BONEDUST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10074, 9 March 1896, Page 3

BONEDUST.

10 THIS BDITOK. Sir,— have been wondering _if agricuU turalists would not raise their voices against the Order-ia-Couucil passed prohibiting the importation of bonedust, and I am glad that the Auckland Agricultural Association has now taken the subject in hand. I hope their action in the matter will be well supported. by the consumers. I never could see that there was ground for the course taken by the Government, for there was never sufficient proof that the outbreak ot anthrax wat caused by imported bonedust, indeed, is' most doubtful question when you consider thi very large quantity of imported manure used, all over our Provincial district, thousands of tons I may say; and because a disease had broken out on a small spot of it, and because the Government vet. gave it as his opinion that the outbreak at Ohaupo was caused by the land being dressed the previous Reason by green bones, that was surely not sufficient, ground to make all other districts suffer as assuredly they will by the importation being prohibited, and farmers being all thrown on the local manufactory for the supply, for of course as a natural outcome up will go the price of manure. It is all very well to say we can import the bones from the other Bide and crush them here, but it is not to be expected they will have their industry crushed in that way, and we may expect them to issue an Order-in-Council on the subject also. If the importation of Sydney bonedust had been the cause of disease in cattle here, we should have heard of it before, and from other parts besides Ohaupo; so the best thing the Government can now do after the appeal from the Agricultural Association, is to cancel ths Order-iii-Council, unless they have & finger in the pie re (tiring local manufaoturera a monopoly.—l am, etc., 11. Cbisfb.