ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 259 



rich in cream, is very prone to undergo decomposition, and is utterly unfit 

 for human food. Cows fed upon grass in the summer and upon a proper 

 sound food in winter, supply the most wholesome milk. In this connec- 

 tion it is important to note that the milk is influenced by the water supply 

 of the cows, and it has been shown that if their drinking water is impure 

 and contaminated with decomposing animal or vegetable matter, their 

 milk is not of first-class quality. 



"Second. — The souring of milk is caused by germs which get into it at 

 the time of milking, and the only way to prevent such contamination, an-i 

 to keep out dirt, is to use extreme care and cleanliness in milking. 



"Third. — Milk is frequently contaminated with the germs of tubercu- 

 losis, or consumption, which come from the cow herself. When it is con- 

 sidered that tuberculosis is the greatest single cause of death to man, and 

 that it is the opinion of medical experts that this dread disease is fre- 

 quently produced by contaminated milk, it will at once be seen how im- 

 portant becomes its elimination from the milk supply." 



His effort is to furnish clean, pure, wholesome milk as free from dan- 

 gerous elements as human science and care can make it. 



In the month of July, 1895, the whole herd, numbering 130 animals, 

 was tested by the State Veterinarian, Dr. Trumbower, for tuberculosis, by 

 the tuberculin test. Of this number only 4, or about 3 per cent, were found 

 -to be tuberculous, and they were at once slaughtered. This percentage 

 of tuberculous animals is very small, it being stated by good authorities 

 that the average dairy herds throughout the country have 10 to 15 percent 

 of tuberculous animals among them. The reason for the unusual health 

 of his herd is probably the following: For five years it has been his cus- 

 tom to test each cow in his possession at frequent intervals, to determine 

 her value as a butter producer, and he has gradually culled out all unprofit- 

 able animals. The remaining ones would naturally be expected to be 

 healthy, as any cow not in perfect health could not reach the high standard 

 required of her. 



The herd has been tested several times since 1895 — the last test of the 

 whole herd having been made January 16th and 25th, 1899. 



