H.—29.

Milk Fever. —The incidence of this disease was, speaking generally, lower during the year than usual. Pulmonary and Intestinal Parasites in Young Cattle. —Large numbers of calves are still lost or their constitution impaired as the result of parasites. In the prevention and treatment of this disease, management and feeding play a more important part than drugs. Supplementary feeding is the sheet anchor in combating the effects of parasites in young cattle, and without this any line of medicinal treatment adopted cannot be expected to give the best results. SHEEP. It is pleasing to record a most successful year in connection with sheep-farming. Sheep wintered well, the lambing percentage on the whole being good. The opening wool-sales were marked by the high prices realized, and, although tending to drop at the later sales, the wool-prices of the 1933-34 season will be remembered as tending towards a welcome revival to the sheep-breeding industry. From a disease point of view the year was a particularly good one, being marked by a very low incidence of those seasonal mortalities in sheep which unfortunately have to be recorded occasionally. Lymphadenitis. —Although the effect of this disease on the general health of sheep might be said to be practically nil, its economic importance is considerable in that its presence in the glands on inspection constitutes the rejection of the carcass for export. This results from the serious view taken of the disease in the carcass by the Home authorities. In order to obviate as far as possible the chance of affected carcasses of lamb or mutton reaching the English market, the Department has instituted a very thorough system of inspection at the meat-works by which every carcass is carefully palpated to detect the presence of the disease in the superficial glands. Records are obtained of the farms from which cases of the disease are detected, investigation made, and advice regarding control given to the sheep-owner. The adoption of precautionary measures at shearing time goes a long was to lessen this disease on a farm. Manual palpation of live sheep reveals the existence of enlarged glands, and many flock-owners are now adopting this form of control recommended by the Department. Sheep found affected on examination must be separated from the flock, and got rid of as quickly as possible. By this means the spread of infection is eliminated, with the possibility of, in time, eradication of the disease. The District Superintendent, Dunedin, has conducted some valuable observations in connection with this control scheme which illustrates very forcibly its value. The following figures show the reduction brought about in the incidence of the disease in the ewe and wether flocks on two properties on which the control methods referred to have been in operation, and are inserted to show what can be done towards eliminating the disease :—

The method lias also been adopted on sheep-farms in Canterbury and in the Wairarapa, and it is highly necessary that it be adopted by sheep-farmers on a much more extensive scale. Ante-partum Paralysis in Ewes. —The lambing season was remarkably free from ewe troubles. No serious mortality such as that recorded in previous years occurring. Parasitic Diseases. —Although present to a considerable extent, mortalities from this cause were not very extensive during the year. The influence of seasonal conditions affecting pasture growth must be regarded as a vital factor leading up to hogget mortality. Internal parasites never give rise to such serious consequences unless the lambs receive a setback in vitality through unsuitable pasture conditions. Information regarding treatment and control of this disease has been largely disseminated by field officers of the Division. Renal Congestion in Lambs (Pulpy Kidney). —With the exception of the Central Otago District, losses of lambs from this trouble were very light. In continuation of the work inaugurated by Mr. Gill, of the Veterinary Laboratory in Otago, a number of lambs were inoculated with antitoxin during the season. The results were hopeful, but more extended trials are necessary before definite conclusions can be drawn.

15

Ewe Flock. Wether Flock. Examination. Number Number Per- Examination. Numbei ; N « umber Per " exammed. affected, centage. examined, affected, centage. I Property No. 1. First, 1931 .. 11,196 1,046 9-34 First, 1932 .. 4,618 370 [ 8-01 Second, 1932 .. 10,129 377 3-72 Second, 1933 .. 4,711 149 3-16 Third, 1933 .. 11,319 209 1-85 Third, 1934 .. 4,714 79 1-68 Fourth, 1934 .. 11,353 J 223 1-96 Properly No. 2. First, 1933 .. 3,709 373 I 10-05 First, 1933 .. 1,#78 83 5-6] Second, 1934 .. 3,095 140 4-52 Second, 1934 .. 1,547 32 2-07 I I