MORTALITY AMONGST EWES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1530, 28 August 1912, Page 10

MORTALITY AMONGST EWES.

t AiYITJ-rARTUM FAKALYSIS. I SYMPTOMS AND CUBE DISCUSSEI Reports from Pelleting state that tlici has been considerable mortality among! owes in tho district, the sympton.s boin vory much akin to sleeping sickness. 0 making inquiry at the Agricultural D< partment, a Dominion reporter was it formed that the disease in question ot known as ante-partum paralysis, a disca; of pregnant ewes originally investigate in Canterbury, and found to cxis throughout Now Zealand, although raor provalent in the south. The trouble i more readily amenable to preventive tha J to curative treatment. It is associate with circumstances tending to a genera grossnoss of condition. There is alwav g intense fatty infilterotion of the liver, th RJ kidneys and other organs being als 1 more or less fatty. Tho complaint i I particularly common amongst ewes fei j, pn dry food, whether in tho form of chaff i » n ri or simply dry nourishing herbage i The disease is undoubtedly duo to diete ] tic influences, and is associated with i I plethoric condition of the system, par ticularly the fatty infiltration of the liver i !f I 1 nn<l °ther organs of .the body } following tho inordinate, rapid, and con | tinuous formation of fat. .There was nt question of_ contagious disease, or of anj organic lesion from which an anima: might not recover, provided the necossurj measures were adopted in time. Predisposing Causes./ The predisposing causes might be summed up as any condition which prodisP os es to the accumulation and deposition of fatty tissue, such as breeding for mutton purposes, an over-supply of fat-form-ing food during pregnancy, the facility of securing food, hjiu lambs born in the womb, etc. All pregnant owes of the heavier types are fnherentlv liable to this disease, especially in this condition; becoming heavy in lamb, they naturally only take what exercise is absolutely necessary to secure their daily food, and, that being generally readily found often supplied by hand, an extraordinarily fatty condition is easily produced. The Symptoms. Premonitory symptoms will only be noted by the careful observer. In a good, well-conditioned flock of ewes, from 10 to 20 days before lambing, one or >moro evidently heavy in lamb, may be observed to bo dull, off feed, and away from the rest of tho flock. If approached, little or no notice is taken, and when actively disturbed the affected animal will only move off very slowly and in an aimless manner. Later on she will bo found standing stupidlv, will be with difficulty moved, will not start at the approach of the shepherd, and may, not even pay any attention to dogs; the mouth is clammy, the eyes apparently sightless, and the animal only semi-conscious. Soon after this she will be found lying down, and if raised to her feet will only stand listlessly, while, if forced to move, will stagger a few paces and then probably fall, the eyes are sightless, there is grinding of the teeth, and probably the wool is found to readily come out. Even in this condition the animal may live for from two to three days. I'rom the time the first symptoms are exhibited until death supervenes a period of from two to eight days may elapse. In tho vast majority of cases the disease.is only observed when the animal is in the later stages, consequently the course of the malady generally appears- much shorter ' than is really the case. Post-mortem Appearances, The carcass is always in good condition. Ihoro may beat tho time .of "death little tat along the region- of the back, but this is greatly attributable to the absorption ? £l J?* durin S Period of illness. In the abdominal regions the fatty deposit is usually very great, especially what are known as tho "kidney" and "caul" fats being_ large in quantity. That much of this internal fat has also been absorbed during the illness is evidenced by its peculiar water)-, boiled-looking appearance. The liver is abnormally fatty. It is enlarged and of a pale-yellow colour, very friable, and readily broken down by the fingers. On breaking up the liver in the hands each microscopical lobule 6tands out distinctly, and the knife used for cutting the organ shows a distinctly pily coating. The kidney is also frequently P ale and fatty, while even the muscle of the heart itself may bo more or less similarly affected. In 35 per cent, of cases twin lambs are found in the womb, but both these'and tho womb are healthy. Treatment and Prevention. Unless in the earliest stages, curative treatment is of no value. If exhibiting the first symptoms a strong dose of Epsom salte may be of some assistance, but when evidences of insensibility have set in medicines are of little utility, and tho attention of the owner is better directed 10 preventing tho recurrence of the diseaso amongst the remainder of the flock. Prevention is fortunately a simple matter. When'm lamb owes have come through the winter well, and especially if they have been fed on dry and artificial food, a careful outlook should be kept for the u ev , u !? nce s of the disease: Tho Agricultural Department's officers recommend strongly that such ewes should be kept comparatively bare of feed during th© last month of pregnancy, or, ratheri on suchpasture that they require to travel for their food, and thus obtain each day that amount of exercise necessary to their complete health. Should, however, this not have been possible, immediately on the appearance of the disease in tho flock prompt measures should be taken. The best preventive measure is.to inustor the ewes carefully once a day towards midday, and travel them, for a distance of half a mile to a mile to some young succulent pasture, as, for instance, young oats or oven clean young spring grass. Permit them to depasture thereon for an hour and_ return the flock afterwards to the (inamal paddock. This treatment is at once simple and effective. The exercise produces that stimulus to tho muscles and to the liver winch is wanted, and the limited quantity of stimulating food acts on the alimentary tract and so relieves that tendency to constipation which is usually present. The effect of this preventive treal-nent, especially the benefit of the exercise 4mbined with the stimulating young feed has received the approval of manv sheep farmers They have found that on'following out this procedure the appearance of thej a,re able to look forward to the lambing season with equanimity. SPRING CREEK. A VISITORS IMPRESSIONS. Writing in reference to a trip tliTou-h tho Spring Creek district, MarlboroZh loiris a^,^:I orresP ° ndent hM ™ It is a land of small farms. The averago holdings are something like 150 acres some more, and some less. What took my attention first of all was that it is no a grass country. I did not see in the d fr c £ What ™>MbooonsW ? ewd a grass paddoak cm any farm in tho north ... I was told that manure was rarely used; I.did not come across a farmer who has used any for the grain crops, ill sot itself speaks for the marvellous yields which obtain m the district. But I_ found that tho farmers are no.v beginning to use fertilisers for the pea crops the principal crops, one might almost 4y the whole, are peas, barley, and oats. The lilonheim district seems to bo particularly adapted for pea-growing. Several of the largo seed merchants at Home send their seed peas to New Zealand to be grown in bulk, whilo tho leading seedsmen in the Dominion have large quantities grown by tho farmers here. The prices given l>v the merchants run from is. Gd. for the tall-growing sort?, and on up to Cs. and lis. Cd. for dwarf kinds. The quantity of seed seut to the farmer is deducted from' ' the resulting crop. As to yields, I have . all sorts of figures given, from 30 to 80 bushels to tho acre, but. I should say that I 50 to GO is a fair average. The magnificent climate and the rich alluvial soil aro ■ no doubt the main factors in pea-grow- . i»g- j With regard to oats, it is difficult not ■to wow: dJatwlJoJf shea J heaj; tin fisyisa j

>. quote.!. Four-ton yields of cliaff are qui common, while five tons are an undoubt tact.l also heard of two farms whe they had a six-ton crop. But the ehai pion hair-raiser was wlien a fanner to ;rj, mo ho knew of a grower who had 72 to from ten acres! 1 have mentioned tli ,J t0 "S 01 " 1 many, but none ore inclined „<r , lt iL ' J -' lle general opinion was tli in ft Jour-ton crop is an excellent rotnr "i? l'i n that thpli) al '° , " ore three-ton cro «- than any other. When I told one fa in tllat wo llavo R ro "' n something lil as 30,000 tons of chaff in' the Kaigitikei di IS ? ; nct ,.J hi s year, lie was amazed, and sa «l he did not think as much was grown ist the Aorth Island. ro Barley seems to l>o considered a goc is crop at 50 anil 00 bushels. I heard in no one having a 100-bushcl crop, such : ed was grown by Mr. Itobert Tanner, i ■al hanero, near Palinerslon. One thil ys that struck mo particularly was tin bo every farmer seems to have his own tea so or teams, and a full set of implement is they don't believo in contract work her >d <is frequently just when, they wanted the [f, land ploughed or sown tho contract™ e . would not be available. Fruit of a e . kinds does well, and on Mr. AV. Gilford a farm, near tho house, are some hup r . lemon and orange trees simply laden wit r fruit. There is also an enormous oraup y tree fully 20ft. high on Mr. Weadon a [ farm, baring a very heavy croc. 10 {l There are prosperous times In 6tore f< .„ Dairying folk this season. Factories wi . pay big dividends, especially those cqui] ped with "Victor" Vats. • About eighty < these splendid Vats arc going to Tar: naki nlone—a fact that speaks volumes fc >• their value. Order your "Victors" no s " to get the full benefit of them througl n out tho season. Parton, Cai t- tcrton.—Advt. l- : y e A WINNER OF COMPETITIONS, o „Tha Egg-laying competitions for 1910-1 o and 1911-12 were, both won by pens reare i- on 'A. and P." Chick Raiser. Tho fir; y essential for profitable' poultry keepiiif )- >' LIVE STOCK SALES. Messrs. Dalgety and Company, Ltd., r< port on their Otalu sale, held on Tnei day, as follows:—Yarded a large numhe of saleable cattle of good quality, whie e sold freely; Sheep were represented b , wethers, hoggets, and empty ewes in goo '• numbers. Light fat wc there, 225. 4d. " lighter, 20a.; store wethers, 18s. 6d.; hop o gets of medium quality, lis. 6d.; bctte d sorts, to 13s. 6d.; empty ewes, poor sort! y 10s. 6d.; fat cows, £6, £6 Is.; two-vca c steers, £<l 10s.; yearling utcers, £3 "lOs. yearling heifers, £2 19s. 6d.; springing ° heifers, £6 155.; springing cows, to £8 10s.; e lmo of medium milkers, £5 155.; bulls, to £5. r ' • COMMERCIAL ITEMS. 0 INVESTMENT SHAKES. i- A sale of Leyland-O'Brien Timber shares y at 275. was tho only transaction recorded 1 yesterday. The huying and selling quotar tions were as under:— f Buyers. Sellers. s ' £ s. d. £ s. d. Bank New Zealand 10 17 6 — T Equitable Building — .10 0 0 1 National Mortgage — 4 10 b ' Feilding Gas 10 6 — 11 Well, lias (£10) - 18 2 6 . Well. Gas (prcf.) - J i 0 Meat Export ;525. 6d.) ... — 3 2 6 f Well. Woollen (old.) 3 15 0 — Taupiri Coal 13 0 — 1 Westport-Stockton 0 2 0 — 3 Taringamutu Totara 2 5 0 — ; Crown Brewery 113 0 — > Golden • Bay Cement 10 0 — r N.Z. Con. Dental — l 116 N.Z. Portland Cement ... 1 7 3 — Sharlaud's ordinary — 13 0 Sharland's preference ... 1 2. 6 13 3 LONDON'S FROZEN MEAT TRADE. ! With tho continued increase in tho im- > portation of frozen and chilled meat into i the Thames, writes the "Financial Times," . the problems connected with its skilful handling and its oxpeditious and convenient storage have lor some time past re- . ceivcd the closo attention of the Port of i London Authority. The Authority have '• been m communication with producers and I shippers abroa4, as well as with importers ; and merchants in London, with the view of providing additional and improved accommodation for the trade. As a result, arrangements have now been approved . '. whereby cold storage facilities will be avail- ' able in the near future for the enormous j quantity of approximately 1,100,C00 car- ' casses. Tho recent decision to erect an ad- 1 ditional cold store at West Smithficld has 1 been followed by the adoption of a scheme < which will admit of a further 250,000 car- \ casse3 being stored at the Albert Dock, under conditions unsurpassed in any port ' of tho kingdom. On tho completion of the ' works, the total capacity of the Authority's ' cold stores, stated in terms of carcasses of mutton, will be as follows:— ~,.._ , Carcasses. Albert Dock ...., 430,000 Victoria Dock 325,000 c Wost Smithficld 174 COO s West India Dock '' 90 000 Surrey Commercial Dock 67!ooo 1,086,000 j The additional accommodation at the Al- i bert Dock, which will involve an outlay of i about £275,000, will mark a new departure * as it will include provision for the discharge by conveyors direct from ships' holds into three commodious sorting sheds. Ibis method will avoid undue handlflit; in the ship, which tends to damage the meat, , and mil further provide for the rapid tran- ( ' sit of the meat from the refrigerated cham- * Dora of the vessel into the capacious in- v sulated sorting sheds. In this way -the b exposure of the meat to higher tempcraturo e during the process of discharge will be 1™ C duocd to an absolute minimum, and the i. discharge of the vessels carrying the meat t will be considerably accoleratert. The con- r Btructiou of the huge cold store for 250 000 s carcasses,at the rear of the sorting sheds t will.provide the best, accommodation for e such meat as it is not desired to transfer c at once from the shed to insulated railway „ trucks, road vans or bargea. Theso S ? ties for avoiding unnecessary handling and I exposure may with confidence bo expected t to have somo influence upon insurance b rates, to the advantage of consignee and \i consumer alike. They should alsl tend to li enhance the already high reputation of 1 ™™° . ove . r , sca lucat whose import- ' anco to tho community has been emphas- ? iscd by the recent outbreak of foot and * mouth disease in this country t J? t thls fu !' th P,f .large addition to the 6 cold storage facilities offered by the Port T of London Authority, the Albert Dock is c considered by the trade to offer the most r advantageous site, as this dock is within r the London cartage area, and in direct t railway communication with the provinces l and the largest class of vessel ontedn "the e Port can be accommodated there. Should c however, frozen meat imports continue to n increase at their present rate, stilli fur- d ther accommodation ma-v be neccquVrv Vn,i if the Albert Dock continues to be the ™* ? ourite dock for the colonial trade the ex- h tension of the scheme along the whofe of tho north side of the dock is nVSi. xThe Port Authority haveMhfr the South-West India Dock which could v be made available for the handling of this T produce by the enlargement of the dock entrance, and as a fact the Authority are pledged to erect accommodation tUre Zr the Zealand section of the m , «JS» should the trade as a whole deHre it and be prepared to give adequate guarantee premises. rCmUneraUon """"tion™™^ TBADE IN ALLEN STREET. T Vegetables.-There is,a scarcity of let- Y tuces, and up to Bs. per case was realised at auction yesterday. Cauliflower* hifo good inquiry and consignments we re commended. Excellent samples of rhrbarb are coming forward .and meet with the ready sale. Cabbages ore in better d"° si mand. Carrots and parsnips have weakened slightly during the week. Pumpkhis are bringing extreme rates, and conS ments are recommended. Lunsign-Fruit-The transhipment of Island oranges ex Talunc reached nni-f ™ S„ ' day Only a moderate tot was received' and extreme rates wore realised The M?" nuka from Sydney, due to-day? is h fijt P{ the usual week y shipment of Sev He a 1 oranges, mandarines, sweet oranges p'=- « s.on fruit, pineapples, and loquats. Mod- '•' crate supplies of apples are coming for- hi navd, ond high pricos are being obtained lx both for cooking and dessert varieties hbnrtfel. ' * ° K ° f K<lc ' at 3 «-" : P er ji Capo barley is dull, at 3s. per bushel P 1 th^WUmrn 5 J2,t e f vjr . phi P™™ts abroad, c f 1,110 soiithern markets have advanced l»d s,: 5d.; short feed and Dun oa.ts. 2s. 9d to hi Maize.-Owing to the advent of warmer I ' l ' weather he demand is extremely dull * Pollard has good inquiry at £7 ss. to £7 Hi lUs. per ton. * j,, £5 B t04" 6 f p"' r Ton"' s '' ""'' JS «"<"<" at a : Onious.-Further shipments from San ™ lime. The. demand is particularly keen at I J< present, with vkn Wllug U MVto !MJ g

Potatoes.—The market lias advanced f ther in Sydney. Local prices are about to £8 10s. for prime table, with seed ruli at £6 to £10, according to variety. Hay has good inquiry at £5 to £5 1 for prime rye and clover. Chaff.—The market is well suppli Oaten sheaf chaff is quoted 1 at £5 to £5 per ton; medium quality, £4 to £4 ss. Fresh eggs ore in good demand at Is. J dozen. , llutter.—The market continues 6tcaci l ? prime milled, in bulk, lid. to Hid.; ecco xl quality. 9d. to lOd. re Margarine, in 261b. fins, Scotch manuf; n- tltre, Bd. to 8J(1. pet- lb. Id Lard meets with moderate inquiry at ]5 per lb. for best factory. ;„ Clieesc—Best factory, medium size, 7 ,„ to 7>,d. per lb.; loaf, 7Jd. , Rico meal is in moderate demand at u 15s. per ton, with rice flour at £6. 11. Split peas are quoted at 17s. per cwt. is Prussian blue peas have fair inquiry r- 6s. 9d. to 7s. per bushel. ;e Partridge peas are in good demand, c 4s. to 4s. 3d. per bushel. 'a Whole linseed is in steady demand, J 17s. 6d. to-185. per cwt, 1 Linseed meal is offering at 225. per cwt Crushed linseed cake is in steady demai: d at 14s. per cwt. if " Linseed nuts arc quoted at 13s. 6d. i is cwt. it ir Customs duties collected at the port ,? Wellington yesterday amounted to £31 u 19s. Id. 1' CANTERBURY GRAIN MARKET. r IBr Teleeraoh.—Press Auoclatlonl a Chrlstchurch, August 27 11 Tho only business doing in the gra s market is in oats, there being good inqui: e for Gartons. Stocks appear to be lo h however, and there arc practically no offc e ings from the country, so that what bin ness is passing is between merchants. Tl improved tone In the oats market is di to Homo demand. There is no change report in the wheat market, business (: for some time past) being at a Etandsti ,r Oatsheaf chaff is dull of • sale, and wa; [1 of shipping space is said to bo the reasc why advantage cannot be taken to , greater extent of the North Island markt '* Potatoes have stall further advanced, ai l- £7 is now being paid at country st r tions. The advent of spring weather : v both the North and South Islands hi i. caused a demand to set in for ryegra '■_ for the season's sowing, and orders axe no being booked fairly freely. The local su ply of onions is now about exhausted, thei being only a. few tons left on the market. j WHEAT FIRMER, ] By Telegraph—Press Afisociation-Copyrigl t Sydnoy, August 27. Wheat, in response to the London ma ket, is firmer. There ore no sellers und< 4s. sd. - (Rec. August 27, 9.35 p.m.) London, August 27. Wheat—An Australian cargo has bee , sold at 395. 6d., and two others at 40s. r SILVER, ■, London, August 26. j Bar silver is quoted at 28 9-16 d. pi . ounco (Standard.