HA WEE'S BAY FARM AND RURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2705, 17 January 1906, Page 19

HA WEE'S BAY FARM AND RURAL NOTES.

(From Otte Own Cobrespondent.) This is a disease that is not so much in evidence as it was formerly, Footrot. but it is always with us to a certain extent, sometimes more and sometimes less, according to the season. There are many methods of dealing with it, but a very large number of farmere have not yet got the length of Having a trough to put the sheep through, preferring the knife. The knife is very well in moderation, but I consider that it is used too much, and many perfectly sound sheep are lamed by unnecessary paring. The knife is only required in a few cases; for the rest nothing more is wanted than at intervals to put them through a trough containing a suitable solution. This saves a lot of trouble and knocking about of the sheep, and cures nine lame sheep out of ten without ever using the knife. Th© tenth sheep may want the hoof pared off sufficiently to let the solution penetrate. As to the kind of solution to use, most of the sheep dips answer the purpose, but should not be used beyond the strength specified for dipping purposes. The mistake often made is in mixing the solution too strong, under the impression that it will kill the footrot sooner, the result being that it seta up inflammation, and the sheep is 'lamer than -ever. I have known a.- mari lame every sheep in his flock and cause a number of sheep to lose their hoofs altogether by putting them through a solution that had been mixed too strong. Arsenic is a. good 1 cure, if mixed at the proper strength — namely. 2oz arsenic, 2oz washing soda ; boil till dissolved in a gallon of water. The drawback to arsenio is the- danger to all stock, as almost anything will .drink it, and, if used, the greatest care should! be taken to prevent mishaps. Bluestone is easily mixed, easily carried, and a little of it goes a long way, while it has excellent healing properties. Mixed in the proportion of soz to 2gal water, it gives good results, but it stains the wool, and is- only suitable for use for some three months after shearing, after which the wool is becoming long enough to get splashed. The trough should bo not less than 20ft long, but where it is not convenient to have a special race for the trough, it answers fairly well to dig out the earth in the drafting race to lefc a trough into the ground, and have as a. cover when drafting one board of the right length and width. It is also worth remembering that the- trough should be ' wide enough to be cleaned out with a spade, in which case it can be done in a few moments when required. I know of one station where footrot used to be very troublesome till they took to trucking away all the chronic cases to the freezing works, to be dealt with there according to their merits, and I am told there is very little footrot on that station now. On a station away from the railway line, the hospital mob, as they are called, are accompanied by an express, which acts as ambulance van. The "Waipawa County Council have fixed their dog tax at 5s for The Bog terriers and shepherds' dogs Tax. and 10-s for all other dogs. This is a rice on last year, and it is to be hoped they ivill raise it still further next year. If the tax were doubled and the registration more etriotlv enforced. it would mean that a large number of hounds that are of no us& to anybody, and are only a nuisance, would be done away with. I think that to attain this end the a\erage farmer would gladly pay the extra tax on his own dogs, whicl' are a necessity. The season's crop of fruit is renortpd to be * g-ood, and as showing that Fruit. the fruit-growing industry in Hawke's Bay is attracting notice from othpr centres, it is worthy of note that the Victoria la&t week took i 400 ca.=<^s of peaches to souihern ports 200 going to Lyttelton and 200 to Dunedin. Sales have not heen very spirited of late, , this being due probably to , The Stork -the fact that most, farmers j Market. have not yet got off enc'ajrh of* their increase to feel safe in buying more stock just jft. The freezing companies are offering about 12s on the farm for unshorn lambs, and up to 14s for wethers, and th^y are kept pretty busy a.t the=-o prices, which are a pood d-eal better than most ppople expected a little while ago. The Hawke's Bay Farmers' Association are giving for unshorn lambs delivered at the works, 4|d per Lb for January delivery, with id rise in each month ; for shorn lambs the price is 3^d per lb for January, with Id rise each month ; 481b being the limit in weight. At theee prices selling in the wool pays "best, showing an allowance of 2s 7d for the wool on a 351b lamb, be.side 3 which, by leaving the wool on. there is less risk of bruising in the t'"uc-ks HEPERE.