STERILITY IN COWS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 181, 2 August 1929, Page 17

STERILITY IN COWS.

DEPARTMENTAL EXPERIMENTS. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. The Hon. G. W. Forbes, replying to a question by Mr. W. J. Poison, stated in the House of Representatives last night that the Department of Agriculture was actively engaged in research into temDorarv sterility in cows. ! The Minister said Mr. C. S. M. Hopkirk, who is in charge at Wallaceville, i was a highly capable man, trained in [ laboratory investigation work from his early youth. By arrangement with the research department and Massey College an extension of the work was about to be undertaken by a highlyskilled scientist by systematically breeding small animals which would give quick reproduction and a quicksuccession of generation after generation. By feeding them on various diets of known deficiencies or known unbalanced mineral content, the scientists would be able to study the effects of diet upon reproduction. A further development this season would be the establishment of a field laboratory in a dairying district. Much of the work necessitated the co-opera-tion of individual farmers, and this was freely obtainable, financial assistance being given when necessary. The Department was not yet able to give farmers positive information as to the methods which could be relied upon to prevent temporary sterility, but by means of literature and by direct advice by veterinarians and stock officers it gave the best advice and assistance possible in the nresent state of the world s knowledge of this trouble.