Norwich bulletin., 1914-11-19
The Hoof and Mouth Disease.


 The discovery of the Hoof and Mouth disease in Connecticut requires the interest and responsibility of ev- cry cattle owner in this county. Thus it is recommended that diary and stock men" be extremely careful iR buying and selling, if they do any, for the next month or at least until the dis ease is under control. This disastrous effects that it has had in other couI- tries can only serve to impress us with the importance of the quick Su- pression of this disease. Thousands of dollars have been lost and although the mortality of the disease is not large the effect of the individual which is producing milk is large. English authorities estimate that every milch COW or feeder will lose S20 per head even though it recovers. Thus many thousands of dollars could easily oe lost in New London and other counties of our state if such conditions spread the disease.
 This disease affects cattle, hogs, sheep and even man is not immune Dogs, cats and poultry which have access to the barn yards furnish an ex- | cellent means of transmission of the | disease. Probably the symptoms are ! familiar but in brief they are; first the animal experiences a chill, quickly fol- lowed by a fever. Following this m | one or two days 1t will be noticed that small veSicles or eruptionS will be
 
 | of the mouth at the border and upper | surface of the tongue near the tip, the | inside of the cheeks, on the gums, and | the inner surface of the lips. Then | there is noticed considerable swelling and soreness in the feet and these | eruptions usually spread to the teats | and udder. The animal drules at the | mouth and is loath to eat as 1t gives | much pain.
 | The duration of the attack varies | different nil In days are usually required for the re- covery of the normal appetite and spirits in mild outbreaks, while the return to a full flow of milk in the case of milch cows is seldom wit messed until the following season. 1 Great care should be taken to keep healthy animals from exposure to the disease. Farmers having any indica- tion of the disease should immediate,z- call some authority, so that quick ac- tion may save a great loss to the gen. | eral public. Our greatest hope lies in confining the disease and preventing 1 the spread.
 Alfalfa Prohibited from Coming into County.
 Owing to the fact that the Hoof and 1 Mouth disease is prevelant in New York state the authorities have pro- hibited the agent from bringing in th alfalfa hay that he was about to order for some of the farmers in this vicin- ity. While this hay is coming from an uninfected community 1t was thought best to defer shipment until this dis
 ease is under better control. cowing Testing Association. After several days work in Lebanon Franklin and the vicinity a COW test i ing association seems assured. Al ready Is men have signed the con- tract and that leaves only 10 more tc be secured to complete the list MT
 Fergus from the Dairy division of the l U. $. Department of Agriculture has been working with the agent in this connection and plans to have the or. ; ganization completed by the end of tn $ l week. As soon as is possible another
 meeting will be held to elect officers Ot , the association and to arrange for the hiring of the COW tester. The Cow } tester will probably assume duties , about the first of January.
 The 26 heards in the association } will be visited by this man once z
 month. The two milkings of eact
 COW in the farmers herd will be
 weighed and also the grain ar,
 roughage. These figures will all b.
 tabulated in books furnished by tn, f government and at the end of thC
 year the farmer will have a complet,
 record Of what each COW in the he.c
 has done.
 In this way we can eliminate th,
 robber COWS. raise the heifers from on , best producing cows and by feedins 3 economical rations which the GOV ! tester will help the farmer work ou f and also by buying our grain togethe, 2 we can perhaps put the dairy industr, F or that community on a paying bass I Great results have followed from othe