232 



Poultry, eggs and dairy products, however, remain far behind 

 where the question is of local supply. Practically all milk is con- 

 sumed as such, and what little butter is produced rarely reaches 

 the market. No more ideal climatic conditions could be found 

 for poultry raising, and the demand for eggs and chickens is enor- 

 mous and still there does not, to my knowledge, exist a single 

 poultry farm worth the name in the islands. Diseases of poultry 

 are few and easily controlled and the vexing question of housing 

 is a negligible one here. Nevertheless, I have seen experienced 

 poultry raisers with money to invest return to the mainland after 

 spending weeks in vain searching for a suitable location for a 

 chicken ranch, either as homesteaders, lessees or purchasers. 



DISE.\SES OF LIVE STOCK. 



The past year has been practically devoid of any serious out- 

 break of either infectious or contagious diseases among live stock, 

 while parasitic diseases have continued to decrease with improved 

 methods in handling and caring for the animals. Glanders among 

 horse stock seems practically to have disappeared since the con- 

 tinued introduction of the infection with imported animals has 

 been stopped by means of inspection, testing and quarantine. 

 Here again, the climatic conditions undoubtedly have been of 

 great value as there can be no doubt that many cases recover, 

 temporarily at least, and some perhaps permanently. The total 

 absence of closed or ill ventilated stables is the most important 

 factor in the natural decrease of this scourge. Next to this the 

 constant vigilance of the deputy territorial veterinarians who 

 sooner or later are sure to locate even cases which are deliber- 

 ately being hidden, in connection with the increased knowledge 

 of the dangerous nature of the disease, have done much to cause 

 either the destruction or at least the isolation, whether clandestine 

 or not, of suspicious cases. To this must be added the efifcct of 

 the law enacted by the last legislature making it a misdemeanor 

 to sell or dispose of an animal affected with or sus])ected of hav- 

 ing glanders and making the vendor responsible for any damages 

 or loss resulting fiom such a transaction. The immense advance 

 in the prices of horses and mules has likewise had a tendency 

 toward the prolongation of life of all work animals through in- 

 creased efforts on the part of owners and emplovees in protecting 

 them from exposure to infection, and not the least direct result 

 thereof is the elimination of the public watering trough or the 

 indiscriminate watering of horse stock at places where the nature 

 of the suy>ply is in the least doubtful. Tlic dissemination of 

 knowledge along these lines through the publislicd reports of the 

 Board has, possiblv more than anything else, l)een responsible for 

 this most remarkable decrease in •« disease which in less favorably 

 located countries, still remains at the head of the list of destruc- 

 tive diseases. But obviating further discussion as to which of 



