _ was that associations should a judge' for their show who , was not recommended by his own association. The associations, were beginning to recognise that as l soon as they put their name at the back of a man they were responsible for him. Mr. Gadsby'thought there should.be a re-' , cord ""book kept in which tho euccesses or otherwise of the judges shduld be entered If this were" done, they would in time have a valuable book, in which they could turn back to see what sort of satisfaction a man gave when he last judged. Mr Joseph advised that the' societies should request the judges to furnish remarks on all the animals they judged. Then, if the society took the trouble to publish them m pamphlet form, it,would cost very little, and the men interested would be able to read them after tho judges had gone home "' Another speaker, commenting on the complaints that the g'ade cattle uere beaten by i the purebred animals, said it was all to the uredifof tho purebred stock if they defeated the giades in the utility classes. On 'the whole, httio social gathering afforded an excellent opportunity for judge I and exhibitor to rub views together, and ivas" quite the opposite oKthe furious perform-' anco that'Jie tjjhcal meeting between judge and disappointed exhibitor is popularly sunposed to produce. , <■ VETERAN DAIRY COW. Mr W P. Harre's Ayrshire cow, Winnie, who figured in the prize-list at the Feildmg Show this week,' has won many honours during \he seventeen years of her existence She has competed at 21 shows, and won six championships, 17 hrsts, and iour second prizes— mostly in the South Island, where they profess to have good Ayishires Mr Harre's threti-year-old Ayrshue.bull., Eral, is also beginning tyell, having'won at ten shows twd championships, eight hrsts, one second prize, end an h.c. edrd t ' . SHOW DATES. February 10.—Horowhenua A. and P (Levin). ,' f , February 16 n 17.—Masterton A and V February 18, 19.—Masterton Earn Fair A' FAMOUS NEW ZEALAND ROMNEY FLOCK. Among the most noted Bomney Marsh flocks In existence throughout the world to day, that owned by Mr. G. C Wheeler, of Burford, Halconibe, New Zealand, stands out prominently in the front rank '-The breeding nnd general management of this flock are bejond doubt of tho highest order, as the following report on the Burford Eomney wool by Mr\S B. Boilings, the celebrated Bradford wool expert, clearly proves—i e • Bradford, England, July i, IBOS. Mr G C Wheeler, Bnrford,' Halcombe, : N'.Z. Eomney JfnrshTletce This is an excellent fleece of perfectly grown wool accoidmg to its breed. It shows first claw length, grand quality, being.4G's to 50's There is a splendid character, it is yery sound, very stylish, and attractive One could not help being struck Tuth the beautiful soft handle and elasticity of the staple Taken as a t criterion, the fleece m question indicates that the breeding and general management of this flock must be of tho very highest order. (Signed) > S B. HOLLINGS. Such eulogy, coming as it does from tho foremost wool expert in the world to-day, leaves nothing further to bo added in praise of the Burford flock Li|e so many more of the world's most famous flock-owners, Mr. Wheeler is a firm believer in the merits of'Quibell's Dips, ivhich have been -used on his valuable >floek for several years with the best possible results. 5181