92 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



Another point in making this test : The first test that is made 

 we regard as the most satisfactory. We may test an animal 

 today and she reacts. We may test her tomorrow and possibly 

 she will not react. If for any reason we test an animal today 

 and we are not satisfied with the results, in order to get another 

 satisfactory test we must delay the retesting as long as may be. 

 We do not ordinarily retest under a month. And in making the 

 second test it is generally advocated that a double dose of the 

 tuberculin be used, at least with old animals. 



HOW TO STAMP OUT THE DISEASE. 

 In regard to what shall be done with a tuberculous herd, how 

 it shall be handled, how we shall get rid of tuberculosis if we 

 have it, with the least trouble and expense, — there are two ways 

 advocated and both of them are followed somewhat. One way 

 is what is known as the Bang method of handling tuberculosis. 

 In Denmark 50 per cent of the cows are tuberculous. Manifestly 

 it would seriously handicap them in their dairy industry if they 

 were to test and kill 50 per cent of their cattle. It was not con- 

 sidered a practical thing to do. Bang developed this wav of 

 handling the matter : Cattle catch tuberculosis from each other. 

 So he tested the herds and divided them, putting the sound ani- 

 mals into a clean barn which was not contaminated, if possible, 

 and keeping the diseased animals in the old barn, those of them 

 that were in physical condition to do good work in the dairy. He 

 sterilized the milk of the diseased cows and fed it to the calves 

 of the diseased herd that had been transferred to the well herd. 

 The basis of this method is this : The calves from the diseased 

 cows are nearl)- always sound when they are born ; thev get the 

 disease later. These sound calves from the diseased cows are 

 put into the sound herd, and in that way we keep the blood of 

 the diseased animals, which may be very desirable to retain. 

 The diseased animals gradually pass ofif the scene. As soon as 

 they are not profitable to keep they are killed. In Denmark if 

 they are not thoroughly diseased they sell the meat and the 

 people eat it, but we cannot do that here. In that way the man 

 builds up a new herd of sound cattle quicker than he could by 

 exterminating the diseased animals at once, and perhaps with 

 less expense. Following that method, every six months the 



