Nov. 2, 1920.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 813 



of drought. A gradual impoverishment of many of the grazing lands is 

 thus taking place, and with that impoverishment will come an increase in 

 disease. 



The addition of artificially-grown food to the natural pastures must be 

 made if this is to be prevented, and will be required sooner in some parts of 

 the State than others, according to the natural fertility of the country, and 

 the length of time it has been grazed. Those food constituents which are 

 most likely to be wanting are the proteins and mineral salts, and in 

 supplying the former the very great value of the legumes —lucerne, clover, 

 trefoil, and peas — should always be borne in mind. The mineral salts most 

 lacking will be lime salts and phosphates. For the former the leguminous 

 plants are again of high value, and for the latter bran and the oilcakes and 

 meals are useful. 



It will be remarked that these diseases are really in contrast to the 

 diseases in horses, which are nearly all due to errors in methods of feeding. 



Poisoning. — Although often reported, poisoning in cattle is seldom proved, 

 but a few of our native and introduced plants must be held responsible for 

 mortality at times. As instances, sorghum, blue couch, rosewood, and 

 possibly others at times kill by the formation of prussic acid ; certain types 

 of Darling pea cause the well known symptom of a pea-stricken animal ; 

 burrawang leads to a peculiar nervous condition commonly, but erroneously, 

 called rickets ; the cape tulip will at times kill cattle unaccustomed to it, 

 and there are many plants which require further investigation before definite 

 pronouncement can be made as to their toxic properties. 



Prevention in all such cases is the obvious course, but this is at times 

 impossible, or nearly so. Only with regard to the prussic acid forming 

 plants can effective measures be taken. If cut and dried they are practi- 

 cally harmless, whereas they are most dangerous in young, quick growth, and 

 when stunted and growing up after once being eaten off". 



Indigestion in Calves. — Owing to the ai-tificial manner in which most calves 

 in dairying districts are reared, indigestion and its consequences, general 

 unthriftiness, diarrhoea, and stunted growth are very common ; these troubles 

 may be due to any one or combination of the following causes: — Oveiloading 

 the very young animal's stomach through endeavouring to give sufficient 

 nourishment to cause it to thrive in too few feeds ; replacing full milk with 

 skim milk or milk substitutes too early or too suddenly ; gi^'ing the feed cold 

 or only slightly warmed instead of at the normal temperature of milk fresh 

 from the cow ; sudden changes of food, as from skim milk to substitutes, and 

 back again"; so feeding a bunch of calves that the little animals gulp it down 

 as quickly as possible to prevent others from getting it ; and giving such a 

 small ration that the calves are driven to eating rough forage, and hay, &c., 

 at too early an age. 



In order to prevent disease in calves from improper feeding the following 

 points require attention :— Cleanliness in feeding, which should preferably be 

 from metal receptacles which can be scalded out ; separate feeding of the calves 



