No. 6. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 489 



to say that some of our leading agricultural papers have discouraged 

 its use in a herd, reasoning that it is not reliable and that it may 

 give an animal tuberculosis if it did not already have the dis- 

 ease. As a matter of fact, tuberculin contains no germs either liv- 

 ing or dead and the disease cannot therefore be produced in that way. 

 While we do not claim the tuberculin test to be infallible, we do 

 maintain that is the best method we know of, and if properly used 

 there will be little trouble, if any. 



There is another disease known as "Anthrax" which is of con- 

 siderable importance to farmers from the fact that it is extremely 

 contagious to both man and beast, and is almost invariably fatal. 

 This disease usually occurs in cattle over two years of age and runs 

 a very rapid course, causing death in a very few hours. The symp- 

 toms are a discharge of blood from the nose or mouth immediately 

 before or soon after death. The contagion is from this discharge 

 and the "Anthrax" germ lives in the soil for an indefinite length of 

 time. Sunlight and drying will destroy the germ; but a tempera- 

 ture of forty degrees below zero has no effect on it. All animals 

 dying with this disease should be burned on the ground where they 

 died if possible, thus disinfecting the ground and at the same time 

 destroying the body. The one important thing to remember is that 

 the animal should not be skinned, as it is in this way' that man may 

 be infected, and also that the hide may cause the distribution of 

 the disease. The farmer should therefore be instructed to burn all 

 animals that die from any unknown cause, for by so doing serious 

 outbreaks of some contagious disease may be prevented. 



Another disease known as "Black Leg" is one which the farmer 

 should know more about. This is a disease of young cattle usually 

 occuring between the ages of six months to two years. Like An- 

 thrax it runs a very rapid course. Death ensues in from twelve to 

 twenty four hours. The symptoms of this disease vary somewhat 

 from those of Anthrax. There will be noticed a puffed appearance 

 on the hip or shoulder and the animal will be lame in the quarter 

 affected. If the hand is passed over the affected part it will be 

 found that there is gas underneath the skin. If punctured where 

 affected a dark bloody, frothy discharge ensues, and to a man not 

 familiar with the disease, would apparently indicate a bruise. This 

 germ also thrives in the soil, consequently all carcasses of animals 

 dying from this disease should be burned on the spot if possible. 

 Thus far we know of no treatment that is effective in these two 

 diseases, "Black Leg" and "Anthrax." Our State Live Stock Sani- 

 tary Board prepares a vaccine which, if properly used, will prevent 

 other cattle, that have been exposed, from taking the disease. 



This is of great importance to the stock owner, and if our Insti- 

 tute lecturers will bear this in mind and use five minutes of the time 

 in which they have been accustomed to inform the farmer how to use 

 lime and buy commercial fertilizer, in explaining this disease, I 

 think the time would be profitably spent. 



Let us turn our attention for a few moments to the horse and see 

 if there is not something that can be done to better his condition. 

 There are a number of good stables in Pennsylvania; but there is not 

 one but what could be made better, and by improving stables we add 

 value to our horses. There can be no doubt that the proper ventila- 

 tion of our stables has a marked influence in determining the health 

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