FARMING AND COMMERCIAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1242, 26 September 1911, Page 8

FARMING AND COMMERCIAL.

STOCK ON MANGELS. REGENT MORTALITY. In the Agricultural Department's Journal, Mr. 1). C. Aston deals with the matter of the recently-reported mortality of slock on mangels in the following strain: "Following on other deaths occurring among cattle and pigs feeding on mangels, some eight nnimnU died on a farm in the Wanganui district. 1 visited tho district on August 11 and saw tho owner of the caltle in questiun. He appeared to be quite satisfied that the mangels were tho causa of the mortality, lie had lait eight cows altogether, and a neighbour had lost one. The, mangels were manured with 1-V cwl. bone, blood, and superphosphate per aero, and lewt. salt. Hβ started to feed the cows on mangels at the end of May. For the first six weeks nothing happened ; then some weeks ago they started to die. On making post-mortem Mr. Edgar, M.E.C.V.S., found nothing abnormal, and attributes death to a tosin. Thero were more deaths among cows to which the mangels had been carted than among those which fed on tho v field on which the crop was growu. No salt lick was givep the cows, or has ever been used by tho owner as a stock-lick. There has been other mortality of' a similar nature in Taranaki. I examined some of the mangels, but could not «o any trace of a fungus. The rcots appeared to be quite healthy. After the stock had been on for six weeks tho droppings were stated to be like muddy, salty water. The owner is sending to this laboratory some soil and "a cartload of mangels. Until the roots lire analysed little further cm bo said.

"It , is generally knowu that mangels may'cause scouring in , stock, and largely for this reason it is usual in Europe to store o" pit the roots ior some months, after which they exercise no injurious effect's.. It is not definitely known to what compound iu the mangel are duo these deleterious effects, and or.o is unablo to find any record of mortality of stock.fed on the roots iu other countries Wanington (Watts' Die. of Chcm., 2nd Supp., p. 1051), however, stalts that cattle are occasionally poisoned by eating the leaves of mangels, and quotes authorities to show that theso leaves may contain of their dry matter as much as 11 per cent of oxalic ncid—a violent poiwm. W-orley Axe, in his book on the horse, states that pitting Hid mangel with the leaves en causes the formation of oxalic ncid. Muir ("Agricultural, Practical and Scientific") advises cutting or twisting off the tops before storing. Storor ("Agriculture," Vol. 3, p. 106) .-tales that when grown on fertile soils in France the leaves of sugar-beet become so highly charged with nitrates that they are nn&t for food for animals. It is said that serious results have occurred .repeatedly on using such leaves as foddar (Deherain). These leaves when made into ensilage arc apparently without ill-effects. On the other hand, Stephen ("Hook of the Farm," Vol. 1, p. 265) states that the leaves of the mangel aro useful especially for milchcows, bni. have a scouring tendency.

"T. B. Wood (Journ. Roy. Ag. Soc., Eng., ISOS, p. 555, nnd "Nature," Aug., 1837), in two re?enrches, showed that the percentages of nitrates in the mangel doCleared on storing for two months from ore-third to one-half of the original quantity present. Nitrates have no feeding value, and are liable to cause derangements in digestion. By slornge the nitrates are converted into 'Amides, which have some feeding value and -are quite hcrmkws. Storage also increases the percentage of nlbumcnoids and peptones, which are of tho highest feeding value. The overlong storage of mangels is, however, likely to lead to o. loss of sugar, which would more than counterbalance a slight increase in value due to the digestible:, nitrogenous constituents (see Storer, "Agriculture," Vol. 1, p. 137). Potash salts, of which the mangel takes up a largo quantity from the soil unless tho crop has been manured with or grown on a. soil containing salt, may also produce securing. "J. A. Voelcker (Journ. Roy. Ag. Soc, 1809, p 561), in experiments undertaken to ascertain tho influence of the early fecdingof mangels to fattening bullocks, found that 281b. to 301b. of mangels sliced twelve hrurs before using could be quite safely used in place of swedes, if along with I'hfm was given common cotton-cake, bean-meal, or a plentiful supply of long hay; but if the quantity of mangels was raised .to 351b. or 401b. securing appeared,, and was not mitigated by tho use of hay. Vaelcker's experiments with sheep were not so satisfactory. Harm may he caused to male sheep by feeding mangels freely. There is a tendency to act on the kidneys, producing increased secretion of urine and .in extreme cases the formation of crystals in the urethra. Thero' was much greater irrezularity at first in tho way that sheep did on mangels compared with thosa on swedes.

"It will bo seen that the practice which prevails in New Zealand of turning stock into a field of growing mangels is open So criticism. The mangel is a plant which varies (rrcatly in composition, and it is this variation which probably accounts for many diverso statements concerning it."

NEWS AND NOTEB.

SHOW DATES. Oetobc-r IS and 19.—Hawke's Bay A. amtl P. Association, at Hasting*. October "h and 2G.—Wnirarana nild East Coa-t P. and A. Association, at Cartorton. Novembor 1, 2, and 3.—Manawatu nnd West Coiwt A: and P. Association, at Palmerston North. November 8 and 9.—E<rmout A. and P. Association, at Haweia. November 15 and l(i. —Wanganui Show, at Wangunui. November 29 and 30.—Stratford A. and P. Association, at Stratford. January 31.—Bush Districts A. and P. Association, at Wcodrilie. February 9.—Pahiatua Show, at Pahiatua.