Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-01-19
The Grand Work being Done
By the Tuberculin Test

It was announced in the Kennebec
Journal a short time ago that the
Governor and Council, after public
hearing for the purpose of ascertain
ing the public feeling as to the con-
, tinuation of the tuberculin test for
cattle. were unanimous for it's con-
tinuance. That decision has been
generally favorably commented upon,
for the directors to the treatment are
in the large minority.
H. M. Tucker, chief of the Division
Of Animal Industry, Department of
Agriculture, asked today as to the
progress of the work, said:
ut is going on finely and the CO.
operative inspectors-furnishe by
the State of Maine and the United
States-are as busy as bees. but do
ing nothing but tho absolutely nee
cssary work, because all Of it is nee
essary.
During the last six-months period
| Of 1921, since I have been in charge
| of the work, we teste.- 23,074 cattle, of
| which $50 were reactors, or diseased;
nearly 3 per cent. This was at cost
OF $45,9S5.45. This. mind you. in
cludes not only the work of the CO.
| operate inspectors but the regular
practitioners also.
THE appropriation by the Legisla-
ture for 1921 was $4,000, of which
| 1000 was for condemned cattle and
but $4,000 for the inspectors work
and incidental expenses. This
speak of to disabuse people of the
idea that the work itself is SO awful
ly expensive. It is the condemned
cattle that causes the heavy expense.
| During the entire year the CO.
| operative men alone tested 30,343 cat
tie and III were found diseased, or
2 Ia per cent. In the year 1920.
13,453 cattle were tested. with SOB
found diseased; or ga per cent
| One can realize the value of the test
when the percentages of diseased
| cattle are compared for the two
years.
"A little figuring will show that the
| cost per head for testing has cost
past year. This is largely due to the
fact that three veterinarians, a clerk
and a supervising veterinarian has
been furnished free by the United
States government.
| MANY people have had and may
yet have the idea that this test work
Is sort OF an endless chain-a going
over the same ground year after
year. We do to a certain extent
A herd is tested this year. We test
the next year and the next If neces-
sary, in fact we test until three semi
annual or two annual tests show the
herd to be free from disease, when
we give certificate to that effect
and the herd is an accredited one.
1t iss then up to the owner to keep
that herd free from disease. but with
no further expense to the State
Doesn't it pay? Well. people from
southeastern New England are COM
ing more and more to Maine for free
from-disease cattle and that every
time means better prices for owners
Of such cattle.
'In the months Of September, oc-
| tober and November, we tested S119
cattle for the first time, finding 242
! reactors. or 3 per cent. In the same
time we tested 1245 cattle that had
been tested the year before and
found but reactors. or but ITO of
per cent. Does 1t pay?
"You must know also that Maine
stands at the head of the New Eng
land states for the fine condition of
her cattle. with her Ia per cent:
Vermont has about II per cent: New
Hampshire II 1-2 Massachusetts 80:
Rhode Island from IS to 80. DR.. j. B.
Reidy, the United States veterinarian
working with us, will vouch for those
! figures. He is very much interested
In the work in Maine and quite nat
urally equally as proud of the results
as We ourselves are.
THE new method Of doing the test