Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-02-16

mark price. Many of our grade cows
have been sold for prices varying from
$75 to 500.
Upon their arrival in Brighton they are
tested with tuberculin.
During the year 5572 milch cows were
shipped and tested; only 1856 reacted and
were condemned. These 5572 head of cat
tie, have reason to believe, came from
as many different and scattered herds
throughout the State. From this source
of information one might form an opinion
of the percentage of tuberculosis in our
dairies in Maine, which figures about q
per cent.
BY deducting 5572 milch cows from the
total number of cattle shipped to Massa-
chusetts, which numbers to s1S, ,152, it will
leave a balance of 1880 head Of cattle
which were sold for beef.
Contagious Diseases in Maine.
Each state in the union has its own
problem to solve. In this State we have
only four classes of infectious diseases
to combat with-tuberculosis, glanders,
hog cholera and contagious abortion.
For tuberculosis and glanders we have
established policies, all cases are con-
demned and destroyed.
In hog cholera, which disease exists to
a certain extent, new policy has been
followed during the year, consisting OF
treating infected herds with serum, the
State furnishing the serum. The policy
is experimental while we feel that 1t is
the right move at the present time it
might be changed in the future, accord
In contagious abortion we have prob
lem which is far from being solved. Sew
eral State commissions and our bureau
of animal ind astry in Washington are
at work on the subject. Let us hope that
they will succeed in their research and
come to our assistance
In this report very interesting articles
can be found on tuberculosis, glanders,
hog cholera and contagious abortion,
written by scientific men.
The Portland Milk Supply.
Several milk producers around Portland
having sold cows to dealers at Brighton
market furnish us the information that
q nun,her of herds were infested in that
vicinity. After a conference with the
Board of Health of Portland, it was de-
cided to enforce their city ordinances
which had been dormant for seven years
recurring the testing of all herds tuT-
nishing the milk supply of the city. The
work began the middle of November and
is not completed. So far we have found
10 infected herds and condemned 1872 head
of cattle.
Disposal of Tuberoulous Animals.
Reactors, according to an act passed
in 1919. have been sent to either E. W.
Penley of Auburn or to the Kern Pack
ing company of Portland. both establish
ments which maintain a United states
government meat inspection service, ana
these animals have been killed under FED
eral government inspection and disposed
of according to the requirements of the
government meat inspection laws.
Rev. Eugene V. Allen, former
member of the lower branch of the
Legislature from the Jonesboro class
district, who is now the chaplain of
the Maine State prison at Thomaston,
in his annual report exhaustively
contrasts present conditions at the
prison with the days when the dark
dungeon was seldom week without
occupants, and when men were kept
there seldom less than three days, and
sometimes five, seven or even nine
days
Touching on the greater liberties
given the prisoners now than former
ly and the effect Chaplain Allen says