Farming Column

Hokitika Guardian, 16 January 1932, Page 8

Farming Column

ABORTION IN CATTLE OR SHEEP. PROBLEMS IN PASTURE DEFICIENCY.

For the reason that they are continually under the eye of the farmer, abortions with dairy cows are much more noticed and commented upon than the same misfortune with other classes of farm .stock. However, investigators have proved that the majority of ewes which fail to breed do so because they have aborted. As the failure to breed front this

cause has more serious consequence for the dairy farmer than the sheep man ; and because in any case the predisposed causes are the same in both instances

in the following short disctissTou on the subject we will take the affected dairy cow as an illustration. It is hoped to throw some light on the cause or causes of abortion, at the same time showing how this trouble may be largely minimised, if not completely prevented.

At one time it was generally thought

that' common abortion and ‘‘contagious’ abortion were totally different diseases

he latter being directly caused by germ

transmission from animal to animal, and curable only by inoculation or acquired immunity. This theory was attacked some time ago by a prominent vetinary officer in Derbyshire, who contended tha 1 the predisposing cause oi contagious abortion was a shortage of the necessary amount of salts in the blood tissues of the body, whereby weakening the body resistance to disease. -‘Put this right" he is quoted as saying, "and the cause is inoperative." He contended that by giving cows suffering from contagious abortion a mixture of crude carbolic acid, iodine, salt, ground limestone and cod liver oil in their iood twice 'weekly he had successfully cured the diseases.

iNow, whether or no this contention is correctly applied to contagious abortion, one feels convinced that the proportion of mineral salts in the blood of the cow is the chief determining element- in the control of ordinary abortion. For this reason : Most pastures, and especially those which contain a large proportion of rye-grass, are affected ■with ergot, a species of fungoid disease which affects the seed, turning it black in colour and considerably increasing its side. Ergot-affi cted seed is the source of the drug known as Ergot-in which, when it is eaten by the ariimal and enters the food stream, produces a spasmodic contraction oi the muscles of 'the abdomen and uterus, thu s inducing abortion. This ergot, strangely enough, is not so dangerous or severe in its action when the grass is growing in spring and summer, but causes most damage when' the pnstui es""have dined off : and the ergot spores mature on the moist surface soil.

-The most effective antidote for ergotin is mineral salts, hence it is obvious ilnu where the animals have constant access to a mineral salt lick much less trouble should be experienced from abortions produced by trgot. At the none time, <f the lick is scientifically prepared to include all the minerals which thp dairy cow or ewe requires to build the skeleton and tissues of the growing foetus, there will be no drain

on the supplies of these minerals stored in the mother's system. The cow or ewe should then keep in perfect health, able to resist any disease or temporary sickness which might otherwise incline her to abort.

It has been found that the' liberal ■supplying of minerals absorbed by animals through the agency of a will made lick gives them an added power of resistance to most forms of disease, as • ell as vastly ijicreauing ‘their production.

Farmers who have experienced abor tion in their herds cannot do better than heed the warning which nature is giving them. Their animals are in constant- need of mineral salts, which should be supplied in the form which ensures the animal’s taking them readily and regularly—through a proved mineral stock food.

CHEESE STABILISATION

A VICTORIAN SC-HE An

Retail dealers and particularly buyers of cheese for storing purposes have been disturbed recently by the steadiness in prices for cheese while quotations for butter have been declining, .says a Melbourne commercial writer. Until about the middle of last year prices for these two commodities were clos-.lv related. On dime Ist of this . year a stabilisation scheme- was applied to the marketing of cheese. A levy of jjd on each gallon of milk used in the in educt ion ol cheese was made to establish a fund to recoil]) losses incurred by exporters. 'Flip export- trade wa s encouraged. and it then became necessary to relate prices to the value ol clietse I in the London market. Consequently .sime dune Ist quotations lor cheese have lieen influenced less liv the price, of butter, and have moved in sympathy with prices for cheese in London. Owing to the numerous small producers it w;i s thought that the plan would be d j Him It to administer, lint l hose who are controlling its opt ra (ions state that they have met lew-i- difficulties than , Ihe origin.'.tors ol the Paterson butter plan had to contend with. Since the inception of the plan levies have bieii .ellecliol icaiLlv, end about 1 ..‘tOG.OOOIb ~f cheese have been exported. This is an unusually large quantity, and exceeds tie- total exports lor the whole o' the three previous seasons. The export trade has relieved the market ol its surplus, and has given a stability to prices which, it is stud, u..- mil withm I union parity.

USE MORE WOOL. ELEVEN GOOD REASONS. AN EXPERT SUMMARY. What are the special virtues of wool ! J Dr. S. G. Barbour* director of'research of the Wool industries’ Association, summarises as the 11 points of healthy apparel:—

1. Wool absorbs water more, readily than any other textile fibre, and holds it longer. There is no tendency for it to deposit moisture on the skin, with consequent discomfort to the wearer ann liability to catch cold with small changes in atmospheric conditions. 2. Wool generates heat in itself. When water is absorbed, heat is generated by the- wool itself, thus creating a healthy glow on the skin when the initial perpiration is absorbed by a fresldy-aired garment.

3. Wool is the best insulator for heat. It has a low heat conductivity,, and the beard of fine fibres on a wool garment entraps air so as to form a healthy insulating layer next to the body and maintain it at an equable temperature. 4. Wool is light. A wool fibre is lighter in weight than any other textile fiore of the same thickness.

•5. \\ 00l is perfectly elastic. Wool makes a penect and complete recovery lrom strain, and has the extraoraunuy power or taking up large extensions without rutpure or permanent damage. 0. Wool transmits the health-giving ultra-violet-rays. Wool is the cm reel wear for sun bathing. For effective and lasting good, the body must aisu he warm.

i. Dyestuffs are less liable to fade .oil wool, and are faster on wool than any other fabric. 8. Wool'is the natural body covering Developed by man rroni the inner coat of the sheep, designed by Nature as the bodily protection for an animal next its skin, it forms the ideal wear .or tae human body. P. Wool is durable. Exposed to weathering wool is more than three times as durable as any other fabric. 10. Wool is strong. A wool fibre is equal in tensile strength to a filament of wire of equal dimensions made of cast iron or other metals.

11. Wool is almost lion-inflammable, and furthermore, is an effective silencer for noise and vibration. On the principle of “safety first,’’ therefore, one would say, "Use wool, and be well.”

Each of the 11 points can be explained and justified scientifically, being thus correctly attributed to the inherent composition and structure of the wool fibre. ■

WORLD PRICES. A reminder that Australia and New Zealand escaped the effects of the further fall in world prices through .Britain’s going off the. gold standard or. September 21 is contained to an inter- \ iew by Dr. D. B. Copland (says the Dominion). After some temporary gains prices have remained fairly steady in terms of sterling these last three months. But. as we know, sterling is a severely depreciated currency, and, if .sterling prices have held, gold prices have continued to fall. Thus the United States and France are still suffering- the economic consequences of deflation,' as is reflected in the succession of hank failures in the former and reports of increasing financial stringency in the latter. South Africa is also holding to gold, and her producers are on the verge of universal bankruptcy owing to the fall in prices which has gone unnoted here and in Australia. Important results for the world may yet come out of the golden vice in which the two principal creditor countries. America and France, are now being squeezed.

BUTTERMTUK POWDER. New Zealand poultry keepers are appreciating the-value of butter milk powder, Auckland district poultr.vnien having bought up all the local product made this last season. American experiments go to show that butter milk powder is more valuable for pigs than meat, meal, and it would he probably proved to bt the same here, it is laigely a matter of cost. The powder sells a,t about 2.C1 a pound, whereas meat meal costs only Id. Certainly -■I: the higher price the powder is more valuable for poultiy than the meal.

INTERESTIN'!! FICI'RES. I he November figures of the New Zealand Co-operative Herd-testing Association .shows that the 94,100 cows under t st (a world's record for one association! averaged 34.551 bof fat. Five cows gave over 1001 b of fat, seven guv between 901 b and 10011>. and 57 gave between 701 b alid SOU). There would be probably more in lie- last-nani d class, a s only the best cow in each group is .shown. The highest group was flic Puninga, whose 1588 cows averaged 40.491 b, the highest herd in the group giving 49.5011) for the 79 cows. The highest herd for tile association, in the Pori Albert group, averaged 53.481 b for 35 rows. The average test of the .94,100 cows was 4.19 per cent. In November of lasi year 85,859 r«w> wri" tested, and the test was 4.21 per rent., tile average prod net ion being 55.041 b . against 5-1.551!) tills Vovi’inber.