LICE INFESTED SHEEP.

Southland Times, Issue 20675, 22 December 1928, Page 14 (Supplement)

LICE INFESTED SHEEP.

MORE STRINGENT PROSECUTIONS. In his annual report for 1927-28 the Director of the Live Stock Division, Mr. J. Lyons, M.R.C.V.S., deals with this matter as follows: “During the past season there has been an increase in the number of sheep exposed for sale affected with lice. This was more particularly in the North Island, and far too many prosecutions 'had Io be taken. No doubt the dry season and the consequent shortage of water was to some extent accountable for this. Still, it would appear that the dipping had been carried out in a more or less perfunctory manner, and was done more to comply with the Act than to rid the stocks of these parasites. If the practice of exposing lousy sheep for sale is to be stopped—and it is my intention to see that this is done—more stringent measures will have to be taken. The ordinary prosecution does not seem sufficient to stop the practice. In future it is intended to stop the sale of all liceinfested sheen, to be followed by a prosecution, and in the case of second or subsequent offences a heavy penalty will be asked for.” DAIRYING AT HOME. EAST DEVON CATTLE. OVERSEAS CRITICS. East Devon cattle and cream were criticized by Dominion judges at the coming-of-age show at Axminster Agrcultural Association on September 12, stated a London cable message. In the opinion of a New Zealander, the cattle of the district were an insult to the rich pasture on which they grazed. “There is scope,” he said, “for realty good dairy herds and high milk production.’’ Criticism of the cream came from a dairy officer of the Australian Commonwealth, who attributed “a distinctly metallic flavour in some of your exhibits” to rusty dairy utensils. The show attracted 354 entries, which was a slight increase. Sheep were an outstanding feature. There was an increase of ten pens over last year's total, and the quality was improved on the exhibits of many local shows. Apart from the Devons, the quality of the cattle was somewhat disappointing. Mr. S. Manning Kidd presided at the luncheon. Mr. W. W. Sampson, responding to “The Judges,” suggested that the society should introduce open classes for hunters, as nothing sold better than or helped the agricultural exchequer more than a good hunter. which made anything from £2OO to £3OO. Mr. Knapman predicted a better time for the pig trade in the course of \a few months. In this country, he remarked, there was a population of 45 millions, and there were three million pigs. In Denmark, with a population of three million, there were three million pigs. Farmers would have to do something if agriculture were lo survive. As long as they had to sell it in the Open market and at the same time pay fixed wages, they would have to find some other means besides growing corn to make a living. Overseas Critics. Mr. F. Wigan (Australia), speaking as a judge of the cream, said he found the chief fault with the flavour. There was a distinctly metallic flavour in some of the exhibits, which indicated that some of the utensils used—separators or buckets—had suffered by the tin coming away and the exposed iron becoming rusty. That was a matter which certainly called for attention. I Mr. W. G. K. Wright (New Zealand Dairy Factory Managers’ Association) referred to the rich pasture land of the neighbourhood, and said he did not know why they should insult it with the dairy stock they put on it. The stock were of the beef type. They would not be milked in New Zealand, but would be kept for stock. The Red Devon seemed to be a dual purpose animal. It milked fairly well, and was picked for the block when its milk period was finished. There was scope in the district for really good dairy herds and hieh milk production. Sir Raymond Beck submitted “The Visitors,” and Sir Clive Morrison Bell. M.P., responding, said he would like to see the food which this country had to imnort coming from the dominions rather than from foreign countries.