LIVE STOCK EXPANSION

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 24, 29 January 1935, Page 4

LIVE STOCK EXPANSION

LECTURE TO SCIENTISTS

NEW ZEALAND CONDITIONS

' A number of papers dealing with cattle diseases ■wore read at the veterinary section of tho Science Congress at Melbourne (states ''The Ago").' '* In his presidential address on the tive Stock of New Zealand, Dr. C. S. M. Hopkirk, officer in charge, Wallaeeyille.Laboratory, said* that previous to the European discovery of New Zealjind the only mammals existing in the Country wero a species of dog and rat, introduced by the Maoris, and now extiiict, and a species of bat. Captain Cook, in his three voyages to New Zealand, was the first to introduce domestic Stock. lie presented two pigs to a Maori chief in 1767, a boar, a sow, and some goats in. 1773, which appear to have boon eaten by tho Natives, and in 1778 ho presented some poultry, as well is a boar and a sow and some goats. As a result of the breeding of this stock, tho South Island was soon overrun with goats and pigs. The Eev. Samuel Marsden, of New South Wales, presented the first sheep, and by 1823 there wero 50 cows in the Dominion. |n less than thirty years the increase of stock was tremendous. In 1858 merino rams were sold back to- Australia at high prices because of their sizo and the fineness of their wool. Today New Zealand supported. 28,000,000 sheep, 4,000,000 cattle (of which ■1,800,000 were dairy cows), 500^000 pigs, and 250,000 horses. This vast increase of stock \had been accelerated by the introduction of freezing methods, and refrigeration had also greatly increased the wealth of New Zealand, and, except for wool, considerably altered her trade. Isolation from_ ,6ther lands from early geological times" had left New Zealand free from harmful reptiles and poisonous plants, and from the. worst animal diseases, although merinos imported from Australia introduced scab and other diseases. Anthrax and blackleg,l however, were introduced in bonemeal imported from Calcutta,, and cattle from New South Wales brought pleuro-pneumonia. He paid a tribute to the -work of Dr. Gilruth,- who had placed the veterinary profession in New Zealand on a scientific basis by his investigation into animal diseases and his work in establishing proper /inspection of export meat. > (Applause.) . ,NEW ZEALAND PRODUCTION. ' In conclusion, Mr. Hopkirk said that dairy cows' in New Zealand averaged 2301b of butterfat, and production was expected to increase to "3001b or over. iProm the tiny nucleus of live stock, which was formed less than a century ago, New Zealand last year exported & 13,000,000 worth of-wool, £11,000,000 worth of butter; £7,000,000 worth of lamb, £5,000,000 worth of cheese, £1,000,000 worth of mutton, -£1,000,000 w.orth of beef, £1,000,000 ■ worth' of pork, and £4,000,000 worth of byproducts from the live stock industry, a: total of £46,000,000 in a. year of Very low prices. (Applause.) - This was | remarkable in a country with a population equal only to that of Victoria.