FARM AND DAIRY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 226, 6 January 1911, Page 3

FARM AND DAIRY

[ COXTA, HOI'S MASTITIS (OK ! .MA.M.MITFS).

From the particulars published in the current number of the Agricultural Department's Journal, it is evident that contagious mastitis (or mammitis) is prevahnt. in ail parts of the Dominion, and ■ that it is a rather serious matter. Contagious mastitis is stated to be one of the most insidious and persistent pathological disturbances met with among catth in this country, being only equalled by the other bovine scourge, tuberculosis. Jt represents only one of the several, catan ha I conditions that all'ect the cow's udder. .Mr. il. A. Hi.;.', of the Veterinary Department, says t,'; : it a cursory microscopical examination of a sample of the milk is often not sufficient to decide whether or not it has been yielded from an affected -oarer. Even the presence of streptococci in milk cannot be taken to indicate thai, the cow from which the sample lias been obtained is affected. Such argouisms belong frequently to the benign group of lactic acid-forming germs, an 1 may he found in milk from 1 udders which are in every respect healthy. One of the more certain indications that contagious mastitis exists is a profuse catarrh in the milk secretion together with an unusual proportion of pus cells or dead end .1. gen.-;.r,c bincovct.es. .Mr. Held g.-es on .to .■:■-, ih.u the condition of the udder and miik. although as a rule abnormal, cannot dclnitely decide whether the animal is free from disease. Milk to all appearand perfectly normal has been found on several occasions to contain the viruic.u:. -J. mi; while udders from winch ail palpable trace of inflammation has vnuMi'.[ may still yield an infective supply. Such conditions constitute one of the most -erious features.of [the di-easc/-both as regards its recognition and eradication. Experience has led him to believe that, should any cow. in a herd prove to !c affected, bacterioscopic examination "of the miik from each . of the remaining and apparently healthy cows can aione determine their freedom from disease. ;hi certain occasions he has been asked by dairymen how,,in the I first instance, infection takes place. His reply v->.< that a satisfactory answer to such (.•■-. airies can generally be returned on accident, as a rule, of a history of the introduction of a, fresh cow-into the herd, purchased probably from the nearest saleyard. Cows all'ected with contagious nummi.is are known to lie commonly dispo-cd of in this manner, and ' the source of infection may thus be often ■ easily established. In certain instances, , however, no history or conditions similar to the above can be referred to, anil the source of primary infection becomes exceedingly' diliicult to trace. Isolated ' cases have come under his notice in which cows appaj-enlly far removed from any possible centre of infection have exhibited symptom- of acute contagious mastitis shortly alter calving. Even first-calf heifers may not infrequently be found to b, .iloAied. What, then, is the source of infection under such conditions? In some instances he has been inclined to : think that Hies or other insvets may act - as intermediary agents of intoction, by . conveying the eoiuagutin from diseased to healthy cows.' The presence of a suppurative discharge from an abscess in any of the cattle containing streptococcus ■■ pyogen's may aU> art as an infective . centre. It is even po-.-iblc to suppose that under certain conditions the streptococcus lacticus may assume virulent properties enabling it to set, up iniiam- ' ma'tory ui-ca-e of th ■ udder, since lleinemann has shown thai, the ordinary nonpathogenic . streptococcus lacticus may he rendered, viiulent by passage through succc-.-ive rabbits, In one case he recovered from the iciil; of a healthy Cow. , a stretococcus showing the characteristicof the streptococcus lacticus. Inoculation of the milk under aseptic conditions int* the mammary gland of another healthy cow provoked symptoms of acute mastitis, the milk presenting the appearance associated with the disease produced by the streptococcus ]>yogene.s. Independent observers had repeatedly stated thai! cows, and particularly heifers, previously. / free from disease, have shown symptoms of acute streptococcic mastitis. He had personally vended such statements, and had been unable in ci rtain cases to trace • the source of infection. There was also the tendency of contagious mastitis to assume a chronic character. The decline of acute symptoms and resolutions of clinical lessons could not lie accepted as an indication ihat an all'ected animal . had recovered or that the milk secretion . was no longer a source of danger.

Various scienlilic methods of dealing with the tremble are (Mailed in the article mentioned. Farmers, however, are urged to prtmijitly report any suspected eases of contagious mamhjilis in their, herds so tlint these may be dealt' with in a radieal manner. The isolation of affected cows, strict attention to cleanliness, the maintenance of the byre in a sanitary condition, are the means recommended to guard against the spread of the disease, hi view of the fact that, as in other districts, contagion, niammitis, is to be found among some of our best Tanuiaki dairying henk the need for care is manifest. The increasing use of milking machines is >aid to be largely responsible fur spreading contagion throughout a herd by nuaiis of contaminated milkingeup-. ( leanliness is therefore imperative in reference to dealing with this disease.

BREVITIES. The increased cost of living all over tlie world i-. providing food—for rellection. . Occasionally you find a man who would rather be right than be rich. It is hard to be both. To be discontented merely demonstrates that some people, need a lot more happiness than others. The man who refuses advice is almost as sure to get into trouble as the man wno takes it.

Sheep yarded overnight before beingtrucked will carry much better than those loaded straight, oil' the green feed. One cross may an-wer, but in the end cross-breeding become* a very complicated all'air, and has mined more than one ilock of sheep. Butter made up in a slovenly fashion. even though good-flavored, will not generally sell so well as that made up in an attractive form.

Quantity and quality of milk are features of the best dairy cattle. Developed by .selection, they call only be perpetuated by careful breeding. If you do not desire to cultivate, your orchard, at least keep live or six pigs per acre, and let them do the cultivating and devouring windfalls containing eggs of insects that may cause trouble later on. What is meant by systematic feeding is simply knowing how much each horse requires per day, how much grain and hay, how much good food, and' what proportion to give each horse and at what intervals. Do not 'keep too many pigs in one pen unless the space is large and has ple:tty of troughs. Troughs should he of the proper height, with partitions to prevent the pigs crowding each otter from the trough, and this also kee||s the food clean. Not only .should milk-cans lx cared for, but the interiors should he examined to detect any flaws in the r-eams, which, with joints, arc as dangerais to tike

sound-keeping qualities of milk as rust or dirty rags around the Ibis. " Any kind of food to which a horse iunaccustomed, »:vin i:i hire,. quant:, i-s. must necessarily lead to digestive disturbances. This is seen in' the -:.:!:!( frequently, when appreciable quackles of new oats or n. w hay are given to horses liable to derangement of the digestive system. " I Splints are often caused by the outside of the shoe being higher than the inside, thus throwing all the weight on the inside. The horse gets suddenly lame, with heat at the place. When a horse is lame with a common splint put him on low diet and foment. Profit can never be =tnrved out of an animal. Neither is there any money made in keeping a beast on a ration that provides just enough to keep the holy. Profit comes from the use of the feed that is consumed after all the normal wants of the body are taken care of.