HOGGET MORTALITY.

Wairarapa Age, 5 July 1929, Page 2

HOGGET MORTALITY.

VETERINARY SUBGEONS’ CONFERENCE. OBSERVATIONS BY DR. REAKES. In his presidential address at the annual conference of the New Zealand Veterinary Surgeons ’ Association, in Wellington, on Wednesday, Dr. C. J. Reakes, Director-General of Agriculture, said, inter alia, that in veterinary work in New Zealand they were dealing with livestock under purely pastoral conditions, which put them up against problems not met with in most other countries, where stock were more or less hand fed and housed during the winter months. The extent to which the mineral content of the pastoral plants affected the health and productivity of the stock was an important question. In the North Island, continued Dr. Reakes, they had trouble with the hoggets in seasons of prolific growth and heavy rainfall. Food conditions were at at the bottom of the trouble, and were in great part responsible for many deaths and cases of stunted growth. This unsuitable food idea opened up a field for a great deal of research work as to the actual constituents of grasses. Another point it emphasised was the need for good management conditions on the part of owners, and veterinary surgeons must continue to play an important part in giving advice to stock owners, some of whom did’their best, while others did not. It was very satisfactory to know that veterinary surgeons had been paying more and more attention to this point. No other country, said Dr. Reakes, was more up-to-date in reliable methods of the prevention and cure of diseases than was New Zealand. They had always made a point of keeping in close touch with other countries. He could say with confidence that New Zealand had been kept supplied with the latest work of veterinary science and research in other countries.