The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-01-04
DAILY PRESS.
Monday Morning, January 4, 1862

CORTLAND


We believe it was the New York Tribune
that said: "Beef cattle from Kentucky have
been transported to Maine, and yet Maine
has twice as much pasture land as Kentucky,
or that which may be easily converted into
good pasture land" And thereby hangs
tale. 1t is true that our farmers do not raise
so much stock as they might, for Maine is an
excellent grazing State and capable OF sup
porting five times the stock it now feeds,-
But that is not the question we design to
discuss in this article. We wish to call the
attention of our farmers and members OF our
Legislature who are about to assemble tolook
after the interests of the State, to the pleuro-
pneumonia of cattle, which is daily acquiring
firmer hold on our country than many
dream of-especially the farmers OF Maine,
who as yet have not suffered so great losses
from this disease as the people of some other
States. And yet they are not out Of danger.
If it be a fact that cattle from Kentucky
and other States are coming within our bor-
ders, it is high time that we should be on the
lookout and our Legislature also should ex-
anime the subject and enact such laws as
may be deemed necessary to prevent the
spread of this dstemper among our cattle
An ounce of prevention is worth pound OF
cure.
A circular has been issued by an influential
body Of gentlemen from Westchester, Pa, in
which they say that the great increase of this
disease among cattle within few years past
,allc Far fIa IA of
of the public. They further say:
1t is a well known fact that the cupidity OF
many induces them, as soon as the disease de-
velops itself on their premises, to hurry off
their stock diseased as well as not diseased)
to the nearest droveyard, to be there sold for
whatever they will bring, to be either sold as
food or driven off to new ections, and there
to inject and poison other aninals with which
they may come in contact.
Now the New York Tribune very proper
ly asks what do Congress and our State Leg
iglatures intend doing under such circum-
stances? Can the Agricultural Department
eglect matter which concerns the whole
catte-producing regions of America! But
there are no funds appropriated for such
contingency, and hence the duty OF Congress
wv
son, if they would do something TO avoid the
great disasters which have fallen upon Eng
land and other European countries. Massa-
chusetts has set a good example for other
States to follow in exterminatng the conta-
gious germs of this terrible disease. We ap-
prehend that it is not matter of very great
difficulty to prevent the spreading of this
malady, if the subject is well discussed and
understood and reasonable means applied
True, there must be energetic action for a
time as the Tribune we'll suggests.
Because our State has escaped its severe
ravages thus far. it is no reason that her cat
tie will escape this disease. 1t was first
imported from England into New Jersey, and
a public spirited importer, says the Tribune,
at once sacrificed the whole of his stock to
prevent the spread of the disease. 1t then
appeared about three years later on Long
Island, and has without intermission sapped
the resources of the dairymen. 1t is well
known to many that Dutch cattle carried
the disease, the third time, into the Bay
State, but the people were awake to the dan
ger that threatened them and earnestly la
bored for its extinction. And they succeed
ed. Although Massachusetts, is now apparent
ly free from it, yet the germs of the disease
in Long Island have silently, insidiously, and
with unerring certainty diffused themselves
through the rich dairy districts in New York,
and thence through New Jersey to Pennsyl-
vania, Baltimore, Washington and Virginia.
Snow where all this will end we know not"
says the Tribune. But it is certain that un-
less Congress and State Legislatures inform
themselves of the extent of the ravages of
this disease and adopt some rational repres-
sive measures. the malady will soon reach
every part of this broad continent Thus it
will be seen that there is work for our Legis-
la.ure to do.
AGRIC0uA