St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-12-04
Cov1NGroN ST. TAMMANY PARISH SATURDAY,
UNCLE SANS MENAuERIE

UNCLE SANS MENAOERIE
masatainea at Agricultural OeDafes
meat for ExpePinental PeFDesess
It is not generally known that the d.
cartment of agriculture has . meca-
Rerie in connection with it, but such q
the case. The menagerie is not very
large one, nor does it contain any rare
or strange animals. Most of them are
Of the domestic variety. 1t is part OF
the division Of animal industry. and
the animals are used to develop interest.
Ing cases Of disease and to illustrate the
effects of an epidemic of particular
kind, which the division may wish to
experiment on with view to stamp
ing it out and to test various kinds Of
foods Of which . trial il thought to b
efEicacious.
Comprised in this collection OF AMI
mails are rats and mice, guinea pigs, rab.
BITS, different sorts of fowls, some cattle
and sheep, and q few others. The larger
Of the animals are kept at the breeding
place Of the department, on the Ben.
ming road, while others are domiciled in
the basement of the division Of animal
industry laboratory, near the bureau OF
engraving and printing. The division
breeds its own smaller animals, as in
this way, when it wisses to experiment.
1t is assured of having them free from
any contamination.
Down in the basement, under the
laboratory, which was visited recently
by Star reporter, were seen a number
Of coops and cages. in which wers
grouped guinea pigs. rabbits and chick
ems. The animals seemed to be perfect
" at home and formed seemingly
happy family, as some guinea pigs were
in the cage with rabbits. One of the lit
lie white and black creatures was nib
bling at the whiskers of a sleepy-look-
ing rabbit, which blinked conteutedly.
as il il enjoyed the operation or was too
lazy to resist any trespass on the part OF
the guinea pig.
A dilapidated-lookinA chicken, which
had much the same appearance as has
. tramp who has been forced to saw
wood for n meal at friendly inn,
rested on top Of a cage. The guinea
pigs seemed to be the life Of the place,
and ran in and out with apparently lit
tie or no concern whether SCHOOL kepu
or not"
On some of the cages where the rabs
bits were confined, printed in large
black letters, was the word "Rabies. :
Upon the cards also were the warnings
70 the attendants and others not to put
their hands in the cages. This meant
that the animals had been inoculated
with hydrophobia virus, and II was
therefore dangerous to handle the ami
mails. A further precaution taken IN
such cases, it is said, Is not to .iuoculats
animals carnivorous by nature. - they
tecome terribly ferocious, nor any AMI.
mails whose chief means of defense Il
by biting. A cat or dog. for instance
Will strive to bite when afflicted witt
the disease, while a rabbit, which il
purely a vegetarian, will simply mOp<
and die without making any resistance
In spite Of the fact that the sentence
Of death, and an awful one at that. waa
affixed to their cages, the rabbits did mol
appear 10 OS OtucIWISS tAIeu SA@&A10
and lively. and hoped nimbly about
their little quarters, and e6nducted
themselves in all respects after the man
ncr of their kind. All Of the animals ID
spected the visitors carefully. ~ II the1
| formed the most select and excluatDl
| community in the world. instead ot ON
which had been allotted to yielo ul
life for the benefit Of science. >
It was stated that one steer, whicl
had the ''blackleg." remained At one o
the experiment stations for about eigh
years, and the persons there really BE-
came attached to it. It is also trsdi
ton Of the division Of animal industr!
that two goats were once used for th
purpose of scientific experiment. Th'
trial was deemed to be most successful
in every particular, and wonderful re
suits were expected. when. unfortun
ately, the goats butted up against tn
wall Of death, and left yearning hope
behind. Warrington Star.