180 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



man or woman with a Babcock tester travelling from farm 

 to farm might pick up quite a few pennies and do much 

 good by making farmers' tests for them. 



(c) Dairy Sanitation. — I fear that I may be treading 

 upon dangerous ground if I touch upon the relation of 

 bovine tuberculosis to the dairy industry and to western 

 competition ; yet it seems to me that a word is necessary. 

 I will not attempt to say what is the part of wisdom for you 

 in Massachusetts in this matter. The situation is in some 

 important respects different from that in Vermont. I have 

 no hesitation in saying, however, that eradication is prov- 

 ing the wisest policy in that State. Over a fifth of its 

 entire bovine population has been subjected to the tubercu- 

 lin test. It has cost but 24 cents per head to test them, 

 and only a small percentage of disease has been found. 

 Whole townships, almost, I may say, entire counties, have 

 only tested cows therein. A constantly increasing number 

 of creameries receive milk from tested cows only, and ad- 

 vertise the fact in the sale of their goods. It helps in com- 

 petition ; it raises the price in certain markets. Similarly, 

 the knowledge that the animals are kept under sanitary 

 conditions and in cleanliness aids in the sale of the prod- 

 uct, especially if it be milk, and if these facts be called 

 to the attention of a discriminating constituency of con- 

 sumers. 



My hearers will recollect that I told them at the outset 

 that I had no startling news to declare, no certain remedy 

 to propose for the ills of western competition. The truth 

 of my statement is now realized. I am not sure that I 

 feel sorry that there is no easy way to meet this rivalry. 

 Were there such, incentives to earnest work would be 

 lacking. There is now every reason to study, to strive, to 

 progress. I have simply emphasized and reiterated those 

 things which I doubt not were known to you before. It 

 may be, however, that in this far too imperfect survey of 

 the dairy situation I have dropped hints which may be of 

 service to some in bettering their practice and enlarging 

 their experience. In some direction, perhaps, your outlook 

 may have been made more clear by words of mine. I 



