WAIKATO FARMERS' CLUB.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3066, 10 March 1892, Page 2

WAIKATO FARMERS' CLUB.

The Cambridge meeting of the above Club was held in the club room, Duko Street, on Monday at 7-30 p.m. Present: Messrs Jno. Fisher (chairman), R. Reynolds, H. Buttle, L. Edson, Jas. Hally, W. Tucker, C. Bull, C. Roberta, G. E Clark, R. Fisher S. Seddon, H. Rhodes, H. R. Hyatt. J. Gane, W. B. Souter, J. Forrest, H. J. Turner and T. Hartly. Capt. Pitt, of Messrs Reynolds and Co., and Mr Palmer of the Freezing Co. were also present, ine minutes of the January meeting were read and confirmed. New Mkmbers.—Messrs J. W. tiiuter and R. C. Dyer, both of Cambridge, were elected members of the Club. The Cambridge branch of the Club now numbers about 1!)4. .. „ FRUIT.—The Loan and Mercantile On. advised the Club that the Kaikoura w.iuld arrive in Auckland on the 13th instant and leave fur London on the 19th. Intending shippers of frait should apply for space at once They also stated that they had a consignment of bonedust and blood mauura in store, of which they enclosed analysis, that was eminently suitable for fruit trees. The price was £7 per ton. Frozen Meat.— Several circulars, containing a quantity of useful information on this matter were received. Members ot the Club can inspect the same on applying to the secretary.—Mr Buttle asked if any information was obtainable as to the result of shipments of meat made last year from Waikato.—The Chairman thought not, but he understood lambs bad not realised the expectations of consignors.—Mr K<i. Keynolds said his firm (Reynolds arid Go.) had sent home about 1500 sheep and lambs this season, and also. 30 head picked cattle to test the market. Last year he forwarded a lot of prime heifers that were each worth £3 5s in Auckland, and the return he got from London was £2 8s per carcase. However, matters were very different now at the other end of the journey, and when he received the result of the sales, he would make it known to the Club. Reynolds and Co. were now open to buy somo hundreds of sheep of a class that would furnish carcases of from 581b to Colb, but they could not get them. It was useless sending sheep to London that were above that weight tor the butchers would not look at them. Cvm,i= Yakds at CAMnnwM Station. —Too Chairman said the yards at_the Cambridge station had been altered at the request of the Club, and Mr Hudson said "to the order of the Club," but even now they wow not what was required, as the forcing pen had been done away with, which made the loading of cattle a dangerons operation. It was unfortunate that Mr Coom, the engineer, was not present when the deimtation made the request, or the matter would doubtless been put right at the lirst try. However, Mr Liwson, who has now charge of the department, has the matter in hand, and will rectify the mis-"foot-rot in SHEEP.-Major Wilson had read a paper on the above subject at the previous meeting, and the discussion had been adjourned to enable members to think over the various matters connected therewith. T«e Major was now in Auckland, but he wrote asking that some member of the Club would kindly act on his behalf. This Mr R. Reynolds undertook to do.—lne Chairman was afraid there were not many more flock-masters present that evening than there were when Major Wilson read his very able paper. He had known the Major for about a quarter of a century, and yet he did not know that he (the Major) had had any experience in sheep-farming: but it appeared he had not only had experience himself, but had kept his eyes and ears open and had carefully noted the experience of others in connection with footrot in sheep, or he coald not have compiled so useful and instructive a paper. He trusted that members would discuss the paper in a manner due to its merits, and the result would bn that all of them would be gainers. He (the chairman) had not had much experience of the disease; years ago he had it in his flock, but it soon disappeared.-Mr Clark advocated a solution of arsenic ami pearlash being used in » trough in the footrace, as the while flock could then be dressed in a short time. The lama animals should previously have their feet pared upon a floor, and no dirt should be allowed to got upon the feet until the sheep had passed through the trough. This method stopped the disease while in the incipient stage, and thereby saved the sheep from becoming lame. He had no d„ul.t the ointment recommended by Major Wilson was good.—Mr Forrest had tried many receipts, amongst them being butter of antimony, arsenic, and spirits of salts, etc., but he found them very expensive. He had, however, now found a receipt that only cost about fourpence per hundred sheep. It was bluestone, far, and .Stockholm tar-one-third of each. His flock was only a small one, but if sheep had to be caught to have their feet pared, why not dress them at once, even if the flock was a large one, and the trough would not be necessary.-Mr Buttle thought the disease hereditary to a certain extent-Mr Clarke could not say if it was hereditary, but he know that Merinos soon took it when they were put on the rich Waikato pastures. He bought a lot of Morinos, and there was not an unbound hoof in the lot, but after they had been on good feed for a time there was not a sound one in the flock. Merinos wanted a lot of exercise, and could not stand the continual moisture of a rich pasture.-Mr Seddon agreed with Mr Clark as to the Merinos. The receipts given by Major Wilson were good, but the feet must be properly pared, and that was an operation that was very imperfectly understood. J. he whole of the diseased part of the hoot should be cut away without causing the foot to bleed.-Mr Clark asked if the Down sheep were subject to foot-rot. It would be an important matter to the New Zealand farmers, as they must breed for the Ji,uglish market, and consequently they must go in fcr the Down breeds.—Mr l'orrest said that several of the big companies had sold their Downs and were now keeping Lincoln?. That did not look as if the change would be made.-Mr Roberts had had charge of several flocks of different breeds, and he found the black faces predisposed to foot rot—in fact, they were never free from it.—Mr Hyatt thought the disease must be to a cortnn extent hereditary, and if farmers were content to go on breeding from diseased animals more people would be joining the vegetarian society. With sheep, farmers ware fighting against nature, as the animals naturally belonged to hilly countries, where they had a large amount of exorcise.—Mr Reynolds said that, unfortunately, he had had a lot to do with foot-rot. He had worn out several knives in paring sheep s feet, bat the disease would never be kept down till the trough method was adopted. That would catch those which had the disease in its first stage and prevent their becoming lame In paring, ho thought it bettor to causo blending than to leave any portion that was diseased. He believed foot-rot was contagious, for he seldom found lambs that were free from it if the mother had contracted tho disease. He agreed with Mr Clark as to Merino sheep; but regarding the Down breeds he could not give any opinion.—The discussion then closed. Several other mattors cropped up, to which we will rofer in our next issno.