33 



of their own cows ; attention has already been called to this tendency 

 in the report of the Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture for 

 1908. 



Many dairy farmers in Massachusetts are neglecting one of the most 

 important branches of the business, that is, the breeding and improve- 

 ment of dairy cattle. The milk producers, especially in the eastern 

 and central part of the State, often buy their cows, and raise neither 

 grain nor young stock, most of the cows going to the butcher as soon 

 as they fail to give a profitable flow. The phrase "it is cheaper to 

 buy than to raise " has often been used by farmers in the past without 

 careful calculation, and undoubtedly to the benefit of the seller 

 instead of the buyer. There are exceptions to all rules, but at the 

 present prices of grain and cows, a question worthy of the most care- 

 ful consideration is whether the Massachusetts dairy farm cannot 

 with profit be made more self-sustaining. 



The former who, instead of buying, raises a good deal of his own 

 grain and most of his young stock, may not handle quite as much 

 money and labor during the year, but will often show just as good 

 net returns at the end of it. The net returns for a series of years will 

 also be more likely to be in his favor. The plan of continually changing 

 cows prevents taking advantage of the application of the rule that 

 "like produces like," and the "grading up" of the herd becomes 

 impossible except by chance purchases. Not only is the price of cows 

 increasing, but good cows are difficult to obtain. The continual dis- 

 carding of the offspring of the best producers for veal, or even at a 

 younger age, must have a depressing influence upon the quality and 

 productiveness of our cattle as a whole, and is a doubtful business 

 practice. Even the regions from which the milk producers obtain 

 their milking stock must either send to market only their lower grade 

 cows, or else by sending their best animals deprive themselves of the 

 possibility of a gradual improvement in each succeeding generation. 



Disease, also, is very likely to be introduced where cows are pur- 

 chased frequently and from many sources. Tuberculosis and con- 

 tagious abortion are, perhaps, the troubles most likely to occur in a 

 herd that is kept up by the constant purchasing of new animals. Each 

 of these diseases is causing the dairymen of the State enormous losses 

 every year, and will undoubtedly continue to do so until every one 

 co-operates to stamp them out. Tuberculosis is a so-called "germ" 

 disease, and the policy of "say nothing about it," and the practice of 

 keeping slightly infected tuberculous animals in the herd, are both 

 foolish and short-sighted. A herd with a clean bill of health will be 

 more profitable to its owner in the long run than a diseased one, and 

 the sooner the cattle owners of the State decide to keep only healthy 

 herds, and adopt a policy of co-operation with each other and the 

 State for the suppression of tuberculosis, the better it will be for the 

 financial success of the dairy business as a whole. 



Bovine tuberculosis may be diagnosed or detected, even in its early 



