FARMING AND COMMERCIAL

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 119, 20 April 1932, Page 5

FARMING AND COMMERCIAL

PULPY KIDNEY DISEASE. INVESTIGATIONAL WORK. That the problem of the mortality among lambs known as ‘’pulpy kidney" was now much nearer a 60iution was tho opinion of Mr 'G. A. Holmes, technical adviser to a stock and station firm. Interviewed on this subject by a representative of tho Otago Daily Times, Mr Holmes stated as follows: It is very pleasing to learn from the report published a few days ago that definite progress has been made in tho investigation of pulpy kidney through the caretul research work of Mr D. A. Gill, of the Wallacovillo Veterinary Laboratory, with tho co-operation of other officers of the Department of Agriculture and of the staff of the Otago Medical School and the Dominion Laboratory. While researches on a problem of this nature must of necessity be somewhat slow, the establishment by Mr Gill of the cause of the disease as a bacterial toxin must bo regarded as an important step towards securing a control. Although tho diseaso has been recognised for a very long timo, it is only in recent years that it has been made the subject °f definite scientific investiagtion. It has always presented certain puzzling features, particularly in regard to the suddenness of death, to the random nature of tho attacks, and to the fact that tho biggest and most quickly growing lambs are affected Many theories as to the cause have been advanced on insufficient ovidence, such for example, as the sorrel-poisoning theory, mineral deficiency, vitamin deficiency, parasitic worms, clover-ball or woolball. Some of these may cause tho death of a lamb hero and thero, and the pulpy kidney disease must not be blamed for all the losses that occur at. its age of incidence. In' the earlier investigations most attention was focussed on the kidneys, which in a dead lamb aro always found to bo more or less “pulpy,” but this, far from being the cause of death, is entirely a postmortem change, though certainly a very rapid one. Gradually there became established a correlation between tho state of nutrition of tho lamb and the incidence of the disease. Single lambs of ewC3 which have been wintered well and which have a heavy flow of rich milk are tho lambs most likely to develop tho disease, and it can be prevented in the flock by starving the ewes by a troublesome system of periodically yarding at the expense of the rafe of growth of the lambs. The diseaso has, therefore, come to bo looked on by farmers with a certain measure of fatalism as saying, for example, “If you want fat lambs off tho mothers, you must put up with a certain percentage of loss from pulpy kidneys.” In some seasons certain farmers will lose over 10 per cont., while 4 per cent, to 5 per cent, is quito a common percentage of deaths, all of tho most forward lambs.

Personally, I havo for some .years been of the opinion that the diseaso must be of bacterial origin on account of the symptoms shown by affected lambs being in some ways similar to lockjaw. From postmortem examinations tho stomach seems always to contain earth, and to havo the curdled milk of a particularly hard or cheesy texture. I might therefore suggest that the bacteria responsible for the disease are taken in by the lamb from the soil. The course of events would perhaps be as follow: Lambs at a certain stage of growth and receiving an over-supply of rich milk develop acidity of the stomach or other digestive disturbance which induces thorn to lick earth to counteract this condition. With the soil swallowed they may, or may not, pick up the specific bacteria of the diseases which would account for the haphazard distributions of affected lambs through tho flock. On tho other hand, the bacteria which causes the disease may be eo widespread that they are present in the intestines of normal lambs, but only develop tho diseaso when nutritional conditions favour this. With a better understanding of the digestive processes of tho lamb it may become possiblo to adopt preventive measures without recourse to the starvation system, or, alternatively, to confer immunity on the lambs by innoculation. Tho first step in the investigation of a diseaso is to ascertain the cause, and, as this has now been accomplished, further progress may bo relatively rapid. FARMING NEWS. RURAL RAKINGS. Britain consumed eggs to the value of £49,(XX),000 in 1931, and of this huge sum £13,768,338 worth were imported, Denmark getting £4,405,000 and tho Irish Free State £2,270,000. On Wednesday last the butchers employed at tho South Otago Freezing ComEany’s works made tho record kill in the istory of the works for an eight-hour shift, namely, 3535 sheep and lambs. The works aro being kept fairly busy, and with last week’s tally included the total for the season so far will be about 160,000 sheep and lambs. A new theory to account for the unpopular openness in cheese is promulgated by Mr L. J. Heayns, manager of tho Pahiatua dairy factory. Mr Heayns’s theory is that the trouble is caused by the casein which has formed in the milking machines after years of use, and whion ordinary care and washing would not remove completely. In his opinion bvery milking machine should bo gone over at least once every 12 months and any appearance of scale removed. To assist farmers in this direction Mr Heayns has visited several of his suppliers’ farms and inspected their machines, not infrequently helping to clean them where lie thought it necessary. This extra care has its recompense in tho high quality of the output, which is consistently good, being graded “finest” throughout the season. Owing to the reinvigoration of the pastures by the recent beneficial rains the supply at this is being well maintained. Present indications somewhat dispel hopes that this would bo a good autumn season for milk, pasture and stock market, the cold snap commencing on Thursday having had a retarding effect (says a Taranaki stock report dated April 16). It is considered in many quarters that further restrictions may bo expected in the stock markets. At this time of the year a 'strong inquiry generally exists for both in-calf and weaner heifers. Up to the present business in those classes' has been far behind what had been looked for. There was a littlo

WELLINGTON STOCK EXCHANGE. YESTERDAY’S BUSINESS AND v PRICES. Tho Wellington market yesterday was firm, with a good demand for gilt-edged secuirties and a better inquiry for shares. In the Government securities section, the 4) per cent, bonds, 1938 and 1939 maturities, wero firm at £94. Sellers asked £95 for tho 44 per cents., 1938 and 1941. Tho 54 per cent, stocks and bonds, maturing February and September, 1937, were wanted at £O7 15s, an advance ot 5s on previous bids. Tho 54 per cent, stock, 1936, was reported sold at £9B, an advance of 15s on tho numerous sales of last week. There was no change in the prices offered for local body debentures. Banks were in strong demand. Australasian were steady at £9, with no sellers. A sale of Commercial of Australia was made at 14s, and buyers stayed in at 13s lid. E., S. and A. Bank wero wanted at £4, and sellers reduced their price 2s 6d to £4 ss, cum. dividend. National of New Zealand wore Is better at £3 7s 6d, but sellers did not respond. New South Wales at £24, and Now Zealands at 42s lid, wero firm. Union of Australia were 6d, up at £6 11s 6d, sellers standing firm for £6 15s. Goldsbrough, Mofts were steady at 21s sd, and New Zealand Guarantee Corporation wero Id down at 4b, ex dividend. Seekers of New Zealand and River Plato, who came in last week, advanced their bid 3 Is 3d to 20s 9d, with no sellers. A sale of Union Steam, piMerence, was reported late on Monday, v esterday there were further inquiries at 19s 9d, but sellers asked 20s 9d. Colonial Sugars wero £1 up at £36 10s, with no sellers. New Zealand Drugs were wanted at 445, a drop of Is on the previous bid. Woolworths preference were steady at 2vS, ex dividend, sellers being silent. YESTERDAY’S QUOTATIONS. Buying and selling quotations at yesterday’s final call on the Wellington Stock Exchange wore as follow: Buyers. Sellers.

WHEAT PRICES. " LONDON, April 18. AVheat: Cargoes trading was quiet today, and quotations were mostly at a lower level. Parcels were in fair demand. Futures: London. June, 25s Id per quarter; September, 25s 8d; December, 26s 4d; Liverpool, May, 5s 2&d per cental; July, 5s 54d; October, 5s 7gd.

doing in in-calf heifers; lots aggregating over 500 were purchased by northern buyers for delivery in May and June, but business ppon that basis has been hampered to some oxtent- through holders who wished to quit early having mated their supplies later than is desired for early trading, and only lines showing reasonable forwardness attract interest. Fat sheep have remained on a par, with a hardening tendency noticeable in lamb sections, due probably to the rise in the works’ schedule for lamb, which is now 5Jd and 44d for seconds, with wethers • 13s. Good forward S.D. lambs have been difficult to secure and have been strongly inquired for, a few sales having been mado at from 8s to 10s, depending on size and condition. Twotooth wethers are still in demand for ihe back country, and these also have been difficult to obtain, and purchase-re have had to content themselves with picking up odd lots at from 9s to 10s. Fat cattle have been steady at late quotations and butchers have fulfilled their requirements mostly from tho saleyards. Truck lots of first-class prime station cows are at £4, £4 5s to £4 15s. Fat bullocks are still neglected and havo gone mostly to the works at freezing rates—lss- per 1001 b. Mutton supplies have diminished and there seems likely an appreciation of prices. Wethers are now worth about 13s 6d and ewes 7s 6d to 8s 6d.

N.Z. GOVT. LOANS — £ 8. d £ a. d. 4i p.c. Bonds, 1958 ... 94 0 0 95 0 0 Ditto, 1939 94 0 0 — Ditto, 1941 — 95 0 0 p.c. Bonds. Feb. and Sept., 1957 97 15 0 — p.c; Ine. Stk., Feb. and Sept., 1937 97 15 0 — DEBENTORES— Auck.. Chch., Dun. City. 5i p.c., 1944 ... 93 0 0 — Well: City and Harb., p.c., 1940 93 10 0 — Makerua Dm. Bd., b p.c., 1950 — 95 0 0 BANKS— Australasia 9 0 0 — Commercial of Aust,, ord 0 13 11 — Commercial Bank. Co. Sydney — 14 0 0 Eng., Scot, and Aust. 4 0 0 *4 5 0 National N.Z 3 7 6 — New South Wales 24 0 0 — New Zealand 2 2 11 — Union of Aust 6 11 6 6 15 0 FINANCIAL— Goldsbrough Mort ... 1 1 5 — National Mortgage ... — 1 10 0 N.Z. Guar. Corp., ord +0 4 0 — N.Z. Invest., Mort. and Deposit — "0 9 6 N.Z. Loan and Merc., ord — 40 0 0 N.Z. and Riverplate 1 0 9 — GAS— Auckland — 1 1 6 Wellington, ord 1 7 0 — INSURANCE— National — 0 12 4 New Zealand 1 15 0 1 16 6 TRANSPORT— • Huddart-Parker, ord. 1 1 0 — Union Steam, prof. ... 0 19 9 1 0 9 P. and 0. Stock — 1 2 0 BREWERIES— Carlton 1 5 6 — New Zealand 1 2 10 — Tooth and Co 1 3 0 — MISCELLANEOUS— British Tobacco, ord. 1 6 0 — Colonial Sugar 36 10 0 — D.I.C., ord — 0 12 6 Electro Zinc, pref. ... f0 18 0 — Howard Smith, ord. ... 0 3 0 0 7 6 N.Z. Drug 2 4 0 — Woolworths, pref. ... +1 3 0 — OIL— Taranaki 0 0 6 — MINING— Mt. Lyell 0 18 5 — Waihi 0 16 6 — Okarito 0 9 2 — — 0 13 0 *Cum. dividend. +Ex dividend.