The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-01-02
b. ard OF Agriculture.

ID dIu vi hSilCultulOs
The Vermont State Board met at
the Van Ness House, Burlington, VT,
Wednesday evening, December 5, for
organization and to consider and plan
their seasons work. The full board
was present, including President Buck
ham and Governor Woodbury.. The
organization was made by electing G.
M. Wiuslow of Brandon, secretary, and
V. l. Spear of Braintree, statistical sec
rotary. The general plan of institute
work followed in the past, which has
given two institutes of Two days each
every week, was considered satisfactory
and will be continued; also the policy
of holding single-day meetings in the
smaller towns, attended by a portion
of the board, was approved and will be
continued wherever practicable this
season. II was voted TO continue the
collecting and publishing of statistics
relating to the various industrial inter-
ests of the state, and advertising the
opportunities thai Vermont offers for
the investment of capital and for the
employment of labor.
The matter of greatest importance
that came before the meeting was the
position the board were to take with
reference to the law recently passed
by the legislature on contagious cattle
diseases, and especially tuberculosis. 1t
was decided that the situation required
that quarantine be established along
the borders of the state, and it was
voted that thi' be done when the law
goes into effect, February l, 1895. I'm
der this quarantine, cattle coming into
the state to remain here will be SUBJ
jected to an examination, and, when
thought necessary, will be tested with
tuberculin. 1t was voted that applica-
tions for testing herds in the state be
referred to the board for action, and
the applications will be acted upon in
the order that the public good seems
to demand. 1t was voted to investi-
gate herds in the state on the applica-
ton of boards of health, selectmen or
petition signed by six citizens; and if,
upon investigation, cattle are found
infected with contagious disease, they
and their products will be quarantined
until such cause is removed.
On Thursday and Friday, an insti-
tute was held at South Burlington.
This meeting was not very largely at
tended. The business of the farmers
in this locality is largely the raising of
vegetables for the city of Burlington,
and they therefore have different inter-
ests than the ordinary Vermont farmer.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Deem
Der IL and II, an institute was held at
Franklin. The hall was we'll filled al
the opening of the meetings by the
farmers of Franklin and adjoining
towns. The subject for discussion at
the morning session was Tuberculo-
sis" and was treated by Mr.. Winslow.
He said that what many people were
calling new disease by the name of
tuberculosis was, in reality, very old
disease which has been known since
before the Christian era, and that laws
were enacted to suppress it as far back
as the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
it Ia only the name that is new. Con
sumption, of which it is one of the
forms, is a disease known for a long
time among both men and animals. Il
may be said that tuberculosis is con
sumption, but consumption is not al
ways tuberculous. The fears of thu
people have been unduly excited, a.
there is no evidence that the disease il
more common now than for some time
past. Now we are able usually to de
tect it by the use of tuberculin. For
merly we had no certain means of de
tecting it. In reference to the tuber
culn test, he said it was a valuable
diagnostic agent, but did not conside
it absolutely infallible. 1t does no
show the extent of the disease, blu
simply reveals whether or not it i
present Did not think its use upol
healthy animals would have any iDjuri
Gus effect; but animals having the dis
ease fail much more rapidly after tubel
cuin has been applied. In referenc
to the danger to the public health fror
consuming milk or meat of tuberculou
animals, he said that data from invest
cations are not yet sufficiently full
answer this question fully. 1t has bee
shown that the disease may be con
municated TO other animals by inOculf
ton with the milk of tuberculous an
mails, and it is believed that it may
communicated to human beings If the
are predisposed to the disease. Youn
children and people with consumptiv
tendencies are most likely to take |
and when there is any doubt as to tt
meat and milk which are to be col
sumed, they should be made safe. I'll