H.-29

7

The Honey Industry. New Zealand honey continues to maintain its high reputation in Great Britain and the Continent of Europe, where a highly creditable business has been established. As a result of unfavourable climatic conditions a considerable reduction in the quantity of honey exported during the year has taken place. It is contended, however, that this will have at least one beneficial effect, in as far as it will enable accumulated surpluses in London to be cleared off, thus reducing storage costs, and at the same time placing the question of receipt and disposal of supplies in a more satisfactory position. The Chairman of the Honey Control Board, Mr. Rentoul, is at present visiting England, Ireland, and Scotland, also the Continent of Europe, for the purpose of further organizing the industry and extending the honey-market. It is expected that the industry will benefit materially from his investigations. Inspection oe Meat for Export. The volume of meat frozen for export shows a considerable increase over last year, this being doubtless due to the increased carrying-capacity of sheep pastures, brought about by the extension of fertilizer top-dressing practice and the increase in the flocks of the Dominion. Condemnations on account of disease have remained at a low level. In consequence of the action of the British authorities in connection with lymphadenitis in sheep, special arrangements were made for strengthening the inspection staff, and also for checking the results of the inspection work by incising the glands of many thousands of sheep and lambs after their examination in the usual way by the Inspectors immediately after slaughter. The results were satisfactory. The cost of this was borne partly by the freezing companies, and their co-operation is greatly appreciated. The boneless-veal trade showed improvement in the class of calves coming forward for slaughter. Statistical figures and other general information regarding meat-inspection will be found in the report of the Director of the Live-stock Division. Bush Sickness. A review of the present position regarding " bush sickness " indicates that the existence of this trouble as a distinct deterrent to the successful carrying of live-stock in certain areas has become a far less serious matter than used to be the case. This applies more particularly to dairy stock perhaps than to sheep. The fact that dosing with citrate of iron and ammonia will cure bush sickness when an animal is suffering from it, while periodical dosing with the same preparation will effectively prevent its onset, is now much more generally recognized by farmers in affected areas, and it may be definitely stated that the actual position is that, dairy herds can be carried successfully on bush-sick country under ordinary dairy-farming conditions, with the use of suitable fertilizers, and a proper use of citrate of iron and ammonia as a medicinal agent. Not only does this hold good with adult cattle, but calves can be reared successfully by administering the same medicinal agent with hand-fed milk or other food. The question of administering citrate of iron and ammonia to sheep presents more practical difficulties to the farmer, as mustering the sheep and dosing them individually for several days, during which the periodic application of the medicine is carried out, means a great deal of labour and resultant expense. A good deal of experimental work has already been done in the direction of making the preparation available for sheep by incorporating it into small pellets which, if the sheep can be induced to take them, enable them to attain the necessary protection. This, however, is not always easy to bring about; but once sheep can be got to accustom themselves to take the pellets, they continue to do so without difficulty, the only trouble being that it is impossible to regulate the quantity taken by each animal. Any excess taken, however, does not seem to do any harm. Not only is citrate of iron found an absolute specific in the prevention or cure of bush sickness, but a number of farmers in the districts bordering on the bush-sick area or farming on land only affected to a sufficient extent to cause sheep or lambs to develop the trouble, while adult cattle remain apparently unaffected, have found by practical experience that the periodical administration of citrate of iron considerably improves the milk-yield of their cows, and some even go so far as to say that they believe it has been a factor in lessening trouble through temporary sterility. Whether this last is actually the case, however, remains yet to be proved. Since May, 1929, 2 tons of the material has been obtained by the Department for resale to farmers, and an additional ton has