CATTLE SICK LAND

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7851, 13 July 1911, Page 2

CATTLE SICK LAND

In "The Dairy,” Mr Primrose McConnell, B.Sc.. discusses tho question of cattle-sick. land. He holds that the land is liable to this trouble when continuously grazed with cattle, as it is with sheep and horses, the only difference heinj- that with 'cattle the trouble is longer in coming. There is no doubt, lie says, that many of the_ obscure diseases which afflict cattle either as individuals or as herds aro due to this, while tho known troubles due to parasites, such as husk in calves, are intensified by continuous pasturing by tho same class of stock. One very common cause of sickness is really due to. a want of phosphates in tho soil. Cows are supposed to 'be specially to blame in this respect, but inquiry by those who understand (these matters reveals the fact that all cattle stock aro alike in this defect, excepting 'fully-grown ones fattening only. A dressing with a phosphatic manure such as basic slag euros . this and other concomitant troubles', though in some cases a dose of lime' and salt would help immensely. On arable farms, on the contrary, this trouble is never likely to arise, where the site of tho grass fields is changed from year to year; it is on old pastures where grazing has been carried on for a large number of years. AA 7 here paddocks cannot be shut up and cut for hay, which lessens the chance of "sickness,” though it prejudicially affects the growth of tho finer grasses, cattle should be rotated round the -pastures year by year, just as crops are rotated, whilst phosphate of lime should be liberally used in one form ’or another. UNDER-STOCKING.

f lt is further pointed out by Mr McConnell that, whilst it is possible to overdo land by continuous pasturing without any treatment to keep it right, it is at tho same time quite easy to fall into the opposite error and not stock heavily enough, an error very easily committed where capital is not too plentiful- Tho evil which accrues from too small a head of cattle is that the animals can pick and choose their grass, with tho result that all tho coarser spots are loft, and those run up to seed and make their sites still more coarse and unsightly. Further, this rough growth prevents any possibility of the clovers and finer grasses coming up, assuming that they are in tho ground—as is usually the case. Cattle especially should never be under-stocked, but enough put on to the acres to make sure that everything will ho eaten. If rough pieces grow in spite of this they should he levelled off with the mower so as to give the lot n fresh start and allow tho finer grasses a better chance. It is for tills reason that tho best pastures are never cut for hav—the growth of tall grasses would choke the little ones—and tho cutting down of the rough spots is one of the best ways of helping in this matter. The thing must not bo overdone, of course, and a slight under-stocking is permissible, but it is easy to watch a field or fields as the season goes on, and regnlato tho number of head to suit. Tho matter may of course be greatly helped, as noted above, by various dressings, and one of the advances made in modern farming'is the rational treatment of pasture lands. Twenty or thirty years ago grass land was allowed to look after itself, and nothing special was done for it, but moro is now known, and, whether it is temporary or permanent pasture land, care should be taken that it is better treated mamirially than of old, but it is equally necessary to adjust the stock to graze it properly.