The Portland daily press., 1896-04-29
MAINE CATTLE.
How They Are Being Kept Free
From Disease.
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE STATE
COMMISSIONERS.

The Quarantine Against Massachusetts
Cattle-Regulations Now in Force and
How They WorK-Ihe Examination of
the Herds That Supply Portland With
Milk.
The annual report Of tho State Board
of Cattle Com missioners, DR.. G. W. H.
Bailey and Messrs. +. q. Beale and
Thomas Daggett, which has just been
completed, is document which contains
good deal Of timely information on the
steps taken to prevent the introduction of
diseased cattle into Maine, steps in line
with those of previous years which have
given Maine cattle an enviable reputa-
ton among farmers and dealers in other
states. The report, after reviewing in de-
tail, the years work of the commission
ers, says:
A summary of the business of the year
will show that the commissioners made
two hundred and twenty eight inspec-
tions of horses and cattle during the year
| just closed, scattered all over the state
| from Kittery to the Aroostook, and from
Of inspections is largely in excess Of any
| previous year, and while the total number
| OF animals condemned Is approximately
| the same, the demands upon the board for
| inspections has increased out of all pro-
| portion to the annual amount of appro-
| priation heretofore made to carry on the
work, and which must be increased if the
same vigilance and control of the oontag
| ious diseases of horses and cattle in this
state is to be exercised in the future as in
| the past.
| Forty three head of horses were con-
demned and destroyed at an appraisal of
| 81, 927. 80. and seventy nine head of cattle
| were also condemned and destroyed at an
appraisal of 50, 459, the total amount of
appraisals for, the year being 81, 1856.
The number of horses found to be af-
fected with CHAMBERS is twenty-one less
than in 1894, while the number of cattle
affected with tuberculosis is twenty three
more, which represents almost the exact
nun Der found in the two herds at New
Gloucester, which were discovered
towards the very latter part of the year,
could be clearly traced to the introduce
tion of new animals from herds in which
diseased animals had previously been
found and destroyed by the cattle COM
missioners.
Our quarantine against Massachusetts
is still in force and was supplemented on
November 18TH 1895, by another much
more sweeping in its provisions, and
which had become absolutely necessary,
not only to provide against
CATTLE FROM MASSACHUSETTS
coming here in violation of our quaran-
tine regulations, (Which had occurred in
several instanoes) but also to prevent
droves and car loads of cattle coming into
Maine from other infected states, without
any permit, or without having been sub
mitted to tuberculous tests, which latter
requirement has since been adopted and
agreed to by all the boards of cattIe COM
missioners Of the New England States in
convention at Providence, K. l., Novem.
Der 2t0h to 23d, 1895.
The Interstate regulation then agreed
upon, provides: All cattle transported
from one state to another, shall have first
been tested with tuberculin by some
graduate of veterinary surgery and med
1oine, whose competency and honesty has
boon voucEed for by the cattle commits
sioners of their respective states, and upon
the receipt of such proof sheets as are sat-
isfactory to the state boards, permit is
granted to the owner and no delay is
then caused in shipping such animals to
their destination. The permit thus
granted accompanies the way-bill from
the point OF shipment, and unless such
permit is furnished to the railroad or
steamboat agents, no cattle will in the
future be accepted for transportation. 1t
will be seen by reference to section z,
chapter III of the Maine Law, that such
Transportation companies are held respon-
sible for all such shipments.
AS regards our first quarantine against
Mpcsa ChlI GaTta a fpyp re- nf oh
COWS have been made from that state,
that owing to some carelessness or lack
of proper instructions upon the part of
some owner or agent, have arrived in
Maine without such permit. have been
received by the Maine Central road only
to be promptly side-traoked at the quar-
antine stations at Westbrook Junction, to
be held at owners expense until 1T could
be proved they were not diseased, and af-
forwards forwarded to their destination,
The case referred to in our biennial re-
port of 1894 where three COWS came from
Beverly, Mass, without any permit, and
were tested by our board, and one of them
found to be badly diseased, was destroyed
without compensation to the owner, has
found its counterpart during the past
year In another COW shipped July Sd, from
Lawrence, Mass, en- route for Ellsworth,
Me. No permit accompanied this case
and she was held in quarantine until the
owner could be notified, and after he had
been found and absolutely refused to
comply with our state law, the COW was
tested with tuberoulin and proved to be
diseased, and on July Both she was de-
stroyed, the post-mortem disclosing an
advanced stage of pulmonary tuberculo-
sis.
We are constantly in receipt of letters
asking for information in regard to
BRINGING CATTLE INTO MAINE.
(ohiefy for breeding purposes) and it
will be necessary in the future to have
all suoh cattle properly tested with tuber-
culin and the proof of such tests furnished
some member of our board, when If ap-
proved, permit will be granted to the
owner, which will insure his cattle not
only to be accepted by the transportation
agent of any company whose terminus Is
In Maine, but will ensure no eten tion
while en- route to their destination. A
single case in point will fully illustrate
the Importance of such requirement.
A gentleman owning prominent herd
of thoroughbred cattle in this state re-
Gently selected six head of high priced
COWS in Connecticut to increase his herd,
i o. m fUNE