TWENTY-FIRST ANNCAL YEAR BOOK— PART VI 473 



This measure is sure to have a great influence on the production of 

 both cattle and hogs in the future, as it will be reasonably easy to 

 eradicate tuberculosis in our swine when our bovine kind are free of this 

 dread disease. 



Neighboring states have enacted similar laws and profited by their 

 foresight. I have always felt that, since the public would be benefited, 

 it was right and reasonable that they should, in a measure, share any 

 loss that would come to the owner of the herd. This is especially true as 

 it applies to breeding and dairy cattle, as it is reasonable to assume that 

 the law as it was drafted contemplated caring for this class of cattle and 

 bringing them within its scope, and it is perfectly right that it should. 



I have never thought that the dairyman or breeder should be com- 

 pensated in full for reactors as that would perhaps encourage carelessness 

 and in some instances trickery and dishonest methods. 



While the state and Federal indemnity is a great inducement to the 

 cattle man to clean up, when you take the present value of cattle into 

 consideration, it is not as large as it should be. This is especially true 

 as it applies to the better class of registered or pure bred cattle. 



After an experience of over 35 years in breeding cattle, I can draw but 

 one conclusion; that a great share of our troubles with this disease would 

 be eliminated by the use of clean, well lighted and well ventilated barns. 

 I do not wish to be understood as saying that the disease can be eliminated 

 under conditions of this kind without the use of the tuberculin test and 

 doing away with the reactors. I do feel sure, however, that the percent- 

 age of loss on the first Federal and state test and tests thereafter will be 

 ranch less under such conditions. It is surprising to me, that in this day 

 and age, there are still many breeders who do not recognize the value of 

 light and ventilation. The old filthy plank floor, poorly lighted, ill- 

 ventilated barn is the harbinger of disease, especially tuberculosis. There 

 is nothing cheaper and better than sunlight. It is my opinion that the 

 Almighty would not have supplied it in such generous quantities, had He 

 known that the stockman and farmer had so small an appreciation of its 

 value. 



It is my judgment that it will be a difiicult matter within a few years 

 for the owner of a herd of pure bred, registered cattle to do any con- 

 siderable amount of business, unless the herd is under Federal super- 

 vision or in the accredited list. I feel sure that cow's milk has saved a 

 thousand children, where one has been made to suffer by its use. The 

 bare possibility of one child in a thousand becoming affected by its use, is 

 a good and sufficient reason why our dairy herds should be cleaned up. 



The breeder who ignores right methods and up-to-date practices is like 

 the child playing with fire — you can't tell when either will be burned. 

 We have had too many examples of this kind within the last year. I 

 call to mind a breeder who was about to hold a sale. The date was fixed, 

 and quite an amount had been spent for advertising. Just to put on the 

 finishing touch, he called in a veterinarian and applied the test. About 

 sixty percent of the lot reacted. No one wanted the balance, so the sale 

 had to be declared off. Had a test been made a few years earlier the 

 piojjabiljtie^ are a few reactors would have been found and if they had 



