ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXX, Issue 3, 20 March 1925, Page 208

ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES.

IN order to ensure reply to questions, correspondents must give their name and address, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith Letters should be addressed to the Editor PIGS INFECTED WITH SOIL ORGANISM. J. D., Te Poi :—- I have some twenty pigs, varying in size from slips to young porkers, running on pasture and getting all the skim-milk they can drink, the milk being always fed sour and from twelve to twenty-four hours old ; condition of huts, &c., clean. Occasionally one or more of the pigs will break out into what appears to be ordinary boils, generally on the face but sometimes on a leg. These come up to a head, burst, and then quickly heal, just as a boil does on a human being. Should the affected pigs be isolated, and would medicine or a change of diet be beneficial ? All the pigs are fat and apparently full of health and vigour.. The Live-stock Division :— The trouble is apparently due to infection with a soil organism — Bacillus necrosis. This arises in the first instance through inoculation of some scratch or sore on the skin ; the discharge from the swelling which forms later may be infectious. In the circumstances, as the ground is infected, it is advisable to remove non-affected . pigs from this. place to clean sties, keeping the affected animals there until they are disposed of. Cleanliness and frequent disinfection of the sties must be observed in dealing with the trouble. The sores on affected pigs can be painted once or twice with tincture of iodine as an antiseptic measure. FOOT-TROUBLE IN SHEEP.' J. C., Eiffelton : — . ' ' My land is of a swampy nature and the pasture grows very rank. I always run crossbred sheep, but find difficulty in keeping their feet sound. After a line of sheep has been grazed at this time of the year and on through the winter, in about six to ■ eight weeks a little' fester or gathering starts at the top of the hoof between the toes. Could you recommend any preventive or cure for this trouble ? The Live-stock Division :— Swampy land frequently gives rise to either foot-rot or scalding between the toes of sheep. Long rank grasses irritate the softer structures between the toes, including the small duct (opening), which becomes covered over with dirt, &c., with consequent growth of bacteria and pus formation. Prevention would necessitate draining the swamp, which in your case may be impracticable. Treatment consists of cleansing the part and removing any foreign bodies. If only a few sheep are affected the parts may be painted with tincture of iodine,- using a stiff brush for the purpose. Where large numbers of sheep are affected the use of a race is advisable. In this race should be placed a trough containing a 5-per-cent. solution of bluestone (copper sulphate), Jib. to gallon of water, and through this the sheep should be slowly driven. 'Arsenic may also be used, but owing to its poisonous nature its use is not recommended. A paste made of one part bluestone, one part lard, and two parts of tar, carefully mixed over a slow fire, is also useful where only a few sheep are to be treated. DESTROYING WILLOWS IN A STREAM. K. L. Bedlington, Otorohanga : — ■’’ Could you inform me as to the best method for destroying willows in a stream ? • . The Horticulture Division — ' • The best method of destroying willows in a stream depends on'’ circumstances, concerning which you say nothing in this case. One method is to impregnate the trees at' this season with commercial sulphuric acid or any good weed-killer? The acid is introduced by means of auger-holes made low down in the butts. \

HORSE LICKING THE GROUND. E. T. Dean, Puhipuhi:— ' . Could you advise treatment of a horse, age about six years, that is constantly trying to eat soil ? The animal was in very poor condition last winter, but is fair now. She usually starts licking the ground when left standing with harness on. The Live-stock Division :— . The symptoms indicate the animal to be suffering from a form of gastric indigestion with acidity. . If possible, a change of pasture should be given: The following powder given once daily, mixed in a bran mash and continued. for a fortnight, should prove beneficial : Bicarbonate of soda, J oz. ; gentian, J oz. You should also place a lump of rock salt in a convenient place for the animal to lick. ■ CONTROL OF PENNYROYAL. W. J. Kairanga : — . ■ Please give me directions for destroying pennyroyal in pastoral land. The Live-stock .Division (Noxious-weeds Inspection) — Pennyroyal (Maniha pulegium), which is a perennial, and which thrives especially on heavy, damp land— especially sour landis somewhat difficult to eradicate by cutting, grubbing out, pulling up, and suchlike methods. Where the land is ploughable it is more . easily dealt with, as it can be worked out through a succession of crops. In 1917 a number of experiments for the control of pennyroyal were carried out at Awahuri, the net results of which were, in effect, that pennyroyal thrives best in wet, sour land (though it also grows fairly well on all classes of land), and to get rid of it wet places must be drained and steps taken to sweeten the land by liming and general cultivation. It was also demonstrated to be good practice to sow two good smother-crops, such as rape and green oats, before sowing down to pasture. Patches of pennyroyal showing in the new pasture may be killed by spraying with an arsenic and soda mixture, made up as follows : 1 lb. arsenic, 1 lb. caustic soda, 20 gallons water; the arsenic and soda to be boiled in 1 gallon of water until all ingredients are dissolved, and the balance of the water added before use. To clear this weed from unploughable land the same spray may be used. A heavy dressing of salt (1 to 2 tons per .acre) and most of the proprietary weed-destroyers will also kill pennyroyal, but the arsenic preparation has been found the cheapest. As the arsenic spray is poisonous, stock must be kept off the pasture until after a good rain. The arsenic spray is detrimental to clovers, but appears to have no ill effect on grasses. Salt is detrimental to both grass and clover, but probably would have a stimulating effect on next season’s growth of the pasture. • MARE FAILING TO BREED. ■ “ Clydesdale.” Hakaru :— I have a good type of farm mare, sixteen or seventeen years old, which has failed to breed recently. She had two foals in succession, but last year and this year failed to get in foal again. She was washed out with Lysol just before coming in season and just before putting her to the horse for the second time this year—quantity about one and a half teaspoonfuls to a quart of warm water. Can you advise me in the matter, as I am very anxious'to breed from her. If you recommend irrigation, will you state when to do either now or next season when I put her to the horse again, and whether it is to be done when she is in season or just before ? I have noticed her throwing out white matter when in season. She failed to breed to an old horse last year, so was put to a two-year-old draught this year, and is about the only failure. The Live-stock Division :— ' The symptom of a muco-purulent discharge at the period of heat points to the mare being affected with a catarrhal condition of the womb. This is seen occasionally in old mares, and is usually the cause of permanent sterility. The

infection probably dates from the last foaling. On account of the age of the mare, treatment is not likely to be successful. However, irrigation of the womb might be tried when. she is in season. For this purpose a solution, made by adding 2 oz. of Lugol’s solution of iodine to 5 pints of water should be used as a douche. This is to be carried out daily for two or three days. It is not advisable to irrigate before service with an antiseptic solution, but as acidity of the genital passage is frequently present in such cases it is often found beneficial to wash out with an alkaline solution ; 4 oz. of baking-soda dissolved in a gallon of water, used as a douche one hour before service, answers this purpose. Improvement in the mare’s condition by an extra allowance of nourishing food is essential. . OVERGROWN HOOF IN COW. S. Dennis, Glenroy : — I have a cow that has a hoof , which is overgrown in length and is inclined to crack more or less. This animal seems to be in pain, and has not done well for a long time. What is the best thing to do for it ? The Live-stock Division :— . The overgrowing of claws in cattle is very common where animals are grazed on soft land. The part of the claw which is overgrown may be removed, there being a special instrument for the purpose ; but, failing this, a pair of strong pruning-shears may be used. The cow must be fixed in a position so that the foot affected is easily manipulated, and the leg fixed by a leg-rope to prevent kicking. A portion of the horn is severed from the end of the claw with the shears, care being taken that the claw is not severed too far back or the sensitive tissues will be injured. Another method is to use a piece of board, a broad chisel, and a mallet. The board is placed under the claw, and the chisel where it is intended to cut off some of the horn. With a sharp blow from the mallet the claws can be severed. The only difficulties are the kicking of the cow and the possibility of cutting the claw too far back and severing the sensitive structures. The pain suffered by your cow is the result of the excessive strain, as also is the cracking, and it should ease on the removal of the growth of horn.