Page 18 Advertisements Column 1

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20862, 23 May 1933, Page 18

AUCTIONS. H. MATSON AND CO. (listract from "Livo Stock Journal.") CAUSED BY BRACKEN. ~~>OISON'ING of horsea by common bracken is (lie subject of an article in the •'Veterinary Journal" by Messrs S. Hadwen and E. A. Bruce, of the Veterinary Research Laboratory, Agassy, British Columbia. The article describes experiments which have teen carried out by the laboratory to determine the cause of a form of staggers prevalent on the l'aeific slope for many years. It jg characterised by uncertain gait, loss of equilibrium, general unthriftiness, and unimpaired appetite. The greatest number of cases occur during tho winter months, the disease being most common when tho weather is severe and protracted. Treatment, if instituted early, is usually successful, hut neglected animals generally die. On all the iarmg whore cases occurred bracken (Tteris aquilma L.) was found in the hay. The experiments indicate the cause of •'staggers" in horses to he due to the ingestion of dried bracken over u certain period and under certain conditions. Of the lour animals that developed the disease during tho course of the experiment, one showed symptoms on tho twenty-fourth day. and wis dying on tho thirty-fifth day, when it was put out of its misery. Tho second horse did not show marked symptoms until the thirty eighth day, and was dying on tho fortyslith day, when it was killed. The length of time it took the second horse to develop symptoms, as compared with tho first, was so doubt due to the fact that for about 12 days properly dried bracken could not be procured, and also to the mistaken kindness of a careless attendant who was caught giving the animal green clover. The third horse, ■Which had nerved as control in the two pre«oding experiments, was fed on hay exactly as received from a local source. The hay fed to the horses carried 29 per eent. bracken, and caused the death of the animal in 36 days. The fourth experiment was Bomowhat different from the others: this animal was fed 4.4 pounds of fern per day for three weeks, and was then reduced to 2*4 pounds per day for a further three ■weeks, with no apparent ill resulting. Upon increasing the daily feed of fern to ti.9 pounds, definite symptoms of. the disease ■were noticed on the twenty-ninth day (after this increase), nnd the animal was killed on the thirty-fifth day. Judging from the foregoing, it can be assumed that an addition to the daily diet of about six pounds of dried bracken will kill a horse in about one month.

(Extraqt from "Lender.") APPLYING LIME TO LAND. Dear Wimmora, —He enquiry in the "Leader," instant, by "D.U.U." coueeming lime. Natural deposits of lime, with many impurities, exist as carbonate of l'-nm, which is a compound of the elements calcium, oxygen, and carbon. It is acted upon readily by strong acids, which liberate some of the oxygen and carbon, but reacts very slowly to tho weak organic acids present in the soil. Now the function of lime in agriculture is, amongst others, to neutralise acids and to act as a base, so that some of the plant'food may be readily available to the plant. Also lime has a mechanical action upon the soil, and improves the physical condition. Because carbonate of lime, or limestone, whether ground or not, is practically inert and cannot exercise any of its functions until changed in form, burnt lime is recommended. 'When limestone is very finely ground it is very slowly acted upon, and is more satisfactory upon sour lands than upon well-cultivated or grassed paddocks. There are many conditions which arc not fully understood, and "D.G.R." is advised not to assume that ground limestone or carbonate of lime is useless, but that, by reason of its composition, any return must be slow and loss effective, even •t a greatly reduced price, than burnt lime. Burnt limestone or quicklime is an impure form of calcium oxide, rail it lime oxide if you wish, since an understanding is more important than technical terms, and is the product of carbonate of lime after the carbon and some of 'the oxygen have been driven out by heat. In the lime kiln the heat libera tos the carbon dioxide and leaves the lime oxide, which is used for many purposes, particularly in the building trades. This is the builders' lime. Lime in this form is free to combine readily with acids in the soil and reduce the acidity; it also reacts upon clay soils, and whilst improving thu physical condition liberates potash for plant food. Also, it is present in a form to .combine with other plant foods, particularly the phosphoric acid (so-called) of Buperphospha'te, and holds this in a form readily available for plant use. Cslrhonato Of lime' is unburnt limestone, oxide -of lime or quieklime is burnt limestone, and whilst the former gives results ■very slowly the latter is more rapid and effective. After burning 100 parts of carDonate of lime will give, approximately, depending: upon the impurities, 56 parts of quicklime.—Youis, etc., SCIENTIFIC SAIL TO CONSIGNORS OF STOCK FROM ALL PARTS OF NEW ZEALAND TO OUR ADDINGTON MARKET: H. MATSON and CO. OFFER THEIR SERVICES. CORRESPOND WITH US AND WE WILL ADVISE.

WOOL STORED FOR FORTY YEARS. THE QUESTION OF DEPRECIATION. (To the Editor, the "Wool Record and Textile World.") Sir, —The effect ou wool of long storage is a matter of some importance to-day, as in certain districts many farmers are holding fairly considerable quantities. The majority do sot realise that a gradual depreciation is taking place and, in consequence, are die appointed when they are offered lower prices Sot older wool than those prevailing lor correspondinc new clip qualities. Tho question has often been a,sked: How long will wool retain its virtue in either thi« grbasy or scoured state? According to a recent issue of "Dalgety's Review," pub lisaed in Australia, Mr E.. M. Pearce gave the following, particulars of what may be regarded as an historic ease:— "During the American Civil War my grandfather, Henry Pearce, of Thame, Oxfordshire,- trading with his brother Charles, tindar. the name of. H. and C. Pearce, as wool •taplera, offered 2s 6d per lb for brookv.ashed crossbred to a farmer named RoyBolds, farm house was an old abbey at Notley. Buckinghamshire. The farmer refused the offer, and each year refused to aell at anything under, the original offer of 2s 6d per lb. The wool was stored in the chapel o* the old abbey, which was used as «,barn, and as years went on the wool ■was always, thrown on the top, until during the Boer War. when the former died, leaving a. very considerable estate. The sole benefieiary was one son who went to the South African War.; My cousin, Fred. Pearce, still trading under the old name of 11. and C. Pearce, Bradford, bought the clips of 40 years, and paid about 15 per cent, less than the. current price. When the wool was packed up it was found to be affected round the edges and also on the bottom of the •tack of the • large heap by moth and rats, and a .little' dampness. The great bulk of the wool, although it had not been packed tip, was pressed by time to the equivalent almost of wool which. baß been pressed, and except for the fact that it had gone off in colour, a little, it was quite good and sound." In.the first place I feel that 1 must pass Boine criticism on the report made by my cousin—Mr-E. M. Pearce—on the large old clip referred to, because it would seem to suggest that comparatively little damage wax sustained' through the storage for bo long a time. > The recqrds 1 , so far us they existed, ■which the' beneficiary" ta the estate (Mr Henry Reynolds) afterwards carefully examined, showed that the annual clip was 450 fleeces of washed Oxford Down wool.

The average weight pep fleece can be taken as 61b, or 27001b per annum, and as the *lip had been.' stored for 39 years the total ■weight of wool shorn throughout the whole period wag roughly 105,0001b. When Jt was packed up, the weight of :HU that was found to be of value was 42,0001b, and of this not more than half could be. described as sound wool. I might mention here, although irrelevant of the question of storage, that Mr Henry Reynolds made out a careful statement of the financial result, and on the presumption that each year's clip had been sold when shorn, at its market value, the loss sustained amounted to £IO,OOO. I think you will agree that these facts put an entirely different complexion on the matter, and prove conclusively that the storage, for long periods, even of trool that has . been, well washed, is most damaging to 'the useful value of it. But there is another and most important point which ray cousin appears to liavo lost light o£ This old clip was all well washed, whereas the present-day holdings are all in the grease. I claim to be no expert of the effect of grease upon wool, hut there is no doubt that when on the sheep's back it functions as a protector of the fibre. Immediately shearing has taken plnoe, I am inclined ta think that the sooner the srease in removed the more perfect the staple is likely to be. Many of your readers, ■with more technical knowledge, can doubtless answer this. It is, however, safe to uuy that no long time elapses before the grease commence* to effect discolouration. Tt is almost'impossible to fix any, time limit to the. commencement of such action, but I do make the assertion, after most careful obBerirations for several years, that it is very • shortly ; after shearing. For a few months it is almost, if not entirely, imperceptible, but then <hecpmes a very apparent fact. Different climatic conditions and varying seasonß unquestionably retard or expedite the action, and while mentioning this I should like to «ay that, so far as English •wool is concerned, discolouration of the 1032 clip has bee». pjore rapid and pronounced than any I can recall. ' Furthermore* the action seems t& commence to take place quicker in low grade wools than in finer qualities. The closer the serration of the staple the longer the wool can be kept without much damage from discolouration. Well-w»Bhfd wool will retain its colour