DEHORNING OF CATTLE.

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 September 1934, Page 8

DEHORNING OF CATTLE.

BILL TO BE DRAFTED A suggestion urging the introduction of ;j Bill to provide for the compulsory destruction of (he lioru core on.calves, and proposals relating to slaughtering methods and the bobby calf industry, were placed before the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. C. E. Macmillan, by a, deputation from the Federated New Zealand Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Mr. G. Mitchell, president of the federation, said that last session the Minister had been good enough to bring down a Bill'on dehorning, but it had not been proceeded with. The federation was anxious that something should be done, and asked for a simple measure making it compulsory to destroy the horn core on calves. There might be difficulties in this, but generally speaking the federation thought that it could be carried out. Mr. Mitchell said that the federation also asked that theie be adopted in New Zealand the principle embodied in the English Slaughtering of Animals Act, 1933, ensuring that animals should be immune from pain until they were killed. • .... Referring to the bobby calf industry, the speaker said that the federation favoured its abolition, but in the meantime would like to see all calves tagged to make it possible to trace the culprit in cases of under-feeding and ill-treat-ment of the calves.

Mr. Mitchell was supported by Mr. E. J. Marfell and Mr. A. Marsden Woods.

Mr. Marfell said that the federation was totally opposed to the dehorning of grown animals, which was a most cruel process. In reply, the Minister said that there were practical difficulties in the dehorning proposals. Stud cattle would have to be exempted, and the proposals could not be enforced "with run cattle, lie thought that the federation was unduly sensitive concerning the process of dehorning grown cattle. It had been said that it was like having a tooth out. The Minister thought that, the tagging of bobby calves ■would not meet with much approval. The proposal to compel the calves to be scut to the nearest abbatoir would eliminate competition. He could not give a definite answer to the deputation's request without further consideration of the question. The slaughtering proposals were highly technical and he would refer them to the Director-General of the Department, Dr. Rcakes.

The Minister gave an undertaking to have a Bill on dehorning drafted, and said he would refer it to the Prime Minister to see whether there would be time to proceed with it this session. EXTENDING HERD-TESTING In marvelling at the number of ilairy farmers who still refuse to have their herds tested, men who are content to milk in the dark, the editor of the “Live Stock Bulletin,” of Sydney, suggests how universal herd-test-ing may be brought about at "some future time. He writes: —“When we travel about and see the extraordinary progress that some men. have made since they began the regular testing of their herds, we marvel afresh that comparatively so few dairy farmers are Interested in testing. The great majority seem to have as rooted objection to .it as the schoolboy generally has :o cleaning his teeth. No mother can persuade a boy to use his toothbrush regularly by holding up some other lad as an example. She'has to wait until her lad begins to take an interest in some girl; and then she finds him. not only cleaning his teeth but brushing his hair as well. It is quite likely that the only way to bring about universal herd-testing is to begin with the young woman; to persuade them that the young men interested in herd-testing are the only ones likely to make husbands able to provide the requisite new hats and silk stockings essential to feminine wellbeing. The idea is worth the thought of country school teachers.”

POTATO SCAB An objection sometimes raised by growers against the dipping of seed potatoes as a preventative of scab is that the process occupies too much time, but with the introduction of the acidulated corrosive sublimate dip, Which, .takes only 10 minutes, this argument can scarcely be sustained. Experiments conducted by the Australian Department of Agriculture over 'the last few years have demonstrated the efficiency of this treatment for the control of scab and rhizoctonia disease, and it is now recommended in place of the standard .corrosive sublimate dip, which occupies one and ahalf hours to two hours. The same general precautions are necessary with the new dipping solution. Corrosive sublimate is a deadly poison, and must be kept away from children and stock. The dip is prepared and used as follows: — To make 25 gallons of dipping solution, toz of corrosive sublimate (mercuric chloride) are first dissolved in two pints of commercial hydrochloric (muriatic acid) contained in a glass or glazed earthenware vessel. This stock solution is then diluted with water in a wooden barrel or vat so that, the final volume is 25 gallons. As previously stated, the time of treatment in the acidulated dip is only 10 minutes. The solution loses its strength much more slowly than the nen-acidulatcd dip. and may safely bo used for 1.0 dippings. If the time of treatment is (hen increased to 15 or 20 minutes the weakened solution will still be ceded for an additional five dippings. After this it will be of uncertain composition and is best discarded. On no account should the above times be extended, as serious effect on germination may result. Do not. dip the potatoes in bags, but place them directly into the solution. A very convenient method of dipping is the use of a wooden crate which is built to fit snugly inside a large wooden barrel. The lifting of the full crate in and out of the barrel can be done by means of a pulley-block and tackle. ■ After treatment, file potatoes should be rapidly dried, as otherwise the eyes may be damaged. It is best to treat potatoes before they have started to . sprout.

Approximately 4oz corrosive sublimate and 2 pints of hydrochloric acid are refjitired to treat one ton of seed potatoes.