Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-09-11
Daily Kennebec 3opr;,aI.
BOARD BULLETIN.
Beef Animal Principal Subject
For September.
Piof. Woods Condemns Use Of Form
aldehyde for Preserving Milk.
Secretary Mckeen Writes interestingly Re.
garding Value OF Manure on Farms.


distinct departure from the usual sub
jects of the bulletins 1t has for its
general subject the beef animal, and
contains Il number of very interesting
articles from different farmers about
the State regarding the raising of beef
animals. The general opinion seems to
be that there is room in our State for a
large development of the industry
without in any way encroaching upon
other lines of stock husbandry.
There can be no doubt but that in
localities untitled for dairying the beef
animal may be produced at a hand
some profit. And in nearly all sections
there are farmers so situated that they
may make the keeping of a farm team
Of oxen source of income.
In order to make beef growing a
specially the same attention to breed
characteristics and tendencies must be
observed as in dairying or other
branches of live stock growing. The
same conditions govern all classes
Having the requisite stock, which
must he chosen from among some of
the beef breeds, either in their purity
or as grades, the feeding may be done
'
growing and fitting beef stock and
working teams from the produce of the
farm alone, is a strong point in their
favor, and whenever the OK team can
be substituted for the extra horse there
can he no doubt Of the wisdom of so
doing.
The Cheapaess Of the outfit. the
smaller amount If grain necessary.
and the constant appreciation in value.
will materially aid in lessening the
cost Of production of the various crops.
AZ the present higher trend of prices is
likely 10 continue our farmers who are
favorahly situated will endeavor to in
crease their herds of beef animals.
This should not be done, however. by
working over dairy herds Beef grow
Hg and dairying must be kept distinct
" eparate. if best results in either are
~ be obtained. As we breed beef in.
We breed he dairy out. Two func-
tions SO diverse as flesh forming and
milk production cannot exist to perfec-
ton in the same animal. ana whenever
food is given To animals Of Indifferent
producing capacity there must Of
necessity be undue waste.
The Krnncbcc crop averages are
given as follows: Amount Of hay
crop 81 per cent. Condition of fruit,
- pcr cent Condition of the potato
crop. % per cent. Condition of the corn
crop: sweet. Sc per cent: yellow, 81 per
cent. Comparative acreage of each:
sweet. "A per cent; yellow 1902 per cent.
Much rust on potatoes reported, and
little rot
The State averages are: Amount of
hay Crop. Il per cent. Condition of
fruit. % per cent. Condition of the po-
tato crop. so per cent. Condition Of
corn crop: sweet. IS per cent: yellow,
u per cent. Comparative acreage of
each: Sweet. 50 per cent; yellow, 80
per cent Potatoes are generally re-
ported throughout the State as rustinS
quite badly. but not rotting to any ex-
tent.
The article on "Formaldehyde as a
Milk Preventative" by Director
Charles ID. Woods of the Maine Agri-
cultural Experiment Station is very
interesting. 1t follows: The Maine
Board OF Agriculture and the Main
Agricultural Experiment Station have
consistently and persistently opposed
the use Of personalities of any kind in
milk and cream. This opposition to
preservatives is based partly upon the
fact that it is an economical blunder
from the farmers standpoint to intro
ducc into dairy products any article
which shall bring them into disrepute,
and partly because personalities seem
to be prejudicial to health.
THE use of sugar and salt as anti
eeptics in the preservation Of foods IS
allowed by all states having pure food
laws. The use of all other materials
is prohibited by most state pure food
laws.
Recently two-column article APP
pcared in a leading Maine paper which
purports to be inspired by the health
officer of one of the Maine cities.
Without calling the material by name.
this article sanctions the use of form
aIGehyde in milk and cream. 1t is
hard to believe that the health officer
II question Can intelligent, practicing
nhysician) is correctly represented, as
the article is full Of misstatement of
fact
"Formaldehyde or formalin. made by
heating wood alcohol Vapor in a cur
rent of air. is a powerful disintectaht
and preservative. Its one per cent.
solution has been extensively used
particularly in Europe, as milk pre-
aervative. Sample bottles, containing
q weak solution of this material. nave
been sent to the station by cores
Dnndents at different times. under very
different names. In April last cor
respondent who sent sample TO US
said. The agent who gave il to me
claims it is entirely harmless ana is
being used by many of our cream ana
milk dealers and that lots of cream
cries are using it in shipping cream
and also they use it on the cream
routes when the cream comes long
way 50 as TO keep it sweet until It
gets to the factory.
Whether formaldehyde is or is not
poisonous in the amounts used IS not
! known. The same reasons that pre-
| clude boracic and salicylic acid apply
/ to this drug. 1t is a powerful antlsep-
tic and disinfectant. An English in
yestigator found that the treatment OF
milk with the formaldehyde formalin)
solution in the quantity prescribed by
| the vendors made the milk indigeSti-
BILE If it is used in the cream that Is
shipped into the Massachusetts mar
kets it will be detected by the in