BUSH SICKNESS IN STOCK.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 878, 26 July 1910, Page 10

BUSH SICKNESS IN STOCK.

' REMEDY DISCOVERED. (By Telograpn—Special Correspondent.) '.'..', Auckland, July 25. ■ A most important- experiment with regard to the treatment of the so-called mysterious, disease,. bush sickness, has just been concluded'at Mamaku. Cattle over an immense area of country, from Taupo to Tauranga, . are liable to the disease, and it is rampant at Mamaku. •The nature of the disease is peculiar. For instance, at Mamaku,. experienco has proved that,.under ordinary-circum-stances, 'cattle and"-other''ruminating animals, if kept on tlie local pastures for a period of from nine to twelve months, begin to fall off in condition, oven if grass' is abundant, and, if not removed, to other districts freo from the so-called sickness, they declino and die.' ;'."'■"" '-'""

Mr. H. Clinkard; * who has a large holding at Maniaku, resolved to try to meet tho evil by feeding bran to, his dairy cows, _and, for his. first experiment, ho-claims complete, success. Mr. Clinkard set to work on (ho basis of a statement by' the Chief Government .Veterinarian (Air. lleakes) . that tho soil is deficient in phosphates. ' He decided to endeavour to supply this element in an artificial manner, and, knowing that bran is rich in phosphates, he ordered., a. quantity of this feed, add supplied it t-othreo. dairy,cows. :'These cows had previously been attacked' by bush sicknesspafter having been on tho affected pastures, for -twelve '.months. They had, therefore, been .transferred to a free district;;and," rafter-recovering there, haU'been brought; back "to Mamaku. They'had.been..hack,about five months when'one. of. .the!, animals bocame seriously! affected '/with •'■ the complaint, and another.' 'became slightly affected... , .-'.-.,-■ .'. •.' •".''.

Then it was that ,;Mr. Clinkard- began, to try the bran cure. Ho supplied a ration .of :21b. to; 31b'.; of bran poi cow per day. Tho ;Jvarst affected cow entirely recovered, within a week, the 'second all symptoms, ■'and''the.{Hifd''di'd_iiot?Mvelop any signs of illness'. As'.l'a further test -of tins romeajvvMr. Clinkard'' mentions' that, at -the time • -he sent • away the threo cows, he also sent away a team of woru-ing-bullocks, -.which •• had -not.'been on the affected ground as long as the cows, They remained in the disease-freo district as long .as the. cows,.and came back, on the'affected area on tho sumo day, being in:-'exactly'the same pasture as the cows. When tho bullocks were on the affected 'area again for sis months,, they- all developed the sick- 1 ness; and had to.be-once more sent away.- These bullocks did not receive bran. ..It is admitted that cows are more susceptible to: the bush sickness than bullocks', yet the. cows which received the ration of bran' entirely escaped th& .complaint, ' :What the success of such a method would mean may be.gauged from-the ; fact .that, between Taupo and Tauranga, there ■ is an immense area of affected country—over a million acres. Mr. -Wesley - Spragg, . manager ,of the xVew. Zealand Dairy 'Association, who has just, visited the Maniaku district, and who has investigated Mr. Clinkard's experiment, believes that he has solved the difficulty, and -that it will mean an increase'of thousands of pounds to this part of: the Dominion. ( -