DISEASES IN COWS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 28, 1 August 1929, Page 19

DISEASES IN COWS

RESEARCH " ACTIVITIES

STATEMENT BY MINISTER

A comprehensive statement as to the steps being taken by the Department of Agriculture to cope with the disease of temporary sterility in cows was made id the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon by the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. G. W. Forbes). Mr. Forbes said the Department had been conducting research activities for the past four years. The causes of the trouble were obscure, and a variety of lines o{ research were being followed up, the work being shared by the Wallaccville laboratory staff and selected field officers working in close co-operation. Apart ti-om tho special investigations, the field veterinarians and stock inspectors of the Department carried out observational and advisor}- work and applied experimental methods of treatment, all this ftirnishiu" iniormation for the laboratory staff. Mr. C. S. M. Hopkirk, who was "in charge at Wallaeeville, was a highly capable man, trained in laboratory, investigation work from his early youth, and the other officers were also well qualified to carry out tne work. By arrangement with the Research Department ,and Massey College, an extension of the work was about to be undertaken by a highly skilled scientist. Ine research at Wallaceville included experiments with bulls arid cows, and much examination of material ' from infected herds. Ihe main lines of research might be summed up as follow: (1) Whether the trouble was spread by infection; (2) the analysis of soils and pasture plants, and the influence of soil and pasture conditions, including the use of lime and fertilisers and dietetics generally upon sterilitj, (d) the physiological conditions associated with heavy an d prolonged seasonal milking; and (4) the effect of various drugs used for both external and internal treatment. A further'development this season would be the establishment of a field laboratory in a dairying district, liie Department was not yet able to give farmers positive information as to methods which could be relied upon to prevent temporary sterility, but it gave the best advice and assistance possible in the present state of the world's knowledge of the trouble, and that advice, if carefully fo! lowed, was of considerable value. There were a number of proprietary medicines ™.W " ? <<■' bV* the Department, was unable to state that any of these were S. aS preventi^ <*„ temporary