DAIRY MEETING. 1 33 



I contend that this side of the question is for the scientist 

 to settle and we cannot expect positive agreement upon it by 

 ali of them. 



It is the farmers' and breeders' share when they discuss and 

 take into account the danger tuberculosis is to the cattle indus- 

 try. I have never known a dairyman or breeder who would 

 keep a diseased cow upon his farm if he knew the animal was 

 tuberculous and never before has the farmer been so sensitive 

 upon this point as at the present time. Not a quart of milk nor 

 a pound of meat can be sold in Maine if the fact is known that 

 the animal producing the milk or meat is tuberculous, and 

 this is the proposition that we are up against. 



It matters not what Prof. Koch or any other professor says 

 regarding communicability, such food products will not pass 

 current in Maine. 



The cattle population of Maine is around 300,000, which will 

 be reduced somewhat by the light hay crop this year, but two 

 or three years of good crops will bring them back. The aver- 

 age value of our cattle industry for the last fifteen years is 

 nearly $10,000,000. The knowledge and experience that I 

 have had with the live stock interests of our State for the last 

 twenty years lead me to believe that the future outlook for our 

 cattle industry is encouraging, and that the breeding of pure 

 blood stock will be more than doubled within the next ten years, 

 provided Maine continues its present liberal and persistent 

 policy in controlling tuberculosis. I could not conscientiously 

 have made this statement four years ago. 



The next Cattle Commissioners' Report will show satisfactory 

 results obtained by the pure blood law passed four years ago. 

 The records will show that the first test made showed 20% of 

 the cattle tested to be diseased. The last test made showed less 

 than 5% and the result of this law is calling the attention of 

 breeders in other states to the advisability of coming to Maine 

 to purchase pure blood cattle. When the breeders of Maine 

 can advertise their stock absolutely free from tuberculosis, guar- 

 anteed by the State, who can estimate the increase in value this 

 will be to the pure blood part of our cattle industry? The 

 time is coming when healthy pure blood stock will be more 

 eagerly sought for and an honest certificate of health will bring 

 to the breeder a financial success. 



