THE BLACKLEG TROUBLE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8060, 6 March 1906, Page 2

THE BLACKLEG TROUBLE.

Apropos of the blackleg trouble, Messrs Grccnaway Bros., of Punihoj the. well-known tanners, who are in ;i bij way, inform us that four years ago they took the trouble to import vaccine, which they thennelves injected in their calves. In a short time' (here was very little sign or blackleg on their farm, and whilst they were doing their own vaccinating the animals enjoyed an immunity from the disease. 1 his year, when the Department did the vaccinating, Die disease again appeared. The proportion of deaths certainly was small, " but," as the senior brother said, "what we are grettly concerned about is the re-introduclion of the disease. Had we been allowed to do our own vaccinating L feel sure «-e would not liaye had blackleg this .year. Ihe loss caused by the death of our calves is nothing in comparison lo the fresh outbreak of the disease on our ]>l,\ee.

Mr Grccnaway thinks that blackleg after inoculation is caused by the vac cine being too strong, and does not snare the opinion prevalent in some quarters that it- is due to putrid vac. cme though the using 0 f such would be bound lo bring about bloodpoisoning, . j

At 1 iluiniii on Friday, Air ltoakfs, of tlie Government, veterinary .stall', wit], , stock inspector, inoculated calves, it , s understood, reports icHawera "Slap." tl,at a new mehod of moculatmg I,as been ado,,ted, by M-Jnel, tlie needle is inserted first ,™?, »T"W mwd afterwards, instead ot both operations being sinmltincous. It is n nmel, slower process . 111 , bn only nbnut n hundred animal* were dealt will,, whereas under he old system lifteoi, lu.ndred l ve been done in a dav, luti, t|,e inference is that il,e Department consider it safer itiiiit a lew days it will he know,, how far the I'iluima experiment has been success!nl.