The Washington times., 1902-01-09
DR.. Richardson Defends His
Dairy Farm.
NO DISEASE PREVALENT In HERD.
Superintendent of Government Hos
pitaI for the Insane Takes Excep-
tiOn to DIR. EmmOns' Statements
That nm Impure Article Is Fed to
Inmates of the InstitutiOn.

lege of Veterinary Surgeons, at a class
meeting that impure milk constituted a
part of the daily diet Of the 1000 and
more inmates of the Government Hospital
for the Insane were yesterday most en-
phatically denied by DR.. A. B. Richard
son, the superintendent of the institution.
Holds MIX Is Impure.
DR.. Emmons said that he based his
statements on personal investigation
which he had made at the dairy farm of
the institution, and that the conditions he
had found to exist, separately and col.
lectively, were sufficient to demonstrate
that the milk produced by the herd OF bo-
vines at st. Elizabeth's Hospital was i'm
pure. The conditions in detail follow:
First-That the dairy farm at the Gov
ernment Hospital for the Insane is
operated contrary to the laws of the Dis
trict of Columbia. in that hogs are main
tanned in the immediate vicinity of the
COW sheds.
Second-That the excrement of the herd
at the dairy farm is stored underneath the
sheds.
Third-That there is not sufficient
light or ventilation in the COW sheds.
Fourth-That contagious abortion exists
among the herd on account of these con-
ditions.
Fifth-That there is heavy mortality
among the herd.
Sixth-That the herd suffers from in
fammation of the stomach, resulting from
bad feed.
Seventh-That the milk is stored in th>
same building in which the bovines are
herded.
Eighth-That there is a surface drain
age, due to certain soil conditions. which
drains into the village of Hillsdale, hall
a mile away.
A Times reporter went out to the Gov
ernment Hospital for the Insane yesterday
afternoon. and having been conducted
through the dairy farm by Dr. Richardson,
heard fis side of the story.
Best of Sanitary Conditions.
Not only do the best sanitary conditions
prevail in the COW Sheds" said DR.. Rich
ardson. but the herd is as healthy a one
as can be found throughout the country
The milk is also pure. and instead of being
stored in the same building in which the
COWS are herded, is taken to a cold storage
room, IN the general storeroom on the
reservation, half an hour after the herd has
been milked. The storeroom is situated
fully mile from the COW sheds.
''As YOU can see the COW sheds are well
ventilated, there being window on both
sides of the building to every third STALL
and windows in the basement, the latter
an Improvement that i personally ordered
when became superintendent of the insti-
tuition. The basement is separated from the
cow sheds proper by a double oak flooring.
while the flooring Of the basement is OF
cement.
An Experienced Dairyman.
THE dairy farm is in charge of Mr.
]. T. Dietrich, CT Wisconsin, an expert
enced dairyman, who was recommended to
me by Prof. Henry, one of the best au-
thorities on dairy farms and how they
should be conducted in the country.
las you will notice, the herd is careful
ly groomed. the stalls are clean, ard
every cow has an individual feed box,
the common feed trough having been abol-
ished TO eliminate the danger of one COW
communicating another. There are also
partitions between every stall as a fur
ther preventive against infection.
Best of Feed Is Used.
LAS to the herd suffering from inGam-
nation of the stomach as the result of
bad feed, the COWS are fed mixture CT
corn meal, bran, oil meal cake. and dried
brewers grain, one of the best mixtures
known to dairymen, ensilage, hay. and
fodder. There is also a silo with a capac-
ity of 200 tons of ensilage, and during
the coming summer two more slos will
be built, so that a quantity of green feed
Sufficient to last throughout the winter
months can be stored.
Every COW in the herd is numbered.
and the amount of feed given each in
dvidual COW is proportioned by it's size
and the amount of milk it is giving. The
feed is put into the boxes in dry state.
which keeps the boxing from becoming
sour. When the weather does not admit
of the herd being turned out into the
yard, the cows are taken out of the sheds
twice day for water.
Some Registered stock.
THE cows in the herd quartered in the
COW shed number 1l2, there being among
that number some registered full -blooded
Jerseys and Devonshires. The three bu.,
represent a Holstein, a registered Ayr
shire. and registered Devonshire.
After the herd has been MIXED. the
product is taken to the dairy room, where
1t rs run through cooling apparatus. TO
take away the animal heat. 1t is then
carted to the cold storage in the general
where the temperature is
kept at 32 degrees during the winter and
at from Sc to 40 degrees during the sum
mer months.
Herd Watched at Night.
"A night watchman is kept at the sheds
during the night, whose business it is to
look after the welfare of the herd, and
keep the stalls free from excrement.
The eXcrement is dropped into the base
ment by means of trap doors at the foot |
or each stall. The eXcrement is never
allowed 20 accumulate in the basement.
being carted away two or three times a |
week and used for fertilizing purposes
THE health of the herd is under the |
direct supervision of DR.. J. p Turner. a !
veterinary surgeon. When new COWS are |
introduced into the herd they are first
subjected to tuberculne test by DIR.
Turner. AS the result of such tests. and
the care taken of the herd by MIR. Diet |
rich, | am willing to put the herd up |