A LAND OF PROMISE.

Putaruru Press, Volume IV, Issue 134, 27 May 1926, Page 1

A LAND OF PROMISE.

TOKOROA SETTLEMENT, i Further Talks With Settlers, An Optimist’s View. _ Mr. Joe Price is nothing- if not an optimist, despite the fact that he has been farming at Tokoroa for the past six seasons. It has been said that the best of men soon lose their cheery outlook after a season or two on the pumice country. If this is correct, then Mr. Price’s optimism must be incurable. ■ *i Most emphatically, Mr. Price declared it to be his opinion that most of the talk in regard to cattle-sick-ness was more or less of a bogey. The fact that it was there was not disputed, but Mr. Price held strongly to the opinion that by taking proper precautions and above all by supplying the necessary phosphates to the soil, the sickness could be reduced to a minimum comparable to the percentage of those ills which a herd of cows are heir to in any other part of the country. During the past six seasons, though some of his stock have been off-col-our, Mr. Price has not lost a single beast. Without culling his herd in any way he has secured an average of 2401 b of butter-fat per cow. Farming 90 acres, 60 of which have been under the plough, Mr. Price at present Is carrying on his farm a milking herd of 25 cows, one bull, and three horses, and finds that he is well understocked. In regard to his pasture lands, Mr. Price is a believer in con-

I sistent top-dressing with artificial ! manure, and for local use advocates a i dressing of two cwt (or more) of j superphosphate (high grade) per ; acre. No stock should be allowed on i paddocks so dressed till rain has fal- ; ien. I Referring to cattle-sickness, Mr. Price mentioned that when cows were so affected they left the pastures and | started to graze on the native tussock. | A - this stage the animals should be j aken in hand at once and drenched \ and otherwise closely looked after. ! j Though horses .seldom got the com- I plaint, it was noticeable when they > ■lid vi.at they -would eat their beddiig. Signs such as these should imme- j diately be acted upon by all farmers. A few' years ago, Mr. Price bought two cows which, were almost on their last legs owing to sickness. They were so weak that it took him. five hours to drive them 3i miles. By ' use of the methods advocated, the I cow's soon recovered, and were still I being milked after four seasons. Mr. Price is not a great believer in root crops. In his opinion cattle swallow too much pumice soil when grazed on such crops, and this contributes to cattle-sickness. If such crops are grown it is better to soil the roots to the cattle on pasture land. In conclusion, Mr. Price pointed out that dairymen had to be thoroughly alive to the fact that signs of i sickness amongst individual members I of their herds should be taken as a warning that instant remedial measures should he adopted. In too many instances sick cows were left to take care of themselves and the district w'as blamed for what to a large extent was the fault of the farmer. A POST-MORTEM. I While discussing cattle-sickness with several farmers at Tokoroa, Mr. Flavell returned an affimative answer

to a question as to whether anyone had examined the internal organs of a beast which had died as a result of cattle-sickness. Mr. Flavell stated that he had recently opened up a nine-months-old calf. Such animals when first taken with the sickness were subject to scours and their coats became roughened with the hair stand- | ing on end. Later, the scouring ceas- | ed, and constipation followed, result- | ing in death- On opening up the calf Mr. Flavell found that the last stoni- ! ach was completely blocked, the subI stance in it being like cement. [ Mr. Flavell stated that he was satisfied with the country, and in his opinion it was only a matter of a short time when the cause of the present sickness would be discovered, i It might then be found to be caused by the smallest thing possible, which without any great trouble could be . overcome. Mr. Ingle, a recent arrival at Tokoroa, supported most of Mr. Fla veil’s statements. In his opinion, if the sickness could be eliminated there was nothing in New Zealand to compare with the Tokoroa district as j dairying country. The chief trouble ’ at the moment was that no local I farmer had enough capital to experi- ' ment, and thus to find out exactly ' what caused the trouble and what remedial measures should be taken. Until an authoritative statement i based on experiment could, he issued much loss was bound to occur, and i many false impressions created. Mr. j Ingle agreed with the statement that in all probability the cause of the sickness would he found to be a very simple one, and the preventative measures necessary easy of accomplishment. Mr. Newell, another farmer who was also present at the time Messrs. (Continued in Next Column.)

| Flavell and Price were seen, mentioned the fact that he had: been farming in the district for five years, and that though his pastures were 1 mostly clovers, he had had no sickness whatever. I In discussing the question of cattlesickness at Tokoroa with Mr. J. E. West, the writer was informed that the-, sickness at times prevalent at Tokoroa was not the true cattlesickness known in other parts of the North Island. In proof of this statement, Mr. West pointed out that rabbits would not live in other areas affected by cattle-sickness, while in Tokoroa they abounded.