FARMERS' UNION.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLIV, Issue XLIV, 7 May 1924, Page 5

FARMERS' UNION.

FIELD DAY AT AUROA

INTERESTING WORK.

The Auroa Branch of the Farmers' Union have pranged at different SSi many interesting meetings, at l£Z lectures have been given Lid pIpS read on subjects of interest aVvK +« the farmers in their daily work. One of I£e most interesting was the talk with practical demonStration4, given yesterday by Mr W. R. \Vood Veteffr? ary expert from Yvaitara, on to p"?" sioiogicul structure 01 a cow ?nd the Erf* "Vf by the vanous <>^ns of ler body - rlie^ ecturer hrst killed the cmv and *S &tte + nng *J om various ailment! common to tne dairy ho ci r, r f lT'?t' Vere aboirt a nuji'Jred farmers and all listened keenly and eagerly to the interesting if somewhat dis^curLe! talk given by the speaker It was a useful thought that gave the suggestion of demonstrating on a beast just killed, and the interest eve! ated proved its practical value. The cow, a. cull, but in. fairly good condition, was skughtered by the Greener humane pistol method, a . bullet S e the end of which was a cap, the tapping i which provided the explosion neoe*almost- instantaneous.

All >vood explained first the Irish metnod oi denoniiiig, in which the cut was made diagonally below the nervous tissue at the base of the horn. He said it was Jess painful, and generally led to mote satisfactory results afterwards, and gave less danger of suppuration. He strongly advised putting m? ln£ c?, tliecHt ' but perhaps a httle Stockholm tar. He showed also the use of thejiobbtes and chain for throwing down a cow. but stressed the need for getting her down on her ri«*lit

The cow, when skinned, ires then hoisted into a natural standing position and Mr Wood began his dissection He gave some valuable hints, first on the treatment of milk fever, iir^inothe need of usimj the pump—a bicvele pump with air inter and tube—at high pressure to commence, so as to force the oxygen to the highest parts of the udde,r. This, he said, was essential tor success, and got at the bacteria, j affected the brain and the spinal cord. He also said it might be necessary to blow up several times, end deprecated tying n ? the teats. He dealt with the treatment/internal and external, for dealin 2 with a cow that was blown, advising the uso of bicarbonate of soda internally—an almost infallible cure—and the piercing with a tube of the side in the middle of the triangle between the bad rib and the hV- bones. He gave a practical demonstration of this method emptying the paunch of wind in a *ew seconds. He strongly advised giving no food or drink at the time of blowing, but iust giving the organs a complete rest.

He interestingly explained the process of digestion, in which the food partly chewed went into the paunch then back, to b? further chewed befcie going into the reticulum, and then to the omasum, being pressed dry during the process.

He urged every farmer to possess a thermometer, so r.s to be able to taketemperatures in the case of.efver. He described the use of the spleen as twofold —first, to act as a cemetery for dead red biood cells, and second fo m manufactixe of red blood cells. Taking oat one of the lungs, he showed that though quite free from tubercule, itwas rather badly infected with hydatids, and he also showed how to find .evidence or tubercular trouble in the lung. Be gave a description of lungworm in calves, which Avas caused by hydatids^ which deposited eggs, and these spread through the tubes of the 'un-s. Le advised the use of chloroform" in such troubles.

Another very interesting demonstration was in the use of the probang. when a cow got an obstruction, such as a turnip, intuits throat. A wocden plug was put into the mouth to keep it open, a man on each side being abo to hold each an end and grasp oi-o horn so that the throat was kent level The tube then could be inserted "through a hole in the plug, and carefully pushed down the throat, some salt, as in America, or little linseed oil and soda thus put into the paunch. He took out and showed the kidneys, two stationary and one floating, which drained the uric acid from the blood, and as it went through them, the lymphatic glands, which were th-* policemen of the system, and arrested any foreign disorder coming into the system.

In the course of his investigation lie found the animal suffering from a broken hip on one side, "which was badly shattered.

Altogether it was a most valuable and interesting talk on the anatomy of the cow and many of the troubles "its flesh was heir to," and was listened to throughout with keen attention. Many questions drew from the speaker valuable information.

In the even ins: Mr "Wood gave a valuable dissertation on mammitis, showing ths symptoms, its causes and its best remedies. This likewise w?s much appreciated, and at the close a. hearty vote of thanks was accorded the speaker for his kindness in coming down and giving so much valuable information.

The-hon. seeertnrv (Mr J. C. Duff), the president (Mr "\Y. V. Lyndon), and the committee are to be congratulated on then- enterprise in arranging such. a useful and practical field day for the dairy farmers,