THE BLACKLEG TROUBLE.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 2, Issue 125, 5 September 1913, Page 2

THE BLACKLEG TROUBLE.

Disease in This District. Interview With The Chief Veterinarian. An Inoculation Campaign. On Tuesday the t'.hief Government Veterinarian (Mr U. J. Reakea) and Mr Lyons, of the Veterinary Division, paid a visit to Pukekoiie to confer with local farming representatives concerning th-3 spread of blackleg in tin WsikatJ, With a view to-learning something about the position a "limes" representative had an interview with Mr Reakts about the question.

LAST YEAR'S INOCULATIONS. "Last year," said Mr Reakes, "qu.te a number of cases uf blackleg were discovered. That does not necessarily mean that there were mere cases than there were the year before, but last year we bad a good deal of work done by two vet rinary officers who were pat on to give this matter special attention. A large number of calves were inoculated in the Auckland province, toma 5000 calves. About 2000 were inoculated between Drury and Mercer, including th a districts bet«e:n Bombay on the one side of the railway and Waiuku on tbe other side."

"Djea that imply that the d!s:ase is wide-spread?" we asked. "Oh, not at all," said Mr Reakea. "The inoculation, as in the case of small-pox, is merely done for protective purposes to render the calves immune from tha disease. Tha greater number of actual cases c.f blackleg heard of last year may have been due to the greater vigilance exercised by the Department. It is not to be tupposed that the district is badly affected by the disease, but the position we are taking up is that now is the time to tackle it thoroughly, acd before it has a chance of getting bad." FARMERS' HELP WANTED.

Mr Reakes went on lo sav that with a view to having the disease stampgfl out as far as possible the co-operation of all farmers was needed. The Department had no desire to do anything of a drastic nature, and if the settlers would heartily help, the officials would be willing to ao all that was necessary under the existing conditions. MUSTER THE CALVES.

"vVhat we wish to do," said Mr Keakes in explaining the Department's view-point, " ii to organise a thorough and comprehensive system of inoculation. This will be done by the Government officers free of cha-ge, and all we voill aek the farmers to do will be to bring the calves to ccnvenient centres for inoculation, the same as has been dote in Taranaki for several yeais past. It is also proposed to brand all the inoculated calves, eo that the purchasers can be certain that the calves have been protected against any possibla outbreak of the disease."

"Is there any idea of quarantining this district?" the interviewer asked. "There will be uo necessity for that whatever," said Mr Reakes in reply, "if the farmers will work with us and help us to carry out the inoculation which we wish to carry out. As a matter of fact the principle we are working on is to get the disease in hand now, when only small and scattered cases are met with, and r.ot take the risk of having blackleg spread quickly ar.d badly as it did in Taranaki, and then find that stringent, restrictive measures are forced upoa us."

WHENCE THE DISEASE'.' It is well-known to all who have an acquaintance of blackleg that the germs of tha disease may lis in the ground for as long as ten years and then become communicated to calves. But the writer asked: "Where did the disease come from—Taranaki?"

"No," said the Chief Veterinarian, "there is nothing whatever to suggest that the disease was introduced here from Taranaki. Most careful enquiries failed to elicit any indication of that. Moreover, the affected area there is quarantined and cattle not inoculated could r.ot come out. The blackleg in the Waikato is due to infection years ago from imported bone manure, before tha sterilisation oi the manure was made compulsory by the Government."

WHAT CATTLE ARE AFFECTED? The writer asked whether cows were subject to the disease. "It is a vary rare thing for cattle to be affected over 18 months old," was the answer. "Blackleg does not affect horses, or lambs—or human beings. It is a curious thing that the best-cunditioned calves are the mcst susceptible to tha disease." PROMISES OF ASSISTANCE.

Mr Reakea explained (hat the practical help of the A. anil P. Society and the Farmers' Union was desired. On Tuesday he had a lengthy conference with Mr D. H. Hamilton, tecretary ot the Pukekohe branch of the Farmers' Union, who made some htlpful suggestions and promised all the assistance he could render. Mr ReaKes also met Mr Schalepfer, president of the branch, who also expressed his willingness to facilitate the Department's inoculation campaign in every possible way.