INTERESTING DAIRY SALE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 294, 5 September 1908, Page 3

INTERESTING DAIRY SALE.

SUBJECT TO TUBERCULIN TEST. More than usual public interest attaches to a sale of dairy cows that is to take place at Gear Island next Wednesday. The animals comprise one of the herds of the Riverside Dairy Company, a company whose efforts at Lower Hutt to produco asceptic milk have attracted some attention lately. _ The chief point of interest about the sale is that every animal will be offered with a guarantee that in the last few days it has passed the official tuberculin . test. It is believed that this is the first time in the history of New Zealand on which a dairy herd has been offered subject to the test, but it is to be hoped it will be by no means the last. The system is one which,' of course, ought to become universal, for it would go a long way toward eventually freeing tho country from the worst diseaso of the dairy. The ideal thing to happen would be for some one man to purchase tho wholo herd in order that these, carefully-tested and protected animals might not bo distributed among other herds in which tuberculosis exists. But that probably cannot be expected. The. inauguration of the system of selling under test is, however, of immense importance, and it will be interesting to see whether the extra prices realised will be sufficient to pay the loss on any- animals that should happen to have reacted.

BLENHEIM ECC-LAYING CONTEST. t A Blenheim Press . Association telegram 1 states that the total eggs laid in the past t week at the Blenhoim . egg-laying contest j numbered 2164. The total eggs laid ' to', s date numW 24,480. Tho highest pens for , tho week have beenW. Shaw's white leghorns, 34 ; F. Edelston's white leghorns, 33; Mrs. ■ King's buff leghorns, 32; T. b! BrookesV white leghorns, 32. The highest • jßyerp to date are:—A. R. Brown's whito leghorns, 614; Miss Brown's black orping- , tons, 588; D. A.-Sturrock's black orpinntons, i 544; E. Edelston's white leghorns, 498 ? Miss •Mick Shaw's white leghorns, 493; W. A. Sowman's white leghorns, 485. The pullets' total eggs for tho weok havo been 1253, and their total, to date 17,773. The liens' total for the woek was 991, and thoir total to date 6707. MASTERTON'S NEW SHOWGROUND. EQUIPMENT WILL COST £10,000. • Mr. J. M. Johnston, of Palmerston North, who has advised as to the manner in which the new Mnsterton A. and P.. showgrounds should be laid out, estimates tho cost of the 1 work at about £10,000. FIGHTING CONSUMPTION. TUBERCULIN TEST AT WORK. The enterprising West Australians are persevering with thoir efforts to stamp out tuberculosis'with tho aid of the tuberculin test, but not without some friction with dairy farmers. Recently a prominent dairyman applied_ for an injunction to restrain the authorities 1 from interfering with his cows and milk. The board has issued new regulations, modifying, tho previous system of destroying all cows which react-under the tuberculin test. It is now provided that such ,■ cows shall be branded by the board, . dried off by the dairyman, and isolated, where they can be periodically inspected. If tho bacteriologist obtains a .positivo result from any specimen taken, tho cow from which it was obtained is to be destroyed forthwith.