Rural Notes.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14284, 27 August 1910, Page 3 (Supplement)

Rural Notes.

(Jjy "Ivoradi.") HO I, ID ST It A \Y I'I'SCAX. farmers are not alone in their discovery that, solid straw Tuscan is one of the most reliable wheats they call grow. In the iiort.h of the North Island the same tiling is being .('mind out- by growers who have tried it. There Seems !.<> Imi every probability tliafc solid Straw will be grown quite extensively in tlio Auckland Province judging by the good things said about it by those who Have already tried it. Wherever ;t was sown ail exceptionally fine crop was harvested in marked contrast to the bad results obtained from White Tuscan. The reason given I'or that result is that solid straw is of a more hardy nature, and is not affected with blight and diseases like other varieties of wheat. One farmer had a remarkable experience. He sowed White Tuscan last year, but being short of that seed he bought a few bags of solid straw seed to finish out a paddock with. The White Tuscan was almost a failure, while the solid straw gave a splendid crop. The same grower says that in forty-four years' experience in wheatgrowing, lie has not seen the rust as bad as it was last year. Yet the solid Btraw resisted the rust, while other wboats were almost perished with rust, Another grower states that his iwheat, solid straw Tuscan, was fit for seed last year, while most of his neighbour's crops were poor fowl feed. It is quite pleasant to find that other growers besides ourselves find solid Btraw a ifiend in need, after the way in which some of our millers have been running it down during the last two years. It is true that it suffers from wet weather rather badly, being the first to sprout. Probably this is because the chaff is hard, close, thick, and strung, and retains the moisture longer than some other varieties of wheat. But it stands the wind very well even when it is dead ripe, and the North Island people have found that it is a good rust resister. Luckily we do not suffer greatly from rust in our wheat. Last year, an exceptionally wet one, there was some rust, but it was mostly on the straw. Very little jjrain was damaged by it. STRANGLES. At a clearing sale the other day, some of the horses that were offered and sold were suffering from strangles. A few remarks about this trouble may prove of interest to those who from time to time find their horses affected with it. Strangles in horses is met with throughout the whole world, where horses are kept in domestication. In ancient writings mention is made of the disease, and in Great Britain it has been recognised from very early times. Strangles in horses may be likened to whooping cough and measles in human beings. Jt seems to be the lot of horses to be afflicted with the disease once in their lifetime, and it rarely affects the same animal twice. Measles and whooping cough are regarded as being special to youth, but they also attack adults; strangles is usually seen in animals under six years of age, but it, too, may attack horses of any age. It is more severe, generally speaking, in the case of old horses, than it is with young animals. It should be a point in favour of a horse to have had strangles in its youth, because it would then be practically immune from further attack.

Strangles is an infectious disease caused by a micro-organism. This disease germ is supposed to be usually taken into .the mouth with food or water, and to pass through some wound, developing in the underlying tissues and producing matter, giving rise to abscesses and lever. The disease may get a hold when the teeth are coming through, hut it is believed by some that the germ of strangles may enter into the systeiti by other channels than wounds in the mouth. It may appear in several forms, but the usual .symptoms aro coughing, swelling between the jaws, and running from the nose. The cough may be, frequent or only occasional, and the swelling varies in amount. It is usually largest at one point, where an abscess forms. This abscess may burst either on the outside or the inside. The swelling may Ik; great enough to interfere with swallowing and breathing.- The animal soon loses its soft fat; it gets thin and its coat looks unhealthy. A case of strangles should always be isolated lor fear of Lho disease spreading to the other horses. This is not always easy in the caSe of a young colt or filly, which has been accustomed to running with a mob, or with several mates. If a youngster is put by itself it may fret, and may do itself an injury in its endeaVours to get back to its companions, in that case an endeavour should bo made to procure ail animal that is immune in order that ii; may run with the patient. An old horse would be found useful for a companion. In a. great many cases the patient is not interfered with. Recovery takes place in a large proportion of eases without special treatment. The patient must, however, be watched, and must be fed, if possible, with soft food, placed in a high manger so that it can be easily reached and conveyed to the mouth. Of oourse it is well to give every encouragement to the ripening of the abscess, but in young horses tiiat is rather a hard matter. An unbroken horse is not »n easy patient to doctor. Poultices and hot fomentations will help to mature the abscess, in the matter of lancing the abscess, a good deal of care must be exercised. Unless the animal is threatened with choking it is usually best to let, the abscess burst of its own accord. At any rate the lancet should not be used, if possible, till the abscess is almost lit to burst. If it is prematurely opened it may take a long time to get right. If an abscess breaks of its own accord it" empties itself more completely than when the aid of the lancet is invoked. The matter may be helped ill the process of evacuation by syringing with a warm antiseptic. If the strangles are very bad whistling and roaring may follow the trouble. INFLUENZA. This is another disease or distemper which has been making its presence felt in various parts of the Dominion during the past month or two. It resembles fcomewhat the epidemic- la grippe that attacks human beings. The disesiao is not communicable from horse to man, or vice versa, yet the resemblance between the two is a fairly close one. It is strange, however, that at the present time influenza is rife among human beings as well as among horses. in both cases it is a highly infectious disease and spreads with groat rapidity. Jt epidemic, in its character, and although it may break out at any time in the year it is most commonly seen in cold spring months, and in wet autumns. It may attack all classes of horses, and horses of all ages, but it seems to be most prevalent among young horses rising three and lour years. There is a theory that there is a microbe of equine influenza, just as it is believed that there is a microbe of human influenza and that both develop best under conditions of moisture, u,s for instance, when the ground is saturated with water. The mode by which this influenza is propagated is not known. Attempts at inoculation have failed. But for safety's ualce it is well to isolate cases, and also to isolate horses that have come from districts or farms where influenza is me. Influenza among horses is of various Kinds, but that generally present is the pink eye and catarrhal forms. Enteric or abdominal influenza, in which there i is abdominal pain, and rheumatic inw which the joints are affected.

are worse forms than the cold i:i the head kind, accompanied by pink eves. J! a loose-box is available the influenza patient .should he put in it, with a. good bed of straw. II(? may lie led on iiiiyi liing that lie fancies, such as carrol.s, oafs, liran, etc., and iie should lie given some rock salt 1,0 lick. Whether ho is in a loose-box <Mnot lie should he kept warm. If there is much discharge from the nose, lie. ■should lie made to inhale tho fumes of eucalyptus oil. .Even a. little rubbed 011 the nostrils is beneficial, but tho following plan is recommended : Sprinkle, a. dessert spoonful of eucalyptus oil over a small bundle of liay or straw. L'ut the hay into a bucket ami pour boiling water 011 it, about a quan., and hold it in front oi tho horse's nose, letting him inhale tile steam for say a. quarter of an hour. This steaming process may 1)0 performed several times a day, and in a. good many cases this treatment with careful attention as to comfort and warm is usually all that is needed. If diarrhoea or colicky pains are not present tho following drench may be given:-—Turpentine 1 ounce, linseed oil 8 ounces, and an ounce'of nitre mav be given in the feed daily. Probably, boiling water poured on bluegum leaves would give a very useful and cheap mixture for inhaling purposes. Bluegum leaves possess many medicinal properties, and a home-made preparation from them naay be mixed up as follows:—Boil sav two and a , , pounds of good, bright, full-grown bluegum leaves in a gallon of water for lour hours. Jt is then fit l'or use if required immediately. It however, will not keep If bottled it would ferment and burst the bottles. To obviate this add, as soon as the liquid is taken off the lire at the rate of a quarter of an ounce of salicylic acid to a "allon of liquor, and it will then keep good for a considerable time. It is also a, good plan to add one quart of colonial <dveenne to twenty parts of the liquid, i g'ycenno must not be put in till the liquid is cnnl. Kvon with iho «JYcenne the mixture will onlv cost a few pence per pint. To give it';, better pearance ,t may be strained through a cloth belong bottling. ciiOKi^r Horses and cattle sometimes choke w hen eating potatoes, turnips and other loots. Isuaily ail endeavour is mc.de to push the article down with the hand, be Ie a I'robang shoulfl or bo i ] n n ' c l" eiltl . v •' broom handle, the handle 01 a whm is used, but gie.tt c-are should be exercised when iisu.g unyielding articles such as stick . wl "P handler. If a proper uroban" is not available, a rope about an inch in d ameter migut be tried, before u-iii" other articles. The end of tho rore •should be made into a small knot, some cloth bemg. tied on lor the purpose J ho rope shouM be greased, and insert the end with knob on ,t in the guile;.; n rl j- «'ork the rope down the gullet, when the obstruction, if not too obstinate may be found to give wav drying is - of stick hi about" the "s'unp l'S r 'V Plaml in a ho"e"'s 11 <■ 1 1 stlc 'k nia >" he a piece of an tint size A 1" °'" Eomut!l 1 in S olse face •H , 1 I° P ?, °" e,tller side of «ie and to tl i° S ' 1 St "' k at ODe elKl ana to the cow s horn at the other cow can' I ShOU,d be , tied 80 the LJn almost work it out of her then be t* UOt ! qi " te do so ' Slle mav en,t n V"' ned ol,t of doors - The w ? rk j"? llßr tongue and yn ,V to ■eject the stick, and this ill usually result in the dislodgment ol the article in the throat. This treat S oUtat.'' 01116 ' be «'- JOTTINGS. The very fine weather is acceptable to most farmers at the presenttin e feint? T' ld n ' ith a slower has ius't n-nt " I + damp hicalities the land in"' Vr, ,? H "i CC edition for sow"rass a start I a , sll ™Y er , wollld give the »,> IV.I %»£ ssftssf commences. No doubt tbev it about lambing time. Already stock may be seen on some wheat and oat