The Minister, who has consistently denied that he has done anything wrong as feeding
bonemeal to animals is not illegal, faced repeated calls for his resignation yesterday.
A This problem, bitter pit, is caused by calcium deficiency and can be improved by feeding the tree with a few handfuls of a general fertiliser such as blood, fish and
bonemeal or National Growmore during mild weather in winter, then hoeing in a dressing of lime in early spring.
Mix plenty of well-rotted garden compost and a handful of
bonemeal into the back fill and firm in layers with the heel of your boot to ensure stability.
He said: 'I think the concern at the moment that we have is cross-contamination of feedstuffs which have been imported into Britain and so there is still a possibility that one could get cross-contamination in the holds of ships and so on, because meat and
bonemeal has been traded around the world and we know that a certain number of countries actually do have it (BSE).' Later Tim Miles, chief veterinary surgeon at the Meat and Livestock Commission, said: 'On the one hand this is very good news for exports of embryos.
But there was anger at the decision to delay introducing a temporary ban on feeding meat and
bonemeal to any animals until January 1.
Scatter blood, fish and
bonemeal on the soil between plants and top-dress with manure or garden compost.
Apply a sprinkling of Growmore or blood, fish and
bonemeal in the top few inches to feed the emerging roots with essential nutrients.
Scientists believe cattle are more likely to have been exposed to BSE if they were born before August 1996 when a complete ban on feeding meat and
bonemeal to farm animals was introduced.
As superphosphate and
bonemeal, it is applied where carrots and parsnips are to be grown.
Fill the pit with soil that has been enriched with plenty of organic matter and
bonemeal.
Silage is not allowed to leach into the soil, cows eat farm-produced hay in twice the room given to UK dairy stock, herbivores are not offered
bonemeal from dead and diseased relatives and pigs get straw to lie on with their tails intact.
Scientists who have warned against using
bonemeal as fodder don't know how far BSE will spread.