At The Furrow’s End

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 182, 22 October 1927, Page 25 (Supplement)

At The Furrow’s End

Mortality Among Lambs Following a remit from a Northern branch, the executive of the Auckland provincial district of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, at a meeting this week, viewed with alarm a reported heavy mortality among lambs. It was decided to write to the Department of Agriculture, asking that exhaustive investigations be carried out regarding the trouble. The union is slightly behind the times. For almost two years now the department has had a man doing nothing else in the Southland district. His work has been given due publicity, and last year's operations were covered in a report published in the “Journal of Agriculture.” Known as “pulpy” kidney or renal congestion, the disease attacks only the primest lambs and, as far as can be found, it is not contagious. It is always most prevalent in seasons of bounteous feed. To date departmental officers have not been able to arrive at the exact cause of the trouble or, apart from checking the lambs and putting them on sparse pastures at this time of the year, suggest any method of combating it. On the big stations of the East Coast and Hawke’s Bay district the disease has been known for years, but there little notice is taken of it. It is on the smaller places where farmers force their lambs for the early market that it comes prominently into the limelight. Farmers can rest assured that if there is a possibility of arriving at the root of the trouble and discovering a remedy, the Department of Agriculture will be right on it. Everything possible is being done at the present time.

Behind the idea is a spirit that the majority of Agricultural and Pastoral Associations in this country would do well to emulate. There is too much stagnation and lack of enterprise among such associations to-day. Entries at many of our shows from the point of view of quality and quantity are a disgrace to a country that holds such a high place among the primary producing countries of the world. Many of our best breeders do not even bother to show, while little inducement is offered to the novitiate. It is only to be hoped that Auckland and its sister associations will evolve other progressive schemes in the future, and in doing so inculcate into their members the energy and enthusiasm to carry them out. Auckland has got in first here. Let it be the Waikato or Manawatu next. Only when we have such spirit exhibited will the Agricultural and Pastoral shows of this country occupy their right place, and the downward trend toward deteriorating into mere motor-car exhibitions and haunts for side-showmen and cheupjacks checked.

Auckland Show The schedule for the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Asociation’s summer show came out this week. The principal alteration, apart from the provision for North Island championship ribbons, is the inclusion of classes in the dairy section, which take breeding as well as type into consideration. This was commented upon last week. The schedule is a most attractive one and, though the prizes in some instances could be more attractive to be in accord with the Dominion’s richest district, many worth while specials and trophies are featured. It should be no light honour from a breeder's point of view to carry off a place at the Auckland show, and it is to be hoped that the efforts of the association to brighten up its fixture will not go unrewarded.