No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 151 



THE KELATION OF THE W ICOLEkSOMEXESS OF THE STABLE 

 TO THE HEALTH OF ITS INMATES. 



By DR. LEONARD PEARSON, State Veterinarian. 



During tlie past decade great progress has been made along dairy 

 lines and most important improvements have been effected in regard 

 to feeding cattle, increasing production, and in caring for milk. Bul- 

 letins, pap^Ts and speeches almost without end have been written 

 or delivered on these subjects and the aidvice thus freely given has 

 been followed by so many dairymen that milk is now produced at less 

 cost and in better condition than ever before. There is still, how- 

 ever, much room for improvement in this direction. Many cows are 

 majntiained at a loss by the farmers of Pennsylvania, the special nu- 

 tritive needs of animals kept for different purposes are unrecognized 

 by many feeders, and milk shippers and butter makers are still an- 

 noyed and exposed to loss through receiving milk of poor quality. 

 But the foundation principles are now widely known and improved 

 methods have been taken up by some one in almost every community, 

 so that it is clear that leaven is working and that improvements will 

 be made at a more rapid rate from now on. 



To accelerate the rate of improvement and to inaugurate new re- 

 forms for the benefit of farmers is, I believe, the purpose of every- 

 one present at this meeting. If this is true, suggestions as to 

 needed and practical reforms will not be out jjlace. It appears that 

 there is always a tending to lop-sided development and, in this 

 connection, the doctrine of producing the greatest possible amount 

 of milk at the least cost for feed, regardless of every other con- 

 sideration, has been preached so forcibly and so persistently that 

 almost every other factor in dairying has been pushed into the back- 

 ground. I beg to suggest that the chief element in the dairy in- 

 dustry is the cow. The first consideration should be for the cow. 

 The cow should be the best that can be had and should be kept in 

 such away that she will be constantly in a condition of good health 

 and high efficiency. This means that the functions shall be nor- 

 mal and free and this is possible only when the physiological needs 



