BUSH SICKNESS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 388, 13 May 1910, Page 5

BUSH SICKNESS.

MILLION ACRES OF GOOD LAND AFFECTED. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Yesterday. The Hon. T. Mackenzie, Minister for Agriculture, visited Mamaku and Okoroire yesterday to investigate the question of bush sickness, which has a great number of settlers in these districts considerable anxiety, it is said that 1,000,000 acres of good land i ? affected by this mysterious disease, which so far has baffled all efforts to overcome it.

At a meeting at Mamaku about 50 settlers met the Minister, some travelling fifty miles and more to be present. After the meeting, at which a deal of [ information was forthcoming, the Min- | ister traversed over thirty miles of thi j affected districts, and was met at Ok )- roire by settlers living in the neighborhood of this place. At this met-ing,-as at those hold at Mamaku and Rotorua, a great dea] of valuable information was 'given iby the settlers present regarding the effects of the trouble, its history, and what had been to combat it. It was stated that the efforts made by the settlers had been almost entirely unsuccessful. The Minister, who is taking very ken': interest in the matter, realTses the seriousness of the situation, and has promised to carry out a series of experiments. He was accompanied by departmental officers under Mr. Reakes, the chief veterinary surgeon, and it is heped that by well-thought-out plans it may be possible to do something to correct the evil. Mr. Mac Donald, member for Bay ol Plenty, who is accompanying the party. states that if anything could >bc found, to overcome the difficulty th<> value of the land affected will lie worth at least £5,000.000 more than at present.