MASTITIS AMONG CATTLE

Evening Star, Issue 22891, 24 February 1938, Page 1

MASTITIS AMONG CATTLE

DETECTION OF INCIPIENT CASES K ;(Pes United Pbess Association)’.;^ AUCKLAND, Feb. 23. “Mastitis among dairy cattle, which' costs the Dominion many thousands of pounds each year, is present in 'advanced forms among at least 3 per per cent, of the cows in this counter,” said Dr G. J. Hucker, of the New, York Agricultural Experiment Station, before his departure by .the Niagara for the United States. At the invitation of the Government he spent/ six months in investigating .the scourge, among the dairy cattle, and a detec-' tion test system is now being evolved by experts in the Department of Agriculture. Dr Hucker is recognised as a world authority on mastitis, or mammitis, as it is sometimes called. la collaboration with officers of the Department of Agriculture he has suggested a plan to control the disease.' which in direct loss of stock and lowered production constitutes one of the dairy farmers’ major problems. A plan is now being formulated by departmental officers, and is designed to detect incipient cases by what i* known as the brom thymol blue test. In New Zealand it will be known as the “indicator test,” and will enable operators to segregate infected animals. It is intended to incorporate this test in the activities of every herd-testing association, so that each cow tested for butter-fat production shall also have a record or fitness or otherwise. Dr Hucker said that in order to. institute tests on a Dominion-wide basis the Department of Agriculture is im- f porting an adequate supply ..or materials. World-wide experiments have convinced him that vaccination' is not effective. If delicate tests were taken among the dairy cattle in New Zealand probably 50 per cent, would be found to suffer from mastitis.