NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2672, 31 May 1905, Page 7

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Vtir Zealand ' - Wools.

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VWoelman/' -writing in a Home piper, says that buyers of New Zealand wool -frequently remark thaftf they very seldom indeed find any lack cf "vitality in the staple, and that New Zealand-- wools are •- usually extra* heavy in grease,* and a. good, greasy fleece is always -fecund in. staple. Be- goes on to say that New Zealand wools, both merino and crossbred, can hold their own against alloomers as regards yolk and soundness, but that it is only fair to state that Tasmanian •wools are also very sound. New Zealand and Tasmaaiian merinos are often rtrixed with both' South Australian and Queensland merinos in making 60's tops, New Zealand merinos acting the part of what are termed "throughs '' when the blend is composed of something more 6hort, tender,and mushy. Our wools, too, have an advantage in being free from burrs, and this writer- adds that he- does _not know any single feature in oonneotaoin with New Zealand merinos, which goes to their condemnation; while he does know that plenty of buyers bemoan the fact that' they now coioe to hand" in such small quantities- as to make them scarce and dear. He says that the woollen cloth manufacturers of Yorkshire are very much, prejudiced in favour of New Zealand merinos on account of the cleanness of the staple when scoured and the smaller loss of weight than any other wool grown in Australasia or Sfouth America. The development of the wool industry of late years has been greatly facilitated by the introduction of improved ■machinery in connection with- combing and Spinning. It is said that the modernising of wool plants and the fitting up of the very best -"machinery -is the best evideene possible- of a healthy expansion of the wool trade -ot and its neighbourhood. It must 'not be -forgotten, however, . that improved r " machinery 'is - also available to the 'shoddy-makers, "and these take advantage of every facility for competing with the workers in vpure wool, and it is a notorious- fact that there are mills near Bradford, that do not use any wool at all in the manufacture of their goods.

Fsot-r&t

■aSThe disease called foot-rot begins on the akin- of the foot, jusfc above the cleft in the hoof. In the early stages there is a high temperature in tiie i foot, and the skin reddens, andL is gradually covered with •wHie granular matter or small, -warty growths. The disease -works downward en the inner side of the horn of one claw ; only in very had and neglected cases are both claws affected, and seldom more than one ox two feet at the same time. So far as I. know, it has never been proved that -foot-rot in sheerj is a contagious disease. It has been asserted by some authorities that healthy sheep will take the disease "by mixing with sheep that have footrot,, and also by feeding on ground contaminated with; the virus of the disease. "We all know that a rich r moist and Icamy soil tends to bring on foot-rot, especially when the season favours a rank growth of grass-; but it is difficult to prove whether st certain soil under certain conditions is Jhe primary cause of foot-rot, or whether it only causes it to develop when there Ss .*. tendency to tb.e disease in the blood •f the sheep. I do not believe that root*ot ia contagious in the sens© that sound sheep can take it from soil upon which iotted sheep have been grazed, nor do I believe that it is due altogether to feeding ttpon a certain kind of soil. I think the disease is chiefly due to heating of the Mood by the sheep having an abundance of good grass in a, xnoisfc season. I can

quote an example. I have an intimate knowledge of a farm upon which footrot appeared 11 years ago in a moist season. It appeared in the early autumn, but disappeared after a course of dressing and trimming of the feet. Prior to that outbreak the disease was unknown on that sfarm, and no rotted sheep had been, bought, nor had any of the farm sheep been in contact with diseased sheep in any wayAfter 11 years, it has appeared again this autumn among heavy crossbred ewes in high condition. There have been no sheep of any kind bought that could bring contagion. A regular breeding flock is kept, and rams are the only sheep not bred in the place. Nw, why has rot appeared this year, and not in any moist season during the last 11 years? This is only the second appearance, and the farm- has been taken up over 30 years. Surely if the soil were the cause it would have caused bad feet more than twice in 30 years. The ewes have been in high condition since their lambs were weaned in January last, and' I feel pretty sure that, in this ease at anyrate, the foot-rot is a result of rich blood, and it breaks out in that form. The first sign of foot-rot is abnormal heat at the top of the foot, and that heat must be caused by inflammation, and in every other cose except wounds inflammation is the result of a derangement of the blood. Some 14- years ago the Royal Agricultural Society of England issued a pamphlet on foos-rot in sheep, and recently a new edition has appeared, and was noticed in the Witness last week In this it is stated that foot-rot is contagious, but, I do not know upon what evidence that statement is based. Whether contagious or not, it is certain that there j must be some primary cause, just as there is with certain' contagious diseases in the human being 1 . Merino sheep are very subject to foot-rot, probably because their natural herbage is short andT~dry, and their blood cannot the richer cultivated grasses. Foot-rot may be contagious, but, as I said at the beginning of this note, it is a ,hard thing to^ prove. If sound sheep are put upon land where diseased feet have been, and foot-rot appears in the sound sheep, that is not conclusive proof that the virus in the soil has got into the sound sheep. Is it not more -probable that the kind of soil and conditions as to moisture and feed which caused the rot in the fir3t lot of shee-n would also cause it in the second lot of sheep, assuming that the soil has anything tc do with it? Typhoid fever is contagious, but it breaks out m different localities without being carried by contagioa. Dirty and insanitary conditions are said to be the primary causes of this fever, and s- ch conditions will cause an outbreak in widely-separated houses without any contact whatever. Supposing the virus of foot-rot is in a soil, and that soil comes into- contact with a. sound foot, the latter cannot become badly diseased unless the trouble is fostered by moisture. Dor instance, i£ sheep with feet stinking with rot were put into a dry yard for some time and then removed, and sound sheep put in the some pen long enough for contagion to take place, if the sound sheep did develop the rot it could not assume I bad form, because the conditions would not be in its- favour The pamphkt I have referred to says: "Wet land, although it does" not produce foot^rot, is very favourable to its- continuance." That statement ucontrary to the prevailing, opinion J*a* T«{ land does produce it. If it is not caused W wet land and thick grass growing thereon, where does it come from if nota result of some derangement in the blood IPS* and that, I W*j» % most reasonable theory. I should liKe to see^hHSerienoe of other farmers given ' £ the Witaess, and I hope this .note will, i brine out a discussion of this important JSSter. Foot-rot is, I believe, very Prevalent this season, and the more light that Sn be thrown upon its causes and its treatment tho better for all concerned.

Treatment °t Foot-rot iv Sheep.

This subject is dealt with in the pamphlet referred to in tlr» f— ot-ust note, but none of the recipes therein given are ojuwxioiny used here. As the object of any dressing is to dry and harden the exposed tissues of the foot, it follows that any material of a burning or caustic nature will have the desired effect. A strong solution of hluestone (sulphate of copper) is. the cheapest dressing, and the one ■usually employed -when large flocks require treatment. One pound of bluestone dissolved in each gallon of water makes a strong dressing, and the sheep are made to pass .through a trough with sufficient of the solution therein to cover the claws of the foot. Bad cases should be hand-dressed, because a sheep with a bad foot will hold it up- while going- through the trough. The foot can be dipped in a jam pot containing some strong dressing. A solution- of arsenic is also used by many farmers, but bluestone is safer. The feet should be clean, when they go into the trough, because the mud may prevent the solution from getting at the diseased part. On that account the work should only be done when the yards are dry, and in any case it is advisable to pass the sheep over a grating before entering the. trough. Repeated applications are necessary, and if the trouble is taken in hand in the early stages of the disease more satisfactory results will be obtained with lesg inconvenience

The World's Wheat Cjop.

Beerbohm, the noted statistician, ha.? recently issued his return. o£ the uotal wheat produced in 'S.JJCW-. Europe is put down for 217,000,000 quarters, and countries outside of Europe for 164,000,000 quarters, making a errand total for the world ©f 381,000,000 "quarters, which is 3048' million bushels. The usual amount o£. wheat consumed, on an average, by each man, woman, and child per annum is reckoned at five or six bushels-Hrhat is, for people in countries where white bread is used. ~ Allowing five bushels per head, the wheat crop of last year would feed nearly 610 million people. That, however, does not make any "deduction for amount required for seed and various other purposes for which wheat is required besides breadmaking. A great deal of the wheat grown does not go into consumption, owing to total loss or damage in transport,— 2ooo tons were lost recently by shipwreck at tre Auckland Islands— and to fires in stack or in store. After making all due for deductions, the a,mo\int available for bread seams to be sufficient, judging by the ruling prices in the chief markets of the WOrld - \. . AGRICOLA.