CATTLE DISEASE IN TARANAKI.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8028, 15 January 1906, Page 2

CATTLE DISEASE IN TARANAKI.

the ABoirrrox oijtjm!i«:ak. THIS DEPARTMENT I'P AND DOING. Mr C. .1. Reakes. Assist in! C'hicr . etcrm,irian, arrived in Taranaki on Ijaturday in cniuu'.'lion willi Iho fresh outbreak of disc,isc in entile in l!l district, liikc black-leg, eolations abortion is liy no tiicins a fresh disease amongst the dairying herds of Ihe colony, and especially in Tavanal;i, where it his caused considerable loss to farmers lor many years, it is estimated that CIiOO.OUO is lost to the colony innue'ly through the prevalence of this disease, aid b M t for the energy of the Yelcrin. ary Division of the Department of An'ricnl' lll ' l '' in supplying farmers with a ''cmcd.V prevent t'ie ravages of ih.e disease, 'l' o hiss wou'd uuloubtedly lie very nine l ' Sweater.

The Chief Govern,, > n f Veterinarian, Mr (rili'uth, was interviewed in reference to this mater by a AA'ellington "Times" representative on Friday la t. Mr Giii-nth estimates that from 10 to 15 per cent, of the dairying herds o f the colony r affected with the disease, which s 'U has a hold on the IVannlii disf/ct. Farms, morcove , r'e benig co; irually sold, n'ul no 1 " people get possessii. i of the l-.e ds. c "

t 'e coml'lion of which they knov; absolately nothing when taking them oveNot c.iowt,i« what to do, they ncglee

li e e,' ~'e, and the disease spreai'i a lio i°'si thoic of tlieJ • neighbours. Tt is a well-known fact to the veterinary officers of the department that this disease lias extended to horses. Mr Gilruth first heard of this disease amongst the herds in Taranalti ten years ago, and he cautioned farmers then to lie beware of it. In 1895 he sent out a series of queries to fanners who had had practical experience of the disease for them to answer, for the guidance of the department, but without result.

Continues our contemporary"Last year a, comprehensive leaflet, with full particulars as to treatment, was circulated. Mr Gilruth does not favor absolute prohibition in dealing with stock affected with this disease, because it would bo difficult to prove that stock was affected, but it might be made illegal to sell, unless under certain conditions—that the buyer was apprised of the presence of (lie disease. If people, however, would take the precaution to treat every eon- tliey purchased, there would be no danger of introducing it into their herds. The whole remedy lies in the hands of the fanners themselves, seeing that the department supplied the material required from the Government laboratory practically at cost price. It is computed that there are about 100,000 dairy cows in the Taranaki district, and the average of this disease amongst the herds there is up to 30 and 10 per cent. The fact that the disease spreads in the same way as do all contagions diseases is, in itself, sufficient proof that; the cause is a living organism or microbe.

Thousands of tabloids have now been despatched from the laboratory (at the rate of 10,000 tabloids a month), and up to the present the few complaints received have been indubitably traced to improper or careless administration. One farmer who placed the solution in kerosene tins found that if absorbed the tin instead of the microbe, and finis lost its efficacy. The Chief Veterinarian points out iliat in cases were contagions abortion is present on a farm, too much stress cannot lie laid upon the necessity of searching for and destroying by burning, or, failing that, by deeply burying the aborted foetus. If the former, the foetus should, if possible, be burnt on the ground where fcund. If for convenience sake it is removed, a kre should be made ove' the spot on which it lay, and the gr mud-surface thus sterilised. Also, it is a good practice to disinfect the milking shed and yards by washing down with a l-in-40 solution in hot water of some disinfectant, or dip, aftcrwa'-ds lime-washing the shed, a fair quantity of disinfectant being added t, the limewasli." .