The Somerset reporter., 1906-04-26
go Cows Diseased
Startling Condition of One of the Finett
Herds in the tat Discovered by
Examination.


Herds in the tste Discovered by
Examination.
On the heels Of the agitation in Port
land over the milk supply Of that city
and that danger of the product coming
from tuberculous COWS, comes the start
ling news that on Thursday last 90 of
the splendid herd of IS head of cattle
at the Carr bassett stock farm in North
Arson, were found to be diseased and
ordered killed by the State Cattle com
mission.
No such wholesale slaughter of cows
has been known in the state for a long
time on account OF the dread disease,
which makes every farmer fearful and
the people 80 filed with alarm.
Hon. = o. Beal, chairman of the
cattle commission, was seen at the Ban
gor House by Commercial reporter
on Monday and stated that the report OF
the Carrabasset trouble was true.
II went over there on Thursday"
said Com'r Beal, lin response to a call
and found that the herd, which contains
SO head, Holsteins, Jerseys and Guern
seys, had been examined by veterinary,
and that 90 of them had been found af
flicted with tuberculosis. They were all
killed at once.
The Carrabasset farm at North An
son is one of the finest in the state.
The barn there where the cattle were
stabbed, is one of the finest | ever saw.
1t ID large, light, airy and clean as a
kitchen 1t is sheathed throughout in
pine and the sanitary arrangements are
perfect. 1t is the last place IN the world
one would expect to find diseased cattle,
yet you see what was there
1.-THE trouble" said Mr. Beal, Origi-
mated from two thoroughbred Jersey
heifers which we're brought to the farm
three years ago from North Carolina
They were splendid looking cattle, and
were supposed to be perfect in every
way. 1t was year before they were
used for breeding, and it was not until
sometime after the trouble began to
manifest itself. One or two cows sick
ened and were killed but even then the
the trouble was not believed to be tuber-
culosis, being attributed to other causes.
Later on another COW died, and recently
the owners of the farm were forced to
suspect that tuberculosis was affecting
the herd. They arranged for a test to
be made, and the surprising result was
that all but 10 of that magnificent herd
of SO we're found to be diseased
There were 2e thoroughbreds in the
original herd and the rest were raised
from them. They were very handsome
cattle, and one Holstein bull, was one of
the finest animals | ever saw, weighing a
ton. There were ten of the cows which
could not be appraised, not having been
in the state the required three years.
On the rest the state will have to pay
one-half the appraised value
SIX MORE IN SOMERSET.
"This morning." continued MIR. Beal,
~ received telephone message from
Somerset county from one of the farms
there that ak more had been found aud
condemned, and that they were all
calved from the Carrabaset herd, SO
you can see how the disease will spread
If not nipped in the bud
"If we had had the law when these
two Jersey heifers we're brought here
that we have now, those 90 cattle would
have been saved. Now when thorough
bred cattle are bought outside the state
for breeding purposes they cannot be
brought here until examined and GER
tificate is issued by the cattle commits
sioners. This, l believe, is the best
possible law for keeping disease out of
the state and nipping the thing in the
bud. If tuberculosis is not bred in
the states cattle it will gain but little
foothold. The farmers themselves are
cooperating with us in almost every in
stance since they are glad to do any
thing they can to keep the disease out.
The Carrabasset people are to purchase
100 head of COWS but any that are
bought outside will be inspected before
they are accepted. Since the law was
passed by the last Legislature we have
condemned and killed % thoroughbreds
which were being brought into the state,
and these if not discovered in time
would probably have communicated the
disease to fully 500 head before it was
found out.