THE FARMER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1217, 28 June 1895, Page 5

THE FARMER.

V.gricuiture is the most healthful, useful, and noat noble employ meat of man."—Gkoroe Washno ion, "-,'

EDITORIAL NOTES.

TUBERCULOSIS. During the last two years or so, a British Commission of farming and medical experts has been engaged in taking evidqnce on the subject of tubeiculosis. The report has now been published, and to a large extent will tend to confirm the very general fear that tuberculosis, in cattle, is indirectly a very serious menace to human health. Having made the most careful enquiries and obtained the results of experiments made by scientific experts, the Commission distinctly state that " in the absence of direct experiments on human subjects, we infer that man can acquire tnbercolosia by feeding upon materials derived from tuberculous food-animals/' Further, it is mentioned that "the actual amount of tuberculous disease among certain classes of food-animals is so large as to afford to man frequent occasions for -contracting tuberculous disease through his food." The report clearly indicates that, with proper inspection (such as has been carried out by the Jews from the earliest ages), thorough cooking of food, and boiling of milk, the danger of infection may be greatly reduced. The commissioners put it on record that " the recognition of tuberculous disease during the life of an* animal is not wholly unattended with difficulty. Happily, however, it can in most, cases be detected with certainty in the udders of milch cows." Referring to the report, an English agricultural paper makes the following remarks upon colonial produce : "We have to consider that tuberculosis cannot usually be detected in the dressed carcases, nor in the milk-can, nor in butter or cheese, and that, therefore, whatever safeguards and inspection wo insist upon in this country, foreign and colonial cheese, butter, meat, and milk, will always remain outside the scope of

inspectors and their safeguards. For this cheap, but deadly, product of Free Trade we allow the destruction of British agriculture." Of course there is no such danger as the English journal conjures up, for we would confi dently wager that the colonial butter and cheese is just as carefully kept wholesome and free from any taint, however indirectly possible of acquirement, »s the very choicest of English produce of a similar class. But it is necessary that the British consumer should be fully assured of this, and the value of the Dairy Industry Bill with its provisions for inspection and grading becomes more than ever apparent. Referring to the report and to the evident animus against colonial stock displayed by the English journals representing the rural interest, our Brisbane contemporary, the Qaanslander, makes the following very sensible remarks:—"The true source of the uneasiness of the rural Englishman is not the disease in Australian stock but the stock themselves. It cannot be denied that British agricultural interests have suffered heavily from foreign competition, and the consternation that has been caused by the everincreasing inflow of foreign meat is not to be wondered at." The Queenslander then quotes a writer in the Live Stock Journal who does not share the general English anxiety as regards Australian competition. This writer says: "Indications are not wanting that, in spite of its growth during the fifteen years since its inception, it has nearly reached its maximum for the present The steady fall in prices since the trade was firmly established and competition grew rife— : the frequent gluts, the hitherto insurmountable difficulties of cold storage, thawing, and distribution —all these and other influences have pretty well brought growers and shippers to consider that not a vast deal more of the Australian surplus will be worked off in this way, and that the total of frozen meat imports will increase with less and less rapidity in the future than in the past." As for the live cattle trade, he has no fear on that score, believing that the voyage through bad weather and extremes of heat and cold will develop the tendency to pleuro which exists to a vast extent in the Australian herds. The accuracy of this prophecy remains to be proved. It is true that in one shipment of Queensland cattle there was an outbreak of pleuro, but the statement that pleuro exists to a vast extent in the Australian herds is a gross exaggeration, and we may rest certain that for their own sake the Queensland cattle exporters will take good care to have future shipments very carefully inspected. Getting back to tuberculosis in cattle, our readers will remember that Mr Gilruth stated at Dunedin the other day that the disease exists in this Colony. That being the case the moral of the English Commission's report, namely, that meat destined for human consumption cannot be too carefully examined with a view to the detection of tuberculosis is to be commended to the very earnest attention of municipal bodies and other authorities having the meat supply under their control. THE CHOKO PLANT. The Egmont Post gives somes interesting particulars concerning the choko plant, which is largely cultivated in New South Wales, and cuttings of which have been sent to a Taranaki resident by a relative residing in

Sydney. The plant is a creeper and can be trained up a wall, over out houses or along fences. The Post gives the following details as to the culture of the plant:—lt should be planted in the warmest spot that can be found. It likes a well-manured soil, and in dry weather should' be watered. In the hot sun the leaves droop very much, but that does not matter, it bning the nature of the plant. Plant it after the frosts have gone, and put it about an inch under the surface. Coining from a practically winterless country, it begins to grow or sprout almost as soon as it is ripe. To retard the growth until the time comes for planting, keep it in a cold place in the light. If in the dark, it will grow as readily as if it were in the soil. Half-a-dozen sprouts come from each choko. First there comes one sprout, which will probably grow 2ft long before planting time. This sprout can be either broken off or left on when planted. It is probably better to break it off, and let the others come naturally. Therefore, the two difficulties will be: (L) To retard the growth till planting;, . (2) to get sufficient warmth when planted. ' The plant is of the same variety as the cucumber, liking extremely rich soil, moisture and warmth. The method of cultivation used with one will suit the other exaotly. In Sydney Mr Burr planted the choko almost at the beginning of October. It grew very slowly until the end of November, and blossomed at the end of February. The yield was 200 fruit from one plant—weight 1001 b. The plant lasts about seven years, dying off in the autumn, and shooting up from the old roots in the spring. It reaches its maximum size the third year. One plant in Sydney, that from which Mr Burr obtained his seed, has this year (the second year) yielded fully half a ton weight of fruit. SUNFLOWER GROWING. Sunflower growing, so we read in an Australian paper, is receiving substantial encouragement in Victoria. A bonus of L/2 per acre is offered by the Government, and two gentlemen of Warracknabeal have offered LlO as a prize at their next show for the best four bushels of sunflower seed grown in the district. Melbourne also has an oil-mill, so that when farmers have grown their crop of seed it need not rot for want of machinery for its treatment. Could not something be done in the way of sunflower culture in the North Island? The Agricultural Department might do well to issue a leaflet on the subject. We are often asked for information on this subject, but are unable to give it. SHEEP STEALING. This mean offence appears to be flourishing like some foul weed up the West Coast of this island, and despite the fact that two persons are already under arrest for the alleged commission, other thieves continue to pursue their felonious little game with an audacity that is positively alarming. The member for Foxton, Mr J. G. Wilson, has, we notice by a country paper, written tj the Agricultural Department, suggesting that the law which prohibits night driving should be rigidly enforced. This, as Mr Wilson points out, is the only effectual way of putting a stop to sheep stealing, or, at any rate, of putting almost insuperable difficulties in the way, and the provision should be put into operation without delay. Mr Wilson himself has been a

sufferer from the sheep stealers, and he is determined to leave no stone unturned to stamp out a detestable practice. Meanwhile, as wo stated above, the thieves still go on with their nefarious work. The Hnleonibe correspondent of the Rangitihei Advocate states that a local sheep owner having mustered his sheep, found they were 800 short. The run was carefully gone over, and every dead head, tail and vestige of a defunct was counted, when a liberal allowance was made for the " unseens " which leaves 600 to be accounted for. This business is getting serious, and it is about time that each individual who believes in a fair deal formed himself into a "vigilance committee " and did his level best to assist the powers that be to "stop thief."

TH3 RISE IN SHEEP.

There has been a most decided rise in the price of sheep during the past two or three weeks,.and up the Manawatu line values are steadily hardening. The rise, whether destined to be permanent or not, has already had the effect of making farmers more hopeful and the boiling down, which was going on wholesale up to a fortnight ago,* has now almost ceased. As showing the importance of the increase in value we notice that a Palmerston paper states that a line of wethers, for which 8s per head was offered a fortnight ago, realised 12s 8d at the Johnsonville sale on Thursday last. These sheep came from the Filzherbert district.

STOCK DISEASE IN HIWKE S BAY. Captain Russell's suggestion that the services of an expert bacteriologist should be procured by the Gjvernment has been referred, we notice, to the Stock Committee, before whom the member for Hawke's Bay will probably repeat the somewhat alarming statements made by him a week or two ago at a meeting of the Hawke's Bay A. and P. Society. According to those statements and those of other pastoralis ts in Hawke's Bay there is some mysterious disease prevalent amongst stock in that province, which up to the present has defied the knowledge and powers of treatment of such Government and private experts as have up to the present investigated it. Captain Russell stated at the meeting referred to that the mortality caused by this disease was not realised by stock owners in other parts where stock were healthy, and he instanced an experience of his own, where seven bullocks, all apparently healthy, had died, no distinct cause being perceptible. Mr Donnelly said he had had a similar experience, but in his case he had attributed the mortality to apoplexy. It is to be hoped that the Stock Committee will take very full and careful evidence on the subject of the disease mentioned by the Hawke's Bay member, especially as there appears to be a few who think the disease in question is the justly dreaded anthrax.

THE EDENDALE DAIRY SCHOOL. The new dairy school for the South Island was opened on the 18th inst. at Edendale, the course of instruction being in the hands of Messrs McEwan, Bobbins and three assistants. The Invercargill correspondent of the Otago Daily Times, wko was present at the opening ceremony, states that over 50 students have been enrolled. Mr T. Brydone, who presided at the opening ceremony, paid a high compliment to Mr McEwan, stating that at the commencement of last season he (Mr

McEwan) had' put the Edendale factory in the way of making such a good article that recent reports from their London agents on consignment, sent to them said there was no room for and that they could not suggest any improvement iu the quality, and lie had no doubt by adopting the best methods and latest improvements in cheese and butter making throughout New Zealand the quality would be much improved, and realise' better prices in foreign markets "When our company" (continued Mr Brydone) " started dairying at Edendale we had no one to teach us how to go to work to make an article best suited for the English market,: or, even to show us how to erect a building suitable for the purpose. I myself designed this factory from the best ideas I could gain, from consulting what books were at my disposal at that time. It was with great difficulty that we could get a manager who understood the art of manufacturing Cheddar cheese. Edendale has been chosen for the purpose of giving these lessons and lectures on/ account of Southland being an important dairying district and easily getatable by rail and road for the students.' This factory also possesses the special advantage of having the necessaryappliances for making both cheese and butter. Some new plant imported by the Government from America would here be used probably for the first time in the colony. Students woald not. only be instructed in the practical parts of cheese and butter making,, but also* in the branch of chemistry which would! teaoh them why as we.lL as. lww milk \>j various processes, is. converted into butter and cheese"' In conclusion, h& had no doubt the students who hadl enrolled would make the most of thevery favourable opportunities afforded] them by the Government to acquire a. thorough knowledge of this veryimportant industry. He then declared! the school open.