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been shown to be very effective in protecting against tlie disease. Demonstration of the method of vaccination is always available to farmers through the field officers of the Division. Contagious Ophthalmia (Pink-eye).—Although reference is made to the disease as occurring in most districts, it does not cause much concern to owners. Affected animals tend to clear up spontaneously, and many suitable eye-lotions are available to owners to assist them to deal with the more persistent cases. Advice is always available from field officers. Hydatid Disease.—This disease does not appear to be lessened in any way as a result of the provision of an effective worm medicine for the treatment of farmers' dogs. A campaign of compulsory dosing of dogs would be impracticable to supervise, so that if the dog-owners do not use the means available to them, the prospect of a reduction of the incidence of the disease in farm animals is not hopeful. Facial Eczema. —It was feared that an outbreak of this disease might take place following the long dry summer. A few animals, both cattle and sheep, were affected on isolated farms, but fortunately no outbreak of a serious nature was met. Liver-fluke and Black Disease. —Thi§ parasitic disease has shown a tendency to spread in the Hawke's Bay district. Coincident with the spread of the parasite there is the need to vaccinate the ewe flocks against black disease. The mortality to be expected from black disease is even greater than that from the parasite itself. However, as the parasite is mainly responsible for infection, it is essential to endeavour to control its spread. Blackleg in Sheep.—-This bacterial disease is being diagnosed frequently in specimens sent forward for laboratory examination following investigations into mortalities in sheep. In several districts where losses have recurred, vaccination of flocks has proved an effective method of control. The District Superintendent, Wellington, reports as follows : —- Blackleg in sheep is being increasingly incriminated as the cause of death in many cases of the kind formerly put down to " blood-poisoning " or dipping losses. It occurs after docking in lambs, after lambing in ewes, after shearing or dipping sheep, more particularly the younger ones. The use of contaminated yards has been noted as an important factor in many outbreaks. Other cases occur in weaned lambs with no wound history. Vaccination using 2 c.c. of standard vaccine has proved very effective on properties suffering recurrent losses. Cutaneous Myiasis (Sheep Blow-fly). —Little trouble was experienced from blow-fly strike during the year. Foot-rot.—This disease continues to be troublesome to flock-owners in many districts. The dry season experienced has been a distinct factor in reducing the incidence of the disease during the summer months, but with rain now general latent infection is liable to flare up again. The preventive measures advocated, if adopted, afford a good degree of control. Lice and Ticks. —Owing to water shortage some undipped sheep appeared in the saleyards. These were affected with lice and ticks, this being more noticeable in the East Coast district, where the drought was severe and prolonged, and dipping was impossible on some properties. In Canterbury small lines of sheep have been found affected with parasites, but most of the larger lines of sheep direct from stations were Very clean, and at many of the fairs clean yardings were the rule. The difficulty experienced by dip-manufacturers in obtaining adequate supplies of " Derris " for inclusion in dips during the war period has been detrimental to the work of controlling vermin, but this unsatisfactory position is now being rectified. The prevalence of ticks in flocks normally kept clean may, no doubt, be due to the absence of Derris in dips. PIGS The number of pigs slaughtered for the season 1945-46 at premises under inspection was 707,077, an increase of 54,507 over last year's figures. Inspection of the carcasses at time of slaughter revealed that 58,674 carcasses were found to be affected in varying degree with tuberculosis, the percentage being 13-96 per cent. This is a decrease of 0-74 per cent, as compared with last year.

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