The Marshall republican., 1909-09-24

prevalent, and OF course When L
detected the disease from a. physi-
cal examination the tuberculin test
was required, and from these tests
l soon realized that physical exam
nations were really Of little prac-
teal value, for many animals show
ing no evidence of disease OF such
an examination, would react when
tested, and in many cases on post
norton would prove to be quite
badly diseased.
Finally our board in February of
last year passed resolutions e
luiring ali cattle furnishing milk
to the city to be tuberculin tested.
The first tests made were those
of herds we had reason to suspect,
and in some of these the percent
age of diseased animals was very
high, but the average of all those
tested by me the past year was 81
per cent, and l think this will still
be about the percentage among
the cattle, still INFESTED in the
vicinity of Fulton. For while over
so per cent of the herd tested prov
ed to be free from the disease some
OF the others were SO badly affect
ed as to make the percentage on
the, whole number pretty high al
though not near as high as is claim
ed by some other localities.
OF the number condemned, by
far the largest part were condem-
ned last winter, and as you know
the Department Of Agriculture at
that time had no money to pay for
condemned animals, and our board
of course, could not compel their
destruction.
However most of them were kill
ed under inspection and probably
two-thirds were passed AS fit for
market and the meat sold; The
balance were destroyed, except in
a few instances when the owner
refused; milk from these herds
was not allowed to be sold for city
consumption. However this did
not cause the any great
hardships, as the local creameries,
cheese factories and milk stations
shipping milk to New York stood
ready to take the milk without
asking any embarrassing question.
Now as to results obtained. At
present our city milk supply is
absolutely free from none but.
tuberculin tested animals, except
now and then a peddler owing to
scarcity of milk at this season has
had to take on a new dairy, in
such cases il this consists Of I'M
tested cattle, we require that they
be tested within ten days, or that
the board of health has the owners
written application for the test to
be made by the Stale Department.
In addition, our board has adopted
the card system of scoring, re-
1uiring a score of go per cenS. 20
admit the milk for sale in the city.
They also require each dairyman
to post in his dairy, a card 1Ox15 in.
containing the rules and regula-
lions of the board of health gov
erning the milk supply of the city.
Three years ago it was a rare
thing to find a dairy that would
score above 10, but at present there
are very few scoring less than that
the larger part scoring nearer 80,
a number between 80 and 80, and
a few above 90; the highest score
is 95. While we have no model
diaries producing certified milk, I
think our milk supply is above the
average in the state, and l believe
Fulton is the only city in New
York State receiving only milk
from tuberculin tested cows. How
ever there are results extending
beyond our citySlimits.
AS l before stated, n result is
to drive the owner of diseased
and suspected cattle to take their
milk to the creameries, cheese fac
tories and milk stations. These
places are no doubt at present re-
ceiving milk from a larger percent
age of diseased cattle than ever
before, and when they once awak-
en- to the facts, they too will no
doubt require closer inspection and
accord less weight to the results of
a physical examination. Another
favorable result is that our dairy
men are becoming more cautious
in purchasing cattle, doing SC only
when the animals pass the tuber-
cuhn test.
/ believe there should be a law
In this state similar to that of two
or three other states, requiring
all cheese and butter factories that
return skinned milk to the dairy
L.. ~ Sluak a,hlanf a..nh poilk r.