308 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



We wish to draw your attention to the item in the report as 

 to the average cost of condemning cattle, $12.31 each. This 

 means the testing of pure bloods, whether diseased or not, grade 

 cattle that were found diseased, suspicious cases attended to and 

 found not to be diseased, disinfecting premises where disease 

 was found, travelling expenses, office expenses, cattle commis- 

 sioners' salaries, and expense of every name and nature except 

 the actual money paid to the owner of the animal. It is the 

 average expense upon each animal. 



It was hard to separate the expense of disinfection from 

 other expense, but it is safe to say that one-third of the total 

 expense was for that purpose, as where the tie-up was found to 

 be unsuitable for disinfection, the commissioners would recom- 

 mend the removal of the old and dilapidated and the building of 

 new and smooth work, and would allow the party from ?5 to 

 $25 to encourage him to do the work and have a more modern 

 and better ventilated tie-up, and in adopting this new rule we 

 have increased our expense per animal 17c. each from the last 

 report. 



Maine is expending a large amount of money yearly to foster 

 and protect its dairy interests, and it is well equipped with 

 different departments to carry on the different lines of work. 



First we have a Commissioner of Agriculture, then we have 

 a Dairy Instructor, a Board of Cattle Commissioners and all 

 working along different lines, but in harmony with one another. 



Then we have a Dairy Association with a large membership 

 consisting of the leading dairymen of the state, and the heads 

 of the different departments are willing and ready at all times 

 to carry out the suggestions and the sentiments of the Associa- 

 tion as far as the law will permit, and I think I voice the sen~ 

 timent of the Dairy Association when I say that the)^ want 

 better herds, better sanitary conditions, better cream, better 

 butter and healthy herds. The demand for our products and 

 the prices that they command indicate that conditions are grow- 

 ing better all along the line. 



JOHN M. DEERING, Secretary. 



