408 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



teacher and farmer, but never until recently was I taken for a 

 criminal lawyer. To illustrate — this party, in question, after being 

 informed as to the facts regarding his products, wanted me to tell 

 him some way he could evade the law, in fact, if not in appearance, 

 and yet seem to be within its pales; I bid the gentleman good 

 morning. 



Now, good people, be patient a moment, do not condemn us 

 for not giving the good, clean dairymen as much space and time 

 as we have to the other class. It is true, we have them ; they are 

 with us ; their number is small, yet not so small as not to be noticed. 



Of the total number of places visited, we find the number of 

 good, clean dairymen producing an ideal article are less than the 

 number of towns inspected. 



It is not customary in any line of work to praise the efficient; 

 yet we have men who are producing a milk with less than two thou- 

 sand bacteria count, which could be classed with the certified prod- 

 ucts. However, the ones who are producing this high-class article 

 are making no fuss about, but are making money out of it, and 

 they are constantly striving to put a good, clean, wholesome prod- 

 uct on the market. 



In the number of samples inspected we find 39.3 per cent, be- 

 low the State's standard in butter fat; 25 per cent, of the total 

 number of samples were watered ; nine per cent, had preservatives 

 in them; 31 per cent, too filthy for any human being to use; 40 per 

 cent, might be classed in the medium list, with 20 per cent, fairly 

 clean. 



Just what per cent, had tuberculosis germs can never be known. 

 There are many dairy herds in Missouri of which I have knowledge 

 that from 50 per cent, to 90 per cent, of the cows have been found 

 with tuberculosis. Some, though cows dying, refused to have them 

 tested. Great waves of epidemics, dyphtheria, scarlet fever, typhoid 

 fever and infantile troubles can be traced to its original source — 

 milk or poison foods. I have seen enough myself, and have 

 statistics on that line, that I am ready to state and believe that I 

 can prove that dirty and diseased milk products and poisoned foods, 

 yes, I believe I can say, the white plague germs in milk alone 

 causes more deaths than all the alcohol drinks combined, and I 

 maintain that he who for want of energy or through carelessness 

 or knowingly cause germs to drop in the milk and grow and in- 

 crease, or puts poisons and preservatives into it, or knowingly scat- 

 ters abroad germs of the white plague, or other contagious dis- 

 eases, is no less an assassin than he who plies the dagger. I am 



