STOCK DISEASES

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 55, 29 November 1926, Page 16

STOCK DISEASES

NOXIOUS WEEDS AND BUSH SICKNESS EESEARCH BY GOVERNMENT In reply to a remit from the last annual meeting of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union: ‘‘That the Agricultural Department be urged to concentrate on research work generally, particularly ■with a view to ascertaining the causes and remedies of stock diseases, the destruction of noxious weeds, and pests, and bush sickness problems,” the following reply has been received from the Minister of Agriculture (Hon. O. J. Hawken): “I would draw your attention to the fact that my Department is already engaged on research work in the directions indicated, special attention being directed to contagious abortion, sterility, contagious mammitis, and other troublesops diseases of dairy cows, together with dietetic and parasitic troubles affecting sheep. "In those stock diseases where the causes and remedies are still in obscurity the Department is doing all it can to elucidate the problems, at the same time keeping in touch with the operations of all other Deportments and institutions throughout the world where the investigation of stock diseases is undertaken. Should any discovery be made which will benefit the farmers of Now Zealand, my Department will see that it is made use of. "The Trash sickness’ problem has been the subject of investigation for many years; the cause and remedy have been partly discovered, and my Department is now experimenting with a view to ascertaining the most efficient and practical method of applying the results so far obtained. In addition to the operations at the Mamaku experimental farm, top-dressings are now being applied on private farms so that the top dressing results may be further ascertained. Ammoniated citrato of iron which has proved to be medicinally a cure for ‘bush sickness,’ is also available at cost nrice to purchasers at centres within the affected areas."