The Washington times., 1936-08-10
MOST OF HENS
TUBERCULAR
BY ARNE STROM

from DEFICIENCIES in many re-
SpectS." wondered whether some
body had not read my letter and
passed my words off as his own
and it was to be hoped that I
would see my way to set them
right.
I was especially asked to i'm
prove the food rations Of the poul-
try" There was only millet and
barley for food on the farm, but
no wheat or corn, no skinned
milk, no meal, no crushed sea-
shells, no cod liver oil and not
even proper green fodder for the
chicks. So it was both a chemi'
cal and physical impoSsibility to
make a balanced food ration for
growing chickens or laying hens.
My beautiful dreams Of setting
this farm on it's feet again were
never realized. The hens and
chickens died as before-only a
little quicker, for the veterinary
doctor Systematically did all he
could to spread the sicknesses to
the whole stock. A blood test for
tuberculosis showed that in some
of the houses up to so per cent
were so strongly infected that they
must be killed, and when, rev
weeks later, we tested the remain
ing lot, over so per cent OF them
were ill.
Most of Them Died
In none of the houses on the
farm. was the tuberculosis per-
centage below 18. Most Of the
chickens who had survived the
pullorum died afterward either
from coccidiosis or from pneu-
monia or other diseases.
Innumerable delegations, depu-
tationS and commissions arrived
in Povorino that autumn. With
thick Portfolios under their arms
they followed me around the
farm. With wrinkled brow and
learned, worried looks they alb
Solutely agreed with me IN every
thing I said.
I had insisted on muslin win
dows being put up in all the poul-
try houses to improve the Venti-
lation; but in this question
Mikailovsky, the manager and
the doctors had all been against
me. There was no muslin to be
had, they said. and the clay
walls, which had manure and
straw in them, could not stand
having new windows cut into
them.
One day, however, found a
large roll of muslin there in the
attic of the depot and I at once
went round to the manager and
gave him a bit of my mind. l
brought in the three capital let
ters g. P. U) and the effect
was wonderful. On the follow
ing day four houses were sup
piled with muslin windows and
in the course of a few weeks the
chickens in these houses were
cured Of their colds. But no
more muslin was to be had.
Women Furious
Marushka told me that the
managers wife, the doctors wife,
Mikailovsky's wife, as well as
several other wives were furious
with me. because had taken
their muslin which had been
stored up for next summers
dresses.
At a vodka booth two women
were having a violent fight. They
tore out each others hair in
large handfuls and yelled and
kicked. One of them was old,
the other young. Peasants, wear
ing heavy goatskin coats in spite
of the heat, formed circle
around the fighters, but not one
of them tried to interfere. Sud
denly the old woman fell over
some steps and lay there as II
dead.
I already had become hardened
against horrors in Russia. If I
had tried to lift up the woman
the other fury might have
scratched my eyes out, for she
stood ready to attack again if
her antagonist recovered. 1t must
rest with the Russian police to
settle this affair.
A big grey tuft Of hair lay on
the step against the old woman's
ear. We passed by quickly, ask
ing a grinning onlooker whether
a doctor had not better be sent
for. He answered:
ITO hell with the doctor,
she is a swine"
He spat toward her. Swapping
his finger against his throat with
a funny hollow sound he added
as explanation vodka" We went
on filled with loathing.
Men Only Laugh
On our way home couple Of
hours later our lorry passed the
same spot. The place was almost
deserted, but the woman still lay
there in exactly the same position.
The wind had slightly blown the
gray tuft of hair away from her
head, and it lay in a little pool of
blood. ordered the driver to stop
and shouted to some men who
stood little way off:
6VUhofIS mnO'