ECZEMA SCOURGE

Evening Star, Issue 23136, 9 December 1938, Page 1

ECZEMA SCOURGE

STEPS TO SAFEGUARD FLOCKS [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, December 8. Although the weather will determine whether facial eczema occurs in the autumn of 1939, the Facial Eczema Management Committee considers that sheep farmers in particular should now take definite steps to safeguard their. flocks against . the possibility of an outbreak. The committee summarises the general plan of prevention as follows:

1. As facial eczema is apparently caused by a quick flush ■of grass in warm and humid weather following a period) of drought, stock should be kept off rapidly-growing grass in the autumn for several weeks. 2. To ensure that this practice can be followed, farmers should build up reserves of hay and ensilage and maintain a portion of the farm in mature grass, which can be grazed when the flush growth is taking place on hardgrazed paddocks. The committee’s advice to _ sheep farmers may be briefly summarised as follows:

1. Close up from a quarter to a third of the farm in December. 2. The area shut up should consist of at least four fields to facilitate utilisation. 3. The first field should be closed in early December and the remainder at 10-day intervals during the month. 4. The areas chosen for shutting up should consist of pastures least likely to flush quickly in the autumn —i.e., pastures containing a good proportion of cocksfoot and situated on moist land or land lying away from the sun. 5. The shutting up of paspalum fields should be delayed until the middle of January. 6. If good growing weather is experienced and a mature field gets too rank it should be grazed off with cattle and the field closed again or another field closed to take its place. 7. Holding paddocks should be selected for the supplementary feeding of sheep When a dangerous flush of grass occurs and mature grass is being rationed out. These fields should consist of pasture land not likely to flush rapidly. Paspalum pastures, or pastures on moist land or peat fields, should contain ample shade. The Department of Agriculture has issued a bulletin on farm management methods designed to prevent facial eczema. Farmers may obtain a copy from the department.