Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-03-29

a correspondent of the Augusta Hem,
Farm, writing on the foot and mouth disease
after visit to the infected section. make.
the following statements and suggestions:
Mr.. Smiths whole herd of eleven animal,
together with four hogs are suffering with the
disease. He has lost one calf. four days old
which is the only fatal case yet Thi. cal
was undoubtedly poisoned by drinking the
mix from its diseased mother There il ,
mystery a. to the way Mr.. Smiths cattle
caught the disease. They were not upon the
road at all and we're not within mile Of
eitner OF the other infected herds, so they
we're In no way exposed, to his knowledge.
me nrst sign of the disease in his herd made
us appearance upon COW. and he immediate
removed her to another part of the barn
as far from the other cattle as possible and for
while stayed It's advancement in the herd.
NOW while his COW and the other herds Al
first infected are apparently we'll, the balance
OF MS herd are just in the height of the dis
ease The only reasonable explanation |
have heard as to how Mr.. Smiths COW caught
the disease was by means of dog kept at the
United States quarantine. Now if dogs, cats
ana perhaps smaller animals such as rats and
hice carr this virus, thus spreading the dis
ease, can action be taken anv too quickly or
the work done too thoroughly? l understand
Gov. Robie has appointed two men as a COM
mittee to estimate or adjust damages-and
understand Mr.. Locke, one of this commit
tee, advised one of the sufferers to take all of
his dressing,pu it into tight boxes together
with lime and let ii remain a year to purify il
is II likely he or any of them will do il ?
These men are poor, they must raise crops
from which to get living. and they must
have dressing to do thi. with. Now Gov
Robie and Council unless you include this in
your estimate of damages and destroy it, it
will surely go upon their land this spring
Would it be expecting too much to ask you
to put all of this condemned hay. all of this
dressing which ought to be condemned into
these five harms and destroy the whole. burn
them all TO the ground? Would the tax-pay-
ers OF Maine complain because of an extra
tax of perhaps half cent each for such pur-
pose? Mr.. Smith is butcher and buys cattle
the year round. Mr. Rolfe does quite a busi-
ness buying and selling. As soon as their herds
are allowed out ofquarantine and are replaced
or partially so by other herds y isn't this
same thing Z ing to happen owe ain? Have
we any reason to expect differenti they put
stock into these same barns? This ase is
something new to US and we don't wi a more
extended acquaintance. If it is a fact that
the disease was carriad into Kansas as is now
supposed, by two Scotchmen direct from Scot
land. If it can be carried this distance and in
this way, dosen't it stand US in hand not to
be niggardly and count the cost, but to go at
it with determination to thoroughly expunge
it? And won't that be cheaper in the end? !?
The selectmen of Deering have prohibited
cattle from being driven over the road leading
from Tukev's bridge to the quarantine owing
to instructions from the Governor. This is a
necessary precautiOn and yet there is Mr..
Smiths manure heap where all the dogs in
the neighborhood can walk over it. He being
butcher and having three or four carts
standing about his premises, you can imagine
whether there would be any dogs about there
or not. Interested parties think the heavy
SHOWS for the past month have had much to
do in preventing the disease from spreading,
but as the SHOWS disappear the danger again
increases. Now all have to say gentlemen
is, don't half do this thing and then after
ward regret it, do it well so that you and all
those interested will be satisfied.