52 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



remain free from ticks unless infection is introduced from out- 

 side sources. Dr. L. D. Brown, another of our field veteri- 

 narians, was sent to Ripley county with instructions to place the 

 county in a condition where it might be safely released at the 

 end of this calendar year. The Bureau of Animal Industry sup- 

 plied Mr. H. D. Crane to assist Dr. Brown in tick eradication 

 work and the work has proceeded admirably; in fact, from 

 reports at hand, Ripley county can be safely released from 

 quarantine at the end of the present season. The State is cer- 

 tainly under many obligations to the Bureau of Animal Industry 

 and Drs. Tuck and Brown for the splendid service rendered the 

 State in the tick eradication work. 



TUBERCULOSIS. 



This is unquestionably one of the most serious diseases with 

 which we have to deal. Public sentiment demands that we con- 

 tinue the splendid fight started by this department some years 

 ago by my predecessor. Since our last report all dairies supply- 

 ing Springfield milk or butter have been tested, also many herds 

 in the vicinity of Mexico. A retest was ordered for Columbia, 

 with the result that one splendid dairy herd was found to be 

 badly infected with tuberculosis. We would especially direct 

 your attention to the herd above referred to as all herds were 

 tested in 1911 in and around Columbia and a retest made in 1912, 

 yet we found that the infection was introduced from some out- 

 side source. It is certainly gratifying to note that no tubercu- 

 losis was found in any herd save the one mentioned, where 24 

 head were quarantined. Several herds have been tested in the 

 vicinity of St. Louis, and without an exception those receiving 

 the first official test were found to be badly infected. We are 

 confident that tuberculosis exists to an alarming degree in the 

 dairies supplying St. Louis with milk and butter. If the citizens 

 of St. Louis would demand that their milk supply be produced 

 from officially tested dairies it would only be a short time until 

 they would enjoy clean, wholesome milk. 



Kansas City has an ordinance requiring all cattle from which 

 milk is produced to be tuberculin-tested, yet anyone calling him- 

 self a veterinarian is allowed to apply the tuberculin test and his 

 certificate is accepted, with the result that the careful, conscien- 

 tious veterinarian is very little in demand and those that never 

 find tuberculosis are employed to do the testing. Only four 

 reacting cows have been reported to this office in the past 20 



