Kōrero: King Country region

Bush sickness

Bush sickness

Animals grazed on the volcanic pumice soils common in the King Country wasted away unless they were moved to pasture on different soil. In 1935 scientists discovered the cause of this 'bush sickness' was a deficiency of the mineral cobalt in the soil. In a 1939 experiment King Country pastures were treated with superphosphate and cobalt, and animals grazed on these treated pastures remained healthy.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

National Library of New Zealand, Papers Past
Reference: Evening Post, 24 November 1939, p. 15

Permission of the National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Te tuhi tohutoro mō tēnei whārangi:

Kerryn Pollock, 'King Country region - Farming, forestry and mining', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/mi/document/34861/bush-sickness (accessed 29 March 2024)

He kōrero nā Kerryn Pollock, updated 1 Mar 2015