Life Sciences Commons^™

Deferred Grazing : What It May Mean In The Mulga Region, W M. Nunn

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE practice of deferred grazing has been written up in American textbooks and has been applied effectively to sections of the cattle range lands of the United States.

Early attempts to apply the principle in eastern Australia were not very successful, and it remained for our Departmental workers in the North-West and Kimberley Divisions to demonstrate the phenomenal results that could be obtained on grasslands in summer rainfall areas.

Beef Growth Rate Studies : Wokalup Research Station, Maurice C. Cullity

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Comparison of Growth Rates on Irrigated and Unirrigated Pastures of Two Year Old and Yearling Beef Dairy Crosses and of Yearling Jersey Steers.

Bracken Poisoning In Cattle, P B. Lewis

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE ingestion of bracken fern causes the death of numbers of young cattle in the South-West of Western Australia every year.

Early experimental work in the United Kingdom demonstrated that bracken contained an anti-Vitamin Bl factor called thiaminase which was thought to be the cause of the poisoning, but later work indicated that a bone marrow poisoning, not yet chemically identified, was responsible.

Zamia Palm Poisoning, F C. Wilkinson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE Zamia palm (Macrozamia Reidlei) is a common plant in the jarrah and karri forest country and on the coastal plains and is one of the earliest recorded Australian poison plants.

Brucellosis Can Cause Contagious Abortion In Cattle And Undulant Fever In Man, F C. Wilkinson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

WHEN the cow, shown in the accompanying photograph, was purchased it had a small fluid-filled lump on the left knee.

The swelling did not appear to be painful but gradually increased in size until it assumed the proportions shown in the picture.

It was a typical case of "big-knee," one of the less common manifestations of Brucellosis—the disease commonly known as contagious abortion—and a blood test of the animal confirmed the diagnosis.

Cattle Lice : Spray Now For Prevention, F C. Wilkinson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

ALTHOUGH lice infestation can occur in any season of the year, the heaviest infestations are found during the winter.

This build up of lice infestation normally starts in the autumn but if the cattle are treated by spraying at this period, the majority of the lice are killed and the build up is prevented.

Thus the old saying "Prevention is better than cure" certainly applies with regard to cattle lice.