516 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



I can tell you one concrete instance. There is a great firm in 

 another state whose business it is to make serums — diphtheria anti- 

 toxin and lymphs of various kinds — ^and the physicians all over the 

 country are sending to that concern and getting these life-saving mate- 

 rials, and that firm is doing fine work. They sent over to Japan a few 

 years ago and got a little four-ounce bottle of vaccine, and with that 

 start they were going to make some virus to send out for use against 

 smallpox. They opened the bottle and inoculated the material into 

 some calves, and the calves developed a mild form of the disease, as 

 they should; and they got some of the vaccine and sent the calves to 

 the market never dreaming but that they were the same as thousands 

 of other calves that they had sent. But without realizing it, they had 

 inoculated from that bottle into those animals also the germs of foot 

 and mouth disease, which is prevalent in Japan, and which does not 

 exist in this country — the most contagious of any of the animal 

 diseases; and when it was discovered in this country, the veterinarians 

 rushed to the scene very much the same as you will see a fire company 

 going to a fire in a city. They said: "We must crush this thing out 

 at any expense." And so, after some weeks of work, every last one of 

 those animals was located, and every animal they had come in contact 

 with was located, and every spot where those animals had walked or 

 been cared for, was carefully disinfected; and at last, through the 

 co-operation of the federal authorities, we are able to say that the last 

 of this disease has now been seen in this country; and it cost about 

 $100,000 to do it. 



What would have happened if that action had not been taken? The 

 same thing that is happening in connection with other pests that have 

 gotten abroad in Iowa, like the codling moth and the potato blight, and 

 like tuberculosis of cattle and some of these terrible diseases. So we 

 have these new problems that are being forced upon us, and we have 

 educational institutions of various types and kinds whose duty it is to 

 bring together the best information and disseminate it again. 



Farm tenancy is one of the greatest questions of the age. How I 

 wish a remedy could be found for treating that question as it deserves 

 and handling it in its incipiency (for it also is a disease) before it 

 becomes more widespread. I had it impressed upon me in Ireland — 

 that is where you go to get the best ideas — some time ago, of what 

 farm tenancy really means to a farm. I visited a farm conducted by 

 an intelligent man. He had lived there for twelve years when I called 

 on him. He told me something about how he cared for that farm as a 

 tenant, knowing that he might move off of it later. He thought I was 

 a government detective, and looked me over carefully from head to 

 foot. Finally he said: "I believe you are all right: I thought first 

 you were here to spy on me and get my taxes raised. Come on in and 

 have a drink of whisky." 



Then I knew he was a good Irishman! I said: "No thanks; I don't 

 believe I care to." He replied: 



"It is fine whisky; the best there is: better have some." 



"No," I said; "I guess I won't indulge this morning." 



