GERALDINE FARMERS’ CLUB.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2726, 18 October 1894, Page 3

GERALDINE FARMERS’ CLUB.

The ordinary meeting of the Geraldine Farmers’ Club took place on Monday evening. There was a fair attendance, and Mr M. C. Orbeil presidedCOSRESFONDENCE. A letter was read from Mr J. Murray who regretted that through illness he was not able to be present, to take part in the discussion on sheep diseases. DISCUSSION. The chairman was sorry that Mr Murray could not be present as he was to have introduced the subject of diseases amongst sheep for discussion. Ho (the chairman) was not, therefore, prepared to open up the discussion as fully as Mr Mr Murray wonld have done, as ho only had a few hours notice. One part of the subject that Mr Murray intended to deal with particularly was the disease knqwn as “ Sturdy ” amongst sheep. Mr Murray had seen some sheep ■ affected with this complaint, and he was anxious to Know the experience of members of the club in dealing with the disease. “ Sturdy ” was a complaint that caused the sheep to separate itself from the mob and become very dull; it affected sheep in different ways. Sometimes the sheep would go away by itself and feed in a circle. He (the chiirman) had a hogget affected; it affected hoggets more thap others. This hogget was in the state mentioned for two or three weeks. Another way iu which the disease affected the sheep was by causing it to start running about.

The cause of the disease was given by authorities as hydatids on the brain. There was another important disease called “ Anthrax, or spleenic fever which it was worth while to pay attention to, for it affected the interests of sheep throughout the colony. This disease not only affected sheep, but horses, cattle, pigs, and even the human family, and was one of the worst things that could be introduced amongst stock. The germs of the disease could be carried by fodder, packing, or anything of that nature, and it was said to bo prevalent in one part of Australia. He would read some extracts from a paper by Professor J. W. Axe given at the London Farmers’ Club (Mr Orbell here read extracts). From thisjthey could see that the disease was a very dangerous one, and he thought the club might well bring under the notice of the Secretary of the Agricultural Department the fact of its being in Australia. He had read an account last month of how horses and pigs had been affected and died in large numbers. Itwas a matter that should be brought more prominently forward than it had been. A matter which had also come under his notice was that of sheep being killed by eating cocksfoot grass. The opinion of one veterinary surgeon in his report affirmed this. He (the chairman) was also told the other day by a gentleman that out of a 6000 or 7000 flock he lost 40 pregnant ewes. The ewes had been feeding on old cocksfoot, which, being rank, was not digested; the result being that when the sheep’s paunch was opened it was found full of cocksfoot, in an undigested slate. This showed how unwise it was to put sheep on such feed, although it did not of course apply in the case of young cocksfoot: only where it was rank. He wondered if any of the farmers present had lost the largest of the lambs of their flocks this season. He had lost a few, and on opening them he found two fat-like swellings on each side of the windpipe. The lamb was ill for a short time only, and breathed very heavily as if choked. With regard to docking lambs, he had just finished docking one of his lots, and had not lost a lamb, simply because he had docked the tails a little longer than he had previously done. * He had a singular experience with respect to foot-rot, he might say ■ About three-quarters of a flock of his were bad with foot-rot, while about a quarter, twotooths bred on the place, were not affected at all, although running in the same paddocks as the sheep affected which were not bred on the place. Mr McLeod ijuite agreed with Mr Orbell re sheep bred on the place not taking the foot-rot. His experience was similar to that of Mr Orbell’s; sheep he had bought for the last two years had not been on the place a fortnight before they had foot-rot, while sheep bred on the place did not take it. With respect to cocksfoot, he might say that he had 100 acres of the roughest cocksfoot that conld beseem. On this he wintered 400 ewes all the winter, and out of the 400 he only had to skin one sheep. He could not conceive how the cocksfoot killed the sheep, as mentioned by the chairman. The sheep could not have been in good health. He was of opinion that “sturdy” is curable. At Home they would open the skull for this disease, find the spot, and take perhaps half a dozen little bubbles from the sheep’s head. The disease was not nearly so prevalent in this country as at Home, and he had never seen the heads affected half as soft as at Home.

Mr Webster asked whether Mr McLeod considered sheep-rot to be contagious. Opinions varied on this phase of the footrot question, but from what had been stated by the two previous speakers he would imagine that the disease was not contagious. Mr McLeod could only give his experience, and did not care to express a decided opinion on the matter. Major Moore said with regard to the disease “ sturdy,” in Scotland the cure was to find the soft spot in the skull, bore into it, and insert a tube, so th it the cause of the disease could be removed by draining: Mr Webster said there was one important matter mentioned by the chairman, but which had been overlooked in the discussion. They had heard a great deal lately as to death amongst the best lambs. He (Mr Webster) had seen a lot of them lying about. Mr D. McLeod said he had lost about 9 or 10 of his best lambs lambs last week; they were all single lambs too, not a twin amongst them. They were also the fattest lambs he had in the paddock. He cut the throat of one just before its death, but could find nothing the matter with the animal; the bowels and everything were in perfect order. He did not, however open up the throat of the lamb to inspect it as Mr Orbell had done with bis. Mr J. Allan had no experience with death amongst lambs this year, but lest year several lambs died, and on opening them he found a little clot of wool in the stomach of each. They got the wool from the mother when sucking. He found that salt was a very good thing for clearing the stomach, and he tried it this year with the result that he only lost one lamb. Mr McLeod mentioned that he had rock salt in his paddocks, and still the latqbs died. Mr Allan said he used coarse salt, not rock salt, and he foqu4 a lot of the Jambs nibbling it. Mr Tomlinson said he had experienced the same thing in England; the lambs drew the wool from the ewes’ udders when sacking. One thing he might mention was that he found symptoms of dropsy amongst lambs this year. He had not seen any signs of “ sturdy ” in his flock. Mr Ward instanced a case wherein he had seeq $ sheep with the wool coming off behipd the ear. Members agreed that tlie milk fever was the cause of the wool coming off.

LINCOLN Major Moor prop jsad opinion of this meeting the Lincoln College of Agriculture as present carried on is of very little benefit to the farming community; that its sphere of usefulness might be widely extended if a report \yas published in pamphlet forja annually, showing the results of a 1 ’ ex . perimeuts carried out ou th-' f arm during each year, with au Account of the couditioua u, lder which they were carried out, and the objects proposed to be attained, and a fujl aocoqat of all the proceedings of the farm in all its branches, and that copies of Buch report bo forwarded to ail the Farmers’ Clubs and A. and P. Associations each year,” Ho had been informed that pamphlets such as described iu the resolution were printed every year, but they were certainly not widely distributed. He had only seen one copy all the year, and that was because he happened to be a member of tho County Council. Tho whole of tho farming Community had a right to know what was being done at tho college—whether the experiments are being out to advantage or disadvantage. He guaranteed that not one out of a hundred farmers knew what is being done. Major Moore produced a copy u£ tho college report to

show the nature of the work done there, and read extracts'from same. It seemed to him that this work was carried on every year at the expense of the public, and the farmers should know how the money is spent and to what good. He wished the resolution to be forwarded to Mr Stead, one. of the governors, who intended to move in the direction indicated in the resolution, and this perhaps would in a measure help to strengthen that gentleman’s hands. Mr Geo. Ward seconded the resolution, and said that it would be a very useful thing to have the information they paid for The chairman heartily endorsed all Major Moore’s remarks on the subject. He thought that the college could be worked so that it would be of very great service to the public. He might say that he had not seen one of the college reports since 1891. In speaking to one of the governors he was told that the report was published in one or twojournals that few farmers see. Mr Webster said that his impression had been for a long time that the college was very little use to students, farmers, or anyone else. He had come across two or three who had learned their farming at the college, and they were almost worse than useless. They were too extravagant. If anyone wanted the results of an experiment he had to make personal application. He (Mr "Webster) made an application at one time, and had to wait some months before getting the results. He would have liked to see something stronger embodied in the resolution, but he would support it as it was in the meantime. Mr Wreathall’s opinion was that the college was absolutely useless to the whole community. The college gave a theoretical knowledge of farming, and this was no use to a man unless he had the means to carry it out thoroughly. He thought they should keep paid lecturers to go through the country to lecture to farmers as Mr Blackmore does to orchidists. Like Mr Webster he would like to go a step further. The whole thing required abolishing and re-establishing on a new basis before it would be of much service to farmers. Mr J. Allan thought the only good thing the college had done for the farmers was in the matter of analyzing manures. Ho thought it was mostly boys from towns that went to the college. Farmers’ sons could learn more practical work at home, and could not spare the time to go. He thought the college should keep a staff of lecturers to lecture to farmers sons who could not attend college, but could meet at Farmers Clubs to hear lectures. The chairman remarked that at the college at present there were 47 students, and 16 of these came direct from the Old Country. He would give the college credit where it was due. Mr N alder, junr.—an ex-college student —combated the statements made anent the college. He said if they saw the number of samples that came in in one afternoon, as many as 28 —sometimes all requiring answers —they could understand why they had to wait some time for an answer. With regard to the pamphlet, if anyone wrote to the college for one they could get it. It was overwork that killed Mr Ivey. Students, he might state, got thorough training in practical farming. They were under the supervision of practical men, but the students did all the work themselves, even to milking and threshing. It greatly depended on the boy; if he went there to learn he would learn, but he could not be forced to learn. The resolution was then put and carried. On ihe motion of Major Moore, seconded by Mr Webster, it was decided to send the resolution directly to Mr Stead, Christchurch. Mr Wreathall suggested that the subject for discussion at next meeting should be on “ Manures; especially for Turnips.”