DAIRY COWS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 71, Issue 177, 28 July 1928, Page 22 (Supplement)

DAIRY COWS

INVESTIGATION OF DISEASE WORK OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. Extended activities of the Department of Agriculture in connection with diseases of dairy cows have been announced by the Hon. O. J. Hawk, n, Minister of Agriculture, jn the following statement: — “During the ast three years the veterinary staff of th. Department of Agriculture has been engaged in special investigation work into certain diseases of dairy cows which arc causing serious loss to dairy farmers through d creased returns from their herds. These troubles—contagious abortion, failure to hold to the bull, mammitis, and vaginitis—are all associated with the reproductive and milk-yi • ding organs; and while more or less intensive methods of dairy farming naturally predispose cows to troubles of this kind, it has been realised that every effort must be made to assist farmers to overcome them to the fullest extent possible. Th ■ work already done by the investigators here has brought out some va uable information bearing directly upon the problems which havu

been faced; but effective and reliable methods of preventive and curative treatment, especia ly methods cajiable of application by the dairy farmers without too much expenditure of time, money, and labour, have yet to be discovered.

“During his recent trip abroad, Dr Reakes, Director-General of the Department, devoted a great deal of his time to inquiries into what was known and what research work was being done in regard to this group of diseases. He found them to be more or less

troublesome in all the countries he visited, and made a special point of discussing the subj ct with the most eminent authorities in Great Britain, the Continent of Europe, and South Africa. A great deal of information bearing on the question was obtained, but it is evident that the knowledge necessary to effectively cope with these troub cs is not yet available. “On Dr Reakes recomm ndation it has therefore been decided to further extend our investigation work in the Dominion, and to get aside two skilled veterinary officers —Mr C. V. Dayus (now stationed at Hamilton) and Mr W. MAWebster (now at Masterton) to dev ,t the whole of their time to special field investigations in connection with this group of diseases, in direct conjunction with Mr C. S. M. Hopkirk, Officer in Charge, and Mr D. A. Gill, Assistant Officer in Charge, oi

the Wallaceville Veterinary Laboratory. Whi c these officers will specialise in the investigation, it will be supplemented by th,- general assistance of all the field veterinary and stock inspection staff of the Department. All the four officers mentioned have for the last three years been concentrating as much as possible upon the work in qu stion, and thus already have a specia knowledge of it; hence it is hoped that, the more systematic and wider research now being initiated may bring about mor.' knowledge of these difficult troubles, and enable better methods of preventive and curative treatment to be found. The information obtain d by Dr Reakes regarding methods being used in investigation work in. other countries, especially in Denmark and South Africa, will bo ut lised to the fullest ex’t nt and every advantage wil be taken of the personal relations hp established with scientists ov rsoas who are working at the same problems for the interchange of views upon the progress of the work.”