DISEASE RESISTANCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24423, 8 October 1940, Page 2

DISEASE RESISTANCE

IMPORTANCE OF MINERALS

Cod liver oil is a most valuable ration for building up disease-resist-ance in pigs, states Mr" E.. Gray, M.R.C.V.S.. in an article in the Farmer and Stockbreeder. He writes: Most ailments affect the animal through the lining of the digestive canal. Tuberculosis and mastitis of dairy cattle are exceptions. But abortion, Johnes disease. anthrax and foot-and-mouth disease of cattle, tuberculosis of other animals. pulpy kidney disease and braxy of sheep, swine fever and swine erysipelas all gain entry to the system by the animal eating or drinking food or water contaminated by the particular germs responsible. The wall of the -digestive canal is the gateway into the system. If it is sound the animal will flourish. On the other hand, lack of vitamins and minerals, particularly, break down its health and allow poisons, half-digested foods, germs and parasites to enter the tissues of the body. . It is only comparatively recently that the importance of minerals has been realised. But even if the ration is well balanced and contains an adequate supply of these accessory foods, an animal will not thrive if it is kept in dark, dirty and damp buildings, for it is not able to utilise its nourishment to full advantage. . , All farm stock, and particularly those carrving or nursing young, need feeding up. fresh air and sunlight. Minerals will be required, for many of the alternative foods now given contain less of these substances than the concentrates. Potatoes, for example, contain only 1.10 per cent, ash (mineral matter), as against linseed meal and soya bean, which contain 5.6 and 5.3 per cent, ash respectively. Above all. however, foods containing vitamins must be provided—kale and cabbage, lucerne, giant sainfoin, sugar beet tops and roots.

A DISAPPOINTING CROP

The Quantity of oats threshed last season was 1,848,800 bushels from 43,318 acres, the average yield being 42.68 bushels an acre. The Canterbury average was 34.75 bushels and the Marlborough 44.14. The best return was from Southland —59.91 bushels —Otago following with 44.66 bushels. It is surprising that with such yields more oats aie not grown for stock feed, comments a Christchurch writer. The Canterbury season was a poor one. but the other three agricultural provinces had exceptionally good years, as indicated by the yields. It is interesting to quote from the old records to show how the advent of oil affected the production of oats. In 1906 an area of 360.569 acres was sown in the Dominion for grain and 238,687 for chaff, etc. The average yield in 1905 was 421 bushels an acre, and in 1906 35.86 bushels, the respective totals being 14.553,611 and 12,707,982 bushels. The need for oats is infinitesimal to what it was a generation ago. but from 14,000.000 to less than 2,000.000 even in the space of 35 years, indicates the extent of the decline in what was once a major farm product. As in all these cases the decline has been allowed to go much too far. This fact would have been disagreeably brought home to farmers in the winter just passed through had it been a real winter, instead of an extension only of the autumn.