REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON DOMESTIC ANIMALS AND SANITATION. [Read and accepted at the Annual Meeting, Jan. 12, 1909.] While the field of investigation assigned to your committee is covered by the Chief of the Cattle Bureau of the State Board of Agriculture in detail, in the performance of his duties, and a report is submitted by him semiannually to this Board, we however desire to call your attention, very briefly, to one or two matters that seem to us to be of particular importance. Notwithstanding the unsanitary conditions under which most of our domestic animals are kept, more especially cows, from which the bulk of our milk supply for human consumption comes, it is apparent that within the past few years there has been a decided change for the better in this respect among our farmers, and improvement in sanitary conditions. on our farms is quite noticeable. Where new stables are being erected there is a tendency on the part of the owners to introduce those features that provide for better lighting, more effective ventilation and more sanitary disposal of the animal excrement. In addition, in many sections of the State we have found that stock owners are remodeling old stables that have been unsatisfactory, both from a sanitary and economical standpoint, and have introduced many features, making the stables more sanitary and less expensive to operate and maintain. Your committee is convinced that there is a general tendency among the stock owners and milk producers to respond to the call of the public that our domestic animals be given better care, and that the milk for human consumption be produced under more cleanly and sanitary conditions. With this improvement on the farms the farmers have a right to expect that there shall be an increased income from the sale of the animal products. With the recurrence of foot and mouth disease among the cattle of the country it is encouraging to be able to report at this time that, through the efficiency of our national and State authorities, under whose jurisdiction matters of this nature come, the disease has not gained a foothold in Massachusetts. Although the disease has been found to exist only in New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Michigan, the restrictions that have necessarily been imposed by national and State authorities, limiting the shipment of cattle, has to a slight extent interfered with our milk producers obtaining such additions to their herds as are necessary to enable them to maintain the production of the amount of market milk needed to supply the trade. The occasional occurrence of the disease glanders among the horses in the rural districts is a matter of such importance as to warrant a brief reference to it by your committee. It is usually found that horses in which this disease manifests itself are of recent importation from some of the large cities of the State, more especially Boston, or that it occurs among animals that have been in close contact with these recently imported horses. Barring this source of introduction, it is doubtful if the disease would be often found among the horses on the farm or among those in the rural districts of the State. In many instances it is possible to trace the animal that acts as the center of infection in these occasional outbreaks to a horse that has been recently purchased at one of the city sale stables. It seems advisable in this report to call the attention of farmers to the dangers that exist in connection with the purchase of animals from such sources, more especially the purchase of secondclass animals that have for some time been kept in city stables, that are liable to contain the infectious principle of this dangerous disease. Your committee so firmly believes that the majority of the cases of glanders developing among the horses of the rural sections are traceable to this source of infection that it desires to recommend to the Board that a committee of three be appointed who shall endeavor to secure the passage of a legislative act that shall give the Chief of the Cattle Bureau of the Board such authority as is necessary to enable him to have control of this branch of animal sanitation work in the city of Boston. H. E. PAIGE. A. M. STEVENS. COMMITTEE ON FORESTRY, ROADS AND ROADSIDE IMPROVEMENTS. [Read and accepted at the Annual Meeting, Jan. 12, 1909.] Your committee desires to submit the following brief report. Since our last meeting the following enactments by the General Court have been made: I. Forestry: (a) Reforestation act. (Chapter 478, sections 1-10.) (b) Forest fire protection act. (Chapter 209, sections 1-5). (d) A Resolve authorizing the sale of certain publications of II. Roads and roadside improvement: (a) An Act relative to shade trees. (Chapter 296, sections 1-6.) (b) An Act relative to trees, shrubs and other growths on State highways. (Chapter 297, sections 1 and 2.) This new legislation is timely, and, it is believed by your committee, will prove of great value in improving our forestry conditions, and in embellishing our roadsides and making conditions more in keeping with what they should be throughout this Commonwealth. We will not go into a detailed report on the forestry work as the State Forester's report, which will be discussed by him before this Board, will cover this ground. While we recognize the splendid work being carried out by our tree warden act, and realize that the new legislation will be of great assistance to that officer in our various towns, nevertheless we are convinced that far better results can come by a more central organization, with a definite official head, similar to that now being carried out in the case of the forest wardens, under the State Forester. Respectfully submitted, H. G. WORTH. J. J. MASON. F. W. RANE. WM. N. HOWARD. H. A. OAKMAN. |