BUSH SICKNESS

Grey River Argus, 11 February 1938, Page 9

BUSH SICKNESS

REVIEW OF PROGRESS. [Per Press Association]. CHRISTCHURCH, February 8. “No time is being lost in translating into farming practice the important discovery of the effectiveness of cobalt in curing and preventing bush sicknessr and related diseases of stock, which have been made through the co-operative experiments of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, the Cawthron Institute, and the Department of Agriculture,” said the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, Minister in charge of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, in an interview yesterday. “Extensive top-dressing experiments with cobaltised superphosphate have been arranged in Southland and in the central North Island districts and numerous individual farmers' are enthusiastically undertaking top-dressing experiments with cobalt, from which remarkably successful results are being obtained.” said the Minister. “As an additional safeguard, the Department of Agriculture has arranged for cobalt to be incorporated in supplies of agricultural salt to be used for stock licks-,” The Minister said that he was deeply impressed with the importance of the experiments Of cobalt, and stated that it was intended to continue with co-operative research. This would include further work on the cobalt content of pastures, to assist in delimiting areas where cobalt deficiency was present or imminent, and investigations on the physiology of cobalt.