PROFESSOR LIMON'S VISIT.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 7402, 27 June 1895, Page 3

PROFESSOR LIMON'S VISIT.

DISEASES IN SHEEP.

Professor Limon, of Pottie and Sons, Sydney, who has been inspecting Eeveral flocks of sheep here to discover the cause of the grave mortality, addreeaed tho mouibers of the Hawke's B.iy Agricultural and Pastoral Society, aud farmers iatereatod, this morning. Professor Limon said when he came down to Hawko's Bay he never expected to address such a large meeting of sheepowners. When ho arrived in New Zealand he only came with the intention of visiting tho Auokland province, one hundred and fifty applications haviDg been rooeived by his firm from aheepfarmers, asking that a representative might bo sent to the northern province of thia colony. Entering at once on to hia subject, he said his firm absolutely refused to do anything unlota they knew tha nature of the diaeaae that was prevalent in the country, aud had some experience of it. He had discovered in New Zealand that many of their diseases were similar to what the sheepfsrmers Buffered from in Australia. Tn Australia he had visited lambs two months old, examined them, and troated them, and it was neoeaaary that the treatment should be continued annually. Ewes in lamb must be drenched. Many of those present did not understand the diseaeea, but what they took for diseasea were in faot only results. It waa not the wcrat conditioned aheep that showed the disease, but the fattest, because the lean sheep lingered longer than those in good condition. He waa not before them simply to crack up a special drentih, but to explain a mode of aoientifio treatment which might be the means of proving of groat benefit to them. Bat he assured them that the diaeaaea in New Zealand would become just bb serious as in Australia unless they at once coped with them. It was neceaaary first of all to raise the oonatitution of their sheep ; drenoh them annually, to keep the diaeaaea in cheek. On one *tation in Australia alone he had found 60,000 sheep absolutely rotten. He advised them not to uso arsenic in drenching their sheep. Arsenic should be disonrded, beoauae the sheep, by its constant use, became rotten, by reason of the faot that tho blood waa poiaoned. If they poiaoned the blood, how could they gain the condition of the sheep ? Their xystera. became naturally impregnated with the poiaon. They oould depend upon it that at Home they know when in Zealand they drenched their sheep with arsenic It was only natural to presume thai; if they poisoned tho blood by this moans the condition of the aheap oould not possibly be improved. By raising the conadtution of their ewea they would tirow goo 4 lambs. Profeaaor Limon th&n entered fully into the various disease? the sheep suffered from, and illustrated hia remarks by mesns of diagrams. He advised them to give their sheep salt. This was a matter that many sheepfarmers greatly negleoted. (Mr Coleman pointed out that in Hawke's Bay thia was done). Professor Limon said he could not exprcßa an opinion as to what they did in thiß distriot, but ho only spoke of what he had observed in the Auckland province Af'er giving cheap farmers other advice in the treatment of their Bheep, Professor Limon answerod a number of questions. He said the firm had come to stay in .Cifew Zealand. Personally he would diagnose the sheep, and prescriptions would follow. It was, he said, a matter that wanttd thorough inveatigntion, if the great mortality in their aheep was to ba stopped. if suffideEt inducement wero offered, he would comn again in about three wooka to diagnose their cheep. As to taking aalt, on some country naturally they had ealc bush and salt country, bo that it was possible that asms sheep would not take it: (Mr Ooleman :My experience is you can't keep shoep away from it) Professor Limon, continuing, said lambs should be drenched at sailing time, and ewea with lunsr drench at tbat time. He instanced runs in Australia being entirely clean after folio *ing the treatment of his firm. Having rtceived permission to mention acme experiments in Hawke's Bay, he Baid he had Been enough to show him that, though the fihoepfarmers were in ecstasy this year, next year the death-rate might bo very muoh greater than it has bean ; but they muat take steps now to cope with the disease, for it waa no uae thinking they could putneworgansinarotten aheep. AtFrimley he had hold a post mortem on one ewe, two weanera, ono in good oondition, and oue in poor, and he found the same condition in each, though notso*trong in one as the olhec, but his expeiimoct showed a serious condition of things. Many of them considered that lungworm waa a disease, but aa a matter of fact it waa only tha effect of a cause, which must and oould be checked. At the conclusion, Profeaaor Limon was thanked for his addreas.