FARM AND DAIRY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 234, 8 February 1911, Page 7

FARM AND DAIRY

THE BUSH SICKNESS MYSTERY. TRACKING DOWN CAUSES. Some months ago the disease known as "bush sickness," which broke out in the Rotorua district was a matter of considerable interest agriculturally in New Zealand, and, later, as files from abroad evidenced, the peculiar outbreak attracted attention in other countries. Mr C. J. Reakes (the head of the Stock Division in the Department of Agriculture) and Mr B. C. Aston (the Department's Chief Chemist) proceeded to the scene of the trouble, and spent time and trouble collecting information and making observations. The Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. Thomas M'Kcnzie) was interviewed about that time, and stated that the officers of the Department were making a very serious study of the disease, and that the Department intended to go through with its experiments and solve the mystery. Although nothing has been learned from an official source, it has been gathered from a thoroughly reliable quarter that the Department's experts have had in hand for some time a very comprehensive investigation, from which good news may come at a later date. Presumably, the investigations have not been completed, as the subject is still receiving attention. A PERFECT COW. WEDGE-SHAPED.

Opinions on the perfect cow are gener ally interesting.

Mr Thos. I'arton, a Cheshire dairyfarmer, and lover of the Shorthorn, recently told the members of the Chester Farmers' Club that a perfect cow was wedge-shaped, and they had got to see that Nature had made ttill provision for what was required. The udder should be in four equal proportions and well forward under the body, and the bp"k should be square and well .formed. He liked in a dairy cow a good open rib. There was, he said, a great deal in the surroundings of the animal, and the feeding was important. If they wanted to produce the best result, they should aim at giving the food to a cow under such conditions that she would have the greatest pleasure in receiving it.

Some Southland cheese factories have sold their season's output on a basis of aVid per lb, f.o.b. As high as 5 0-lOd, f.0.b., has been paid. The Rval Bush factory has sold at 5%d on trucks Ryal Bush. The Southland summer has been remarkable for the seasonable rains which have fallen, being just sufficient to assist the growth and development of the crops. '

The Akaroa correspondent of the Press telegraphs that samples of cocksfoot seed are slowly coming into buyers' hands, the seed being bright, clean and heavy, though mainly small in the kernel. Buyers are active with orders to fill in the North Island, (id to Cy 2 d being offered for 111b and 121b seed, but growers are asking 7d, and little business is being done. Harvesting generally in and around Blenheim is almost completed (says the Kxpress), there being very little grain to be seen in the slooks. The general experience is that the yield in most cases is poor as compared with what was expected. In this respect this part of the province has not fared so well as the Awatere district, where, despite the pessimistic view taken of things some little time ago. a good average yield has been experienced.