Abstract
THE recent announcement that the Agricultural Research Council has purchased from Mr. Alfred Barclay the Compton Manor Estate on the Berkshire Downs will be welcomed by farmers and others having an interest in the well-being of agriculture and particularly the livestock side of the industry. In addition to the purchase of the land, the Council has arranged to buy the well-known pedigree herds of Ayrshire, Friesian and Guernsey cattle and also the herd of Large White pigs. A field station is to be established at Compton Manor primarily for investigation of problems of animal health and disease. Farmers, veterinarians,and all workers in any branch of animal husbandry or nutrition will agree that a development of this nature is long overdue. Material advance has been made in recent years in our knowledge of the breeding and feeding of farm livestock, and while admitting that important advances in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of many diseases have been made, it is unfortunately only too true that there are still diseases, of wide incidence and causing enormous loss, of which very little is known in the way of treatment. Until these diseases can be controlled or cured, the potential gain which could be derived from the existing knowledge of nutrition and breeding is very seriously curtailed. The Council's announcement mentions two such diseases on which it is proposed work should commence immediately, namely, contagious abortion in cattle and fowl paralysis in poultry stocks. A bad attack of either may seriously interfere with progress which has been made over years of constructive breeding and successful feeding and management.
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Compton Manor Estate: Veterinary Field Station. Nature 140, 718 (1937). https://doi.org/10.1038/140718a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/140718a0