Page 22 Advertisements Column 1

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21647, 4 December 1935, Page 22

, J H.-MATSON AND CO. ANIMAL. DISEASES. "(Extract from "North British Agriculturist and Farming News," 17th Oct, 1935.) TN one way or another animal diseases continue to claim a heavy toll of our live stock population. This one can gather from a care'ul perusal of the -report of the proceedings under the Diseases of Animals Act for last year, just issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. Take foot-and-mouth disease, for example. There were 79 outbreaks in 1934, these involving the slaughter of 2724 cattle, 5173 sheep, 2378 pigs, and 27' goats, for which a- total sum of £63,367 5s 6d was paid by the Government. And the disappointing feature of the situation is that from this report one can gather very little—rpractically nothing —to show how these outbreaks arose. There are suggestions of swill from hotels as a first instance cause of the disease breaking out and o± ground game, birds, and winds, as possible carriers of infection, from one disease centre to another, but so far as this report is concerned one obtains nothing suggestive of anything really practical having been yet achieved in the way of grappling' definitely with what has become an ever-recurring menace. We are assured, however, that much additional knowledge has been gained by the Research Committee who are about to issue a fifth Progress Report. In this connnexion it is stated that the present and future programme of the Committee's work is and will be concentrated mainly upon problems of immunity, which is a particularly difficult subject, complicated by the fact that, there are three different types of virus, and immunity against one type does not secure immunity against the other two.

MARCHING WITH TODAY. Week succeeds week, .year succeeds year..time marches on., and with it the firm of H. MATSON and CO, always abreast of the time "with to-day's ideas, and continually fulfilling the many and varied services which only a private firm can provide to a vast producing clientele. The firm of Matsons is closely associated; with every phase of country life, established in 1864 it has kept in front of the public chiefly by, the excellence of its sales services combined with personal supervision to all classes of the business it handles. Consign your next draft to MATSON'S, ADDINGTON, and be assured of the best possible price.

Swine fever is another of the worrying diseases prejudicially affecting the live stock population of the country. In this case 1833 outbreaks were confirmed last" year. These were distributed as follows:—England, 1696 (an increase of 448 outbreaks); Scotland, 26 (an increase of 4 outbreaks); and Wales, 111 (a decrease of 33 outbreaks). As the. average annual number of outbreaks in the preceding five years was 2077, it is claimed that the 1934 figure indicated that; last year was not one of unusual prevalence of swine fever. It has to be remembered that the pig owner stands to lose heavily when an outbreak of swine fever conies his way because the power to slaughter 4s only exercised to the extent of establishing the diagnosis in cases where that is necessary, and no slaughter no compensation. It is stated in this connexion that the number of swine slaughtered b.v order of the Ministry last year was 3355. compensation bping -paid to the amount of £2716. When it is noted that the aggregate losses in pigs which di«d or were destroyed on account of swine fever in 1934 amount to 37 per cent, of the pigs on infected premises, it will be gathered that the loss falling upon owners was very considerable.

"At a meeting of the Provincial Council of Canterbury, says an early publication which was .opened on "September 27, 1853, his .Honour,. the Superintendent, in his opening speech, drew attention to the great,progress the province had made. Not three years had -elapsed since the landing of 'the settlers, and yet 3400 acres were under crop, 7500 acres fenced, while it owned 100,000 sheep, 4000 „ cattle, and 400 hefrses. Within the Canterbury block one million acres had been taken up for pasturage purposes, yielding £2400 a year. The property in the province was roughly estimated at half a million sterling. The customs duties for the year ending June, .1853, were £389.4, * the imports £54,715, and the exports ot /produce (including wool £8290), £13.000. The vessels entering the 'port in tHe same period numbered . 68, representing 12,864 tons."

A disquieting feature of this report is that sheep scab-showed a substantial increase last year. There were 684 outbreaks or a further increase of 106 or 18.4 per cent., on the figure of 578 for 1933, and an increase of 323 or 88.47 per cent, on the figure of 361, for 1932. Wales alone showed a decrease .on .this occasion. England, on the other hand, showed an increase of 89, and Scotland, with a total of 62 cases? an increase of 30. So far as dealings with , ".this affection is concerned the double dipping campaign, of course, contin- , .jues to be operated, but it is complained, in the report, that the most •unfavourable factor in the situation is . !the .continued neglect of many sheep ;owners to report suspected cases. Of .the 62 ■ outbreaks* in Scotlaxfd during . ; last year, six counties were involved, .: and 52 cases occurred in the Outer Heb- - jride& and 30 on the mainland. Anthrax , ; would also seem to-be on the increase, ■there having been 395 confirmed cases ' -.'as compared with 297 in 1933, Eng- *, 'land showing an increase of 57, and -Scotland>an increase of 43. Again, the incidence of bovine tuberculosis continues a very serious matter. The djsfjasfe-. was reported to exist in 24.512 : premises .in Great Britain as compared with 23,(508 premises in the previous "yegr. The report points out, however, thfet this should not be regarded necessarily as evidence that the incidence • of tuberculosis among bovine animals < has increased, but that a larger number of .animals are being detected owing to .the greater activity on the "part of the local authorities under the • Milkand Dairies Acts. In any case, the -returns Teveal an increase of 40 per I Kent, in the last five years in the numof animals found affected within . , terms of the order, and „the number T ~ slaughtered by local auth--22,009, "with". " .previous year. ; H.JtfATSON and CO. &