AN INTERESTING PROBLEM.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1712, 1 April 1913, Page 8

AN INTERESTING PROBLEM.

KKAIUNG CALViiS FliOll TUIiIiRCULOUS COWS; The Royal Agricultural Society of England is conducting 'nn experiment iti the rearing of calves from tuberculous cows. The ■ object is to demonstrate the possibility of vearing calves tree from the disease, in spite of their having been born of cows that react to the tuberculin test. At. the present time (reports an agricultural correspondent to the "Kastern Morning News"), there are on the farm at Woburn thirteen yearlings and two calves born this year, and a healthier lot no one could wish to see, in spite of the fact that their- dams reacted 1o the test shortly before parturition. All that has been done is to separate the calves from the cows immediately after birth, and remove them to a farm a mile away, where they have been reared under circumstances that prevent dircct or indirect contact with the tuberculous cattle. All the milk used for feeding has been raised to a temperature known to be certainly fatal to tubercle bacilli, and both ..indoors and at grass the calves are isolated from other stock. The sterilised milk proved the only trouble, for it brought on a bad attack of white scour. However, the animals look none the worse now, and they have twice come successfully through the ordeal of the tuberculin test. When they reach killing , age they will be slaughtered and careful post-mor-tem examination made to prove whether they are free from the disease. It is possible that two of the heifers may bo kept for breeding to carry the experiment still further. Few,.who knew what had been dono before, both at home and abroad, doubted the result of this experiment; but the society is doing very good service by demonstrating to fanners how comparatively simple a matter it is to rid their herds of tuberculosis.