WAIKATO FARMERS' CLUB.

Waikato Argus, Volume VII, Issue 527, 16 December 1899, Page 4

WAIKATO FARMERS' CLUB.

(Concluded), In concluding his remarks on tuberculosis, Mr Gilruth said it was unfortunately impossible to test all the cattle in the colony with tuberculin, or even all the dairy cows, which numbered 300,000, for one man could not operate upon more thau 5000 in a year ; and even if the whole of the cows were done there would bo 900,000 other cattle to spread the disease, iu addition to human beings and pigs, who were subject to it. It was in stud herds that the ttst proved of the utmost use, for no stud breeder would wish to perpetuate stock suffering from tuberculosis, and a clean bill of health made the animals much more valuable. Some appeared to think that all animals upon which the test reacted would have to be killed, but that was an error. Owncis were allowed to isolate the infected ones, and even breed from them if they had the disease only in its earlier stages. If only fivo or six cows in a herd were found to have contracted the disease, it would be best to kill them but if say 20 ptr cent, of the herd reacted these should be isolated, and if bred from the calves should be taken away as soon as they were weaned, Occasionally one of these calves would bo found with the disease and it should then be killed, but the majority of them would be free from it. As the disease progressed in the infected cows they should be killed. Iu ordinary stock where the indications of tuberculosis were undoubtedly present, it was better to have the animals killed and get the half compensation paid by the Government. He strongly urged upon the farmers to at once communicate with Mr Ross if they suspected the presence of tuberculosis in their herds. The charge for testing with tuberculin was 6d per animal, which he considered a very reasonable charge. Lumpy Jaw: This was a disease that affected other parts of the animal, but the symptoms were often much the Bame as in tuberculosis. It was caused by a parasite that grew on grain, aud he had known the tougue, lips and the udder affected by it. The disease was not, however, so dangerous to human beings. Red Water: He understood this was prevalent in the district. There were two kinds, but only one was in this colony. In England it was knows as the " poor man's disease," for it generally appeared in cows that were under fed. Bad feeding had a deal to do with it and cows that ate many leaves were subject to it. In the South Island animals fed on frosted turnips without a sufficiency of dry food suffered severely from it. . It affected the blood which broke up and passed away through the kidneys. The best remedy was to take tho animals under cover and give them a good dose of salts, then feed upon bran mashes with perhaps some eggs beaten up, and sulphate of iron to supply tho deficiency created by the loss of blood through the kidneys. Parasites : Both calve 3 and sheep suf fercd from these pests, the most dangerous being the stomach and the lung worms; the other kinds were of little importance and could easily be got rid of. He had seen fat lambs that were killed for the English market full of tape worm. Few horses, cattle or sheep were free from parasites, and the chief thing to do was to keep the vitality of the animals up and then they would keep ahead of the parasites. It was in the animals that got low in condition that the parasites flourished.. No one ever heard of stud flocks suffering from paras:tes, and that proved his contention. Some farmers fed their calves on separated milk without anything to take the place of tlie butter extracted from it, and expected them to thrive. That was giving the parasites a big show. He advised whole milk being given for the first month and then separated milk with something to take the place of the butter. The best possible medicine for parasites was good tucker. When lambs were on swampy land the best medicine was a few dry oats. It was a difficult matter to make the formers bslievo they had the remedy at their own doors, and many of them were believers in medicines of various kinds and especially of drenches. Mr Gilruth then rciated a laughiblc case in which he was aware that the faru er was a believer in drenche?, so he sent him some medicine (which we think was probably a little coloured water), but at the same time insisted that dry oats must also be given to the affected lambs The oats quickly put new life into the animals and when Mr Gilruth next visited the farmer that individual was so enraptured with the cure the " medicine " had made that he (the farmer) wanted Mr Gilruth to patent the medicine, leave the Government, and go into partnership with him, for he was certain there was a fortune in it. Another man was carting his oats to the station and selling them at Is 9d per bushel, and at the same time bis sheep were dying at the rate of five a day. He tried feeding with dry oat*, and the loss of sheep stopped forthwith. A bushel of oats would keep a lamb for 84 days, but they must mind and separate the strong from the weak animals, or the former would get all the oats. It was no use trying to start the animals on oaten chafl ; they would nose out all tho straw trying to get at the oats ; but if you reversed matters and started with the oats they might be taught to eat chaff after a time. They must keep everything clean, for animals were very likely to get dirt into the troughs, and then they would waste half the feed. He abominated those things kuown as " self-feeders." He had experimented with CO lambs for wlrch he gave Is each (and they were not worth it), and several of them were so weak that they bad to be carried the latter part of the journey. He drafted them into three lots; one lot he drenched with arsenic, another with turpentine, and the others he fed with oats. Arsenic and turpentino were the bases of most of the drenches, but in his case they were not the slightest use, and the lambd were afterwards fed on dry oats, young oats and rape, and eventually they were all sold for 9s 6d each. Drenches were not worth carrying home. They were told to give a wineglass of the drench to a sheep, where it would meet with 1£ gallons of fluid, and then expect it to kill the worms. Why, they would revel in it. Drugs were no good for the farmer, and animals made but very bad drug stores. Anthrax : There, was another matter in which he felt much interested, and upon which the club had given him some advice, and that was anthrax. He was informed the case that they would remember ooemred at Ohaupo was not anthrax, but arose, through s me cows chewing the bones of a dead horse. They would, perhaps, be interested to know that all the highest authorities at Home agreed that it was anthrax, and be was sorry to state that some cases of the disease had_ oseurred this year, in many respects similar to the Ohaupo one for the infected animals were beiog fed on land that had been manured with imported bones. One of the farmers gave the carcase to his pigs and next day he had 25 dead pigs._ He did not wish to create an alarm, neither was there &ny occasion for it, for fortunately anthrax was only contagious just before the death of the infected animal cr by direct communication with the body or soil contaminated by it. The disease must have been imported with manures, for it was not originally in the colony. The cases that had occurred had all been on land manured with imported bones. If anyone had an animal die suddenly from an unknown cause, let them at once communicate with the Stock Inspector. If they would take a spot of blo.d from the animal and smear it upon a piece of glass and send it to him, he would at once know if it was a case of anthrax Mr Gilruth then resumed hia seat being heartily applaased.

Milk Fevor : Replying to Mr Tucker, Mr Gilruth said a cow seldom had milk fever before the third calf, and rarely before calving. The symptoms were shivering, trembling and a falling away of the milk. Tlnu the cow gets down and she is usually drenched, and often much of the drench gets on the lungs and chokes the animal, and the result is a sudden death. It was little good to do anything when the animil got down, I ut if taken in the earlier stages the following receipt would be found as good as anything:—Chloral hydrate 20/„ pot bromide {oz; water to a qua't. Give half the quantity at once, half of the remainder in two hour?, and the remainder in two hours afterwards. This is for an ordinary sized milking cow. (Jare should be taken to give the liquid carefully, and not choke the animal. If the animal ccughs, the head should bs immediately released. The best thing was not to have milk fever, which could tie secured by keeping the cow in low condition for a few days before cliving, and if necessary giving a dose of salts. Mr R. Reynolds said he had listened to the lecture with a deal of pleasure, and as it proceeded he had made a list of questions that he intended asking at i's conclusion, but Mr Gilruth had anticipated h : m by answering them before they were asked. Two years ago he bad had the whole 01 his Hertfords herd aud a portion of his poorest Jtrseys tested by tuberculin, and he was glad to say he had a clean bill. He trusted all stud herds would be tested, for their progeny were sent all over the colony. It was pleasing to him to have his ideas borne out by such a high authority as Mr Gilruth, "for he had always contended that proper food at the proper time was the beßt medicine for animals. He did not lose 2 per cent., and that was from their lating tute when they were on turnips. He then asked Mr Gilruth if theie were any further developments regarding the wasting disease that was so prevalent up country. Mr Gilruth said he was trying experiments with sheep being fed upon bush stuff, but the people of the district seemed to be so well up in the matter that he could fiud but few specimens. He said he was one of those who did not prophesy until he knew. Mr J. Allen asked why some calves that were fed upon Yorkshire fog in a swampy place died ? Mr Gilruth said Yorkshire fog was a poor grass at its best, and when grown in swamps was very poor indeed. The lambs lequired better food. In answer to Mr Pickering, Mr Gilruth said tuberculosis was not so prevalent in lime-stone country a 8 in other places. Replying to Mr J. T. Hicks, he said ashes floacing down a creek would not be liable to do young stock harm, as the potash would'be only a small amount per animal, if tlrre was anything like a stream of water. Mr Tucker asked about bot flies in horses ? Mr Gilruth said, all the horses had them in the winter. Like other parasites it was a matter of condition. The bots did not kill the horses, though they were generally supposed to do so. It you wanted to killed the bots you must kill the horse, It was a good thing to rub a little carbolized oil on the horse's legs and lessen the crop as much as possible, but you could uot get rid of them. It was a similar lot that struck the horse under the chiu. It did not sting, it merely annoyed the horse. On the motion of Mr R. Reynolds, seconded by tho President, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mr Gilruth, to which he suitably responded.