THE RURAL WORLD.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 488, 3 August 1912, Page 6

THE RURAL WORLD.

ARGENTINE BEEF. SHOWING TUBERCULOUS LESIONS. A WARNING TO RETAIL BUTCHERS. Dr Collingridge, London, city medical officer of health, in a report to the Corporation mentions that for some time past tuberculous lesions have been found in beef from Argentina at the central markets. The disease, says the London Times, being mainly cunfined to the lymphatic glands, lesions can only be found when the quarters have been broken up into joints. As only a small proportion are so cut up in the central markets, many infected quarters may reach retail butchers in a diseased condition. All the beef bore the official stamp of the Argentine Government, but any examination must have been of a most perfunctory character. The large consignments of Argentine meat arriving, render it impossible to arrange that every quarter should be examined and cut at the market. The Argentine Government have undertaken to increase the strictness of the examination before the meat is sent away and to take steps for fixing the responsibility of officials, in case any diseased meat is detected. But the city medical officer thinks th'at a label, similar to that used by the Australian and New Zealand authorities should be attached by a wire and steel seal to each quarter, giving the inspector's name and the name of the slaughterhouse.

PROVIDING GREEN FOOD. Green food is most essential to the well-being of the young chickenß. Where poultry keepers have no grass runs, they should sow lettuce seed, or mustard and cress, barley, oats, or wheat in shallow boxes. If well watered, and the seed sown on sucoessive days, a continual supply of green foods should be obtained, which will help much to keep the young birds in health. Care should always be taken to see that the green food given is fresh and crisp, and finely chopped, as, unless this is done, the birds do not thrive as they otherwise would, and it is possible that a stoppage may be caused.

Those who hava grass land should not put their young chickens on it during May and June, unless they have sheep to eat the grass down nice and short, as it is harmful to young chicks to run on grass which is long. They frequently succumb to inflammation of the lungs and to other disorders, through getting wet in the long grass, and it is not good for them to eat the insects which are found on the long blades of grass, although this is quite ideal for stock ducks and ducklings, which eat a lot of grass, and are certainly not nearly as subject to inflammation of the lungs.