teart

— Abstract: The novelty of the subject matter and the fact that the information is conveyed in the form of a bulletin addressed to farmers, pending later publication of further experimental data in the scientific press, justifies a lengthy abstract for readers of the Veterinary Bulletin. The local word "teart" (i.e. tart) is applied to land and pastures [in Somerset, Warwickshire, and Gloucestershire] upon which severe scouring occurs in grazing ruminants, particularly cows in milk and young stock. Sheep are less affected, and horses and pigs appear to be unaffected. […] Most affected farms contain both teart and non-teart land and the degree of "teartness" varies with season and from field to field. […] The cause of teartness is traced to the presence of molybdenum in the herbage in amounts varying from 20-100 p.p.m. of the dry matter, and the degree of teartness is roughly proportional to the molybdenum content, particularly to the amount in water-soluble form. Of the total molybdenum present, about 80% is soluble in the case of green grass, about 40% in the case of hay, and 10% in the case of moribund winter herbage. Hence growing pastures may be teart even when cut hay is not. […] [Various ameliorants are available but] Wherever possible, however, it is advisable to convert teart pastures to arable land. [H.H. Green, abstracter, in an abstract of a forthcoming bulletin from Imperial Chemical Industries.]