Mortality among Sheep in Hawkes Bay.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1571, 2 December 1885, Page 4

Mortality among Sheep m Hawkes Bay.

The Hawkes Bay Herald of last Thursday draws attention to the serious increain m the death rate of the sheep m the Hawkes Bay' District. From a calculation which appears to , be fairly accurate, the Herald makes out that the loss trom death m the Bocks was about 193,000, or 8 per cent of the whole. Five per cent is stated to be about the iate of mortality m former years, but the death rate bai been steadily increasing. The conditions under which the sheep are paßtiired have become morn favourable, as rough country Is sowß with English grasses, and subdivided ; and yet the mortality has increased. The only explanation that can be given is the rapid spread of the lung worm, and the Herald believes that to be the sole cause of the iucrease m the death rate. Nor does the evil- end there, as preat numbers of sheep which do not die become stunted and miserable. The plague is not confined to Hawkes Bay, but has bf come common m many parts of the Colony, as m the case of many diseases, the young sheep, after weaving . Buffer the most. There are at least two tolerably effective 1 remedies, and, great as may be the labour and disturbance to sheep on large runs m using them, flock owners will i, be- forced to do so. The matter is so serious that it would be well if a record could be kept of all ex- - perimentiin tho way of devising remedies. '