13

H.—29

Compensation paid for Stock condemned. During the year 3,667 head of cattle were condemned and ordered to be destroyed for disease, under the provisions of the Stock Act. The compensation paid amounted to £11,549 18s. 9d., being at the rate of half the market value as fixed at the time of condemnation. Compensation paid for animals condemned at meat-export slaughterhouses, abattoirs, bacon-factories, &c, on slaughter, under the provisions of the Slaughtering and Inspection Act, amounted to £10,888 2s. 10d., making the total compensation paid during the year under the Acts named £22,438 Is. 7d. Importation of Breeding-stock. The. number of stud, animals (excluding dogs) imported into the Dominion during the year and dealt with under the quarantine regulations were —4 bulls (2 being returns from the Sydney Show), 2 trotting and 2 thoroughbred stallions, and 14 swine. Shipping difficulties were undoubtedly responsible for the numbers imported not being considerably greater, and I quite anticipate that when shipping again becomes somewhat normal a large number of animals, particularly cattle, will be imported. Inspection of Dairies supplying Milk to Towns. The inspection of dairy herds and premises from which the supply of milk for domestic use is drawn has been, carried on as usual during the year, and every effort has been made to maintain such a standard as would ensure a clean and healthy supply of milk from the licensed premises. That the efforts of the Department in this respect arc successful I have no doubt whatever, and am quitesatisfied that in the majority of cases of adulteration or unclcanliness detected in milk being vended such has taken place subsequent to its leaving the licensed dairy premises. I admit that there are unsatisfactory dairymen (producers), but they are a small minority, and the general experience has been that any reasonable requirement of the Inspector is willingly carried out.* Careful clinical examinations of the animals in the respective herds arc regularly made by the Inspectors, and in this manner all animals affected with disease are weeded out, and any suspects are submitted to the tuberculin test. In addition to this, samples of milk from herds supplying the principal centres with milk were collected by the Inspectors, as has been the custom, and sent to the laboratory for examination for tubercle bacilli. it is satisfactory to note that the examination in no case revealed the presence of this disease. The Wallaceville Laboratory. During the year the' work of the Department's laboratory at Wallaceville was continued on much the same lines as previously. The vaccine, used throughout the areas affected with blackleg for the purpose of inoculating all calves was prepared, at the laboratory by the acting officer in charge and the assistants, the number of doses sent out during the year amounting to 204,100, being slightly less than the number sent out the previous year. Milk-samples examined biologically for tuberculosis numbered 79, all giving negative reactions ; those examined for mammitis, a total of 253, showed 30-4 per cent, affected with contagious mammitis, 36 per cent, with non-contagious mammitis, and 33-6 per cent, gave no evidence of mammitis. In connection with general work a large number of varied specimens were dealt with. The manufacture of medicinal licks in brick form for treament of bush sickness and similar affections was started, a total of 566 " bricks" being made ; also 6 gallons of.ferrous lactate used for similar purposes to the medicinal licks. Experimental work was carried out with various calf-foods and material suspected of poisoning stock, none of the experiments showing the suspected, materials to be. injurious. Two sheep-dips received practical tests as regards their efficiency, one of these being the " Anconia " sheep-dip, the result of this test being used as evidence by the Crown against the proprietor of this so-called dip. Experimental work was also carried out with foot rot in sheep, different agents and different strengths of the same agent being used. Owing, however, to the limited number of affected sheep which could be dealt with, further experiments are still necessary before reliable new results can be available. The principal experimental work carried out on the laboratory farm has been to test the effect of manures applied to pastures in regard to the production of mutton. The practical side of this branch of work was directly under the Farm Overseer's control, Mr. B. C. Aston, Chemist, being responsible for the scheme. Importation of Animal-manures. The importation of animal-manures from India and Australia has again been affected through the dislocation of shipping and the embargo placed upon export, by the Commonwealth. Certainly the quantity which arrived from Australia was considerably more than that of the previous year, but it was still much below the normal, while that from India amounted to only 1,800 tons, being a third of the quantity which arrived during the previous year. The following report from the Inspector of Manure-sterilizing, Sydney, is interesting as regards the position and future prospects of obtaining our usual requirements from the Commonwealth : — The number of manure-works licensed under the New Zealand Stock Act regulations during the past twelve months under review was five. All of these with the exception of the Gladstone Meat-works, of Queensland, are situated in New South Wales. The names and particulars of the licensed mills are as shown at the foot hereof. I am pleased to be able to report that the buildings, appliances, and surroundings generally of the licensed premises are on the whole satisfactory, and that the requirements of the regulations have been very fairly complied with. As in previous years, one of the principal dangers to be guarded against is the contamination of the manure after sterilization by other animal material. This is met with at mills in which drying-machines are not installed and where changes in the workmen are continually being made.