1894 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
471 
direction of a head commission. Our State could well 
afford to appropriate a half million or a million dollars 
to stamp out tuberculosis. 8. hoxie. 
Supt. Advanced Registry Holstein-Priesian Ass’n. 
Results of Tests in Vermont. 
On account of my official position as chairman of 
our State Cattle Commission, I would prefer not to 
answer all your questions in regard to tuberculosis. 
We are testing the value of tuberculin as a diagnostic 
test, and are killing all that respond. So far we have 
found all cattle affected that responded to the tuber- 
lin test, but tuberculin does not indicate the degree of 
the disease. There are several points that should be 
settled in regard to the matter before I would recom¬ 
mend the tuberculin as a commercial guide. 
C. M. WINSLOW. 
The Risk of Buying Tuberculous Cattle. 
In view of the present condition of public sentiment, 
and the, as yet, unsettled facts as to the whole effects 
of tuberculosis, I would certainly make no purchase 
of well-bred registered cattle for the purpose of re¬ 
sale or of breeding high class animals for the dairy 
market, unless such animal could pass the tuberculin 
test. I would certainly be willing to guarantee any 
animal offered for sale to sustain the tuberculin test. 
The public generally is in a state of alarm amounting 
almost to incipient panic on this question. This con¬ 
dition may be aggravated or it may subside, according 
as future scientific research and practical experiment 
may enlighten us. For this reason, a prudent busi¬ 
ness man will not take the risk of acquiring an animal, 
which (or the produce of which) future conditions 
may render of less value than it may be at present. 
Up to this time, there are plenty of 
reliable breeders who give purchasers 
the option of the test without extra 
price, or at least a very small advance, 
BO that the element of present economy, 
fortunately, does not enter into the 
problem. Were this not the case, I can 
readily see how its settlement might 
be extremely perplexing. 
My object in specifying “ well-bred, 
pedigreed cattle” is twofold: a As I 
am not directly interested in grades, 
or common stock, my attention has 
not been attracted to them sufficiently 
to warrant me in advancing an opin¬ 
ion ; b The weight of authority seems 
to me to prove that there is much more 
danger of financial loss by reason of 
hereditary transmission and contagious 
dissemination of the disease, than be¬ 
cause of the deleterious effects on the 
human system by reason of contact 
with, or the consumption of dairy prod¬ 
ucts of, animals affected with tuber- 
cu osis. Although I have been alert 
to discover satisfactory proof of this 
contagion being communicated from 
animals to human beings, yet I have 
not heard of a single instance in which 
the disease might not be attributable 
to one or more other causes ; in fact where the prob¬ 
abilities did not favor the latter conclusion. 
As to my willingness to sell subject to the test; I 
do not, or would I, own an animal whose dairy pro¬ 
ducts would not return a good profit above cost of care 
and keeping. Hence if the animal offered reveal 
tuberculosis, the fact of a prospective purchaser re¬ 
jecting it on that account would be nothing more than 
the loss of a chance of a possible greater profit. Then, 
too, it is as much to my advantage as to his to know 
which, if any, of my animals are affected, in order that 
I may be governed thereby in treating or disposing of 
them. I would have no conscientious scruples as to 
selling the dairy products of an affected animal to 
innocent purchasers, unless such affection had so far 
passed the incipient stage as to rendei' her unprofitable 
for other reasons ; for I am firmly convinced that up 
to such a point there is absolutely no danger in using 
such products. As to whether there is after that stage 
is passed, it is unnecessary to discuss for the purpose 
of this statement. john j. breck. 
Pres. Michigan Jersey Breeders. 
Perfectly Willing to Guarantee the Cattle. 
The Holstein-Friesian breed of cattle seems to be 
almost entirely free from tuberculosis, and I know 
very little about the disease. For this reason, any 
opinions which I may express on the subject can have 
little value. 1. Other things being equal, I would 
prefer a cow which had passed the tuberculin test, 
but in buying cows I never have insisted upon it, and 
should not do so now unless I had special reasons for 
so doing. 2. I recently sold a number of cows to 
Hon. Wayne McVeagh, of Philadelphia, and before he 
admitted them to his herd, all were subjected to and 
passed the tuberculin test. I understand from his 
superintendent that hereafter he will buy no cattle 
unless they are guaranteed to stand the test. I am en¬ 
tirely willing to sell cattle and guarantee them to 
pass the test, where I am acquainted with the pur¬ 
chaser and veterinarian, at least by reputation, and 
have confidence in them. I would not care to do this 
with entire strangers. Instinctively I am inclined to 
think the tuberculin test something of a scientific fad, 
but I know so little about it that really my opinion is 
of no value. c. w. iiorr. 
Wellington, Ohio. 
Is Opposed to the Plan. 
I regard the tuberculosis scare in your State as 
greatly exaggerated. The bovine family, like the 
human family, is very susceptible to tuberculosis, and 
I believe few herds are free from it in some form. 
1. No; my answer is based on reports made of the 
tuberculin test, and I believe it unreliable. 2. No, 
for the same reason. I am just in receipt of a tuber¬ 
culin test of 39 animals, all of which stood the test 
but one—that one was destroyed and found to be per¬ 
fectly sound. A. T. DEMPSEY. 
Columbus, Ohio. 
Wait Till the Doctors Agree. 
We have for years been in the habit of furnishing 
certificates of health of all cattle sold, given by a vet¬ 
erinarian of wide reputation, after careful inspection, 
and this we shall continue to do. We have had no 
experience in the use of tuberculin, and as there 
seems to be such a wide diversity of opinion regarding 
its use, by both physicians and veterinary surgeons, 
we have no advice to offer. We have consulted two 
eminent physicians, one of the Homeopathic and one 
of the Allopathic school, regarding its use, and neither 
would advise its use on a healthy herd. We also no¬ 
tice on our desk just now the last number of the 
“ Homeopathic Envoy,” the leading article in which, 
written, we suppose, by its editor, condemns the use 
of tuberculin. ” When doctors disagree, who shall 
decide ? ” We think our custom is giving good satis¬ 
faction. SMITHS <fc POWELL CO. 
PRODUCE COMMISSION MERCBANTS. 
Observations of a farmer who emsigns to them; buying 
on their own account; their price currents ; what 
bank references are actually worth ; the transient ship¬ 
per necessarily at a disadvantage ; the folly of trying 
to educate city tastes. 
The E. N.-Y. is always fearless in its attacks upon 
wrong-doing, and its exposures of the methods of a 
few rascally fellows in New York have done much 
good. Many engaged in the commission business are 
doubtless as honorable as those in other lines of busi¬ 
ness. Farmers are much inclined to charge dishonesty 
upon a consignee when they only are to blame. Goods 
are shipped in bad shape, or at a time when a drop in 
price is expected by all well informed men, and then 
the returns are disappointing, and the merchant is 
blamed. Especially does the farmer find it difficult to 
learn that only strictly first-class goods should ever 
be shipped to a city market. 
Blame Not All On One Side. 
But there is often blame attaching to the other side. 
It is a too common practice among commission men 
to buy on their own account as well as to accept con¬ 
signments. A firm, for example, is out of potatoes in 
the fall. If consignments do not come to hand, it 
wires over the country and buys where it can to the 
best advantage. About this time suppose that I learn 
of the scarcity in market, and consign a couple of cars 
to this house. The result, we will say, is that within 
a few days it gets notice of its own cars and my two 
on track in the freight yards. Other potatoes have 
come in freely to competitors, and the market 
threatens to drop. Whose potatoes will be pushed 
first, the firm’s or my own ? Until men are much bet¬ 
ter than the majority now are, the consignor's pota¬ 
toes will be neglected until the firm’s stock is cleaned 
out, and the consignor suffers the consequences. Who 
could expect the firm to let its own stock stand when 
prices are falling, for the sake of pushing another 
man’s stock? 
Quotations are too often misleading. While spend¬ 
ing 10 days in one of our cities disposing of some pota¬ 
toes and studying the methods of the produce men, I 
asked one merchant why he sent out quotations of 
$2.75 per barrel when I was selling by the car-load to 
him at $1.90, and he was glad to get $2 25 from the 
store. His frank answer was: “Other houses do it, 
and we must do it to get goods.” Regular shippers 
learn, either to discount these quotations or else rely 
only upon private advices from the house, while the 
farmer and transient shipper are misled. As I ship 
my own crop every year, believing that one firm deals 
squarely with me, I have advices by letter or wire 
each day while shipping, and throw the printed price 
currents in the wastebasket. Then, too, quotations 
are misleading to , many for the reason that they are 
made on small sales at retail when the shipper wants 
wholesale quotations. On the other side it may be 
said that they are misleading, but not unjustly so, be¬ 
cause made for strictly choice goods, 
and probably half our farmers do not 
realize how good a strictly choice ar¬ 
ticle is. 
The “Standing” of Commission Men. 
The financial responsibility and in¬ 
tegrity of commission houses are often 
hard to gauge. There is an impression 
that an array of bank references on 
the advertising card of a firm, is an un¬ 
questionable guarantee that honest 
and prompt returns for all goods sold 
will be made. The references are given 
because of this popular impression. 
I have tested this matter somewhat, 
and find such references wholly mis¬ 
leading in effect. To illustrate: A 
leading bank in one city was the ref¬ 
erence of one firm that was indebted 
to it. The firm was hopelessly involved, 
and after being carried by the bank 
until the chance of saving its own 
loans was past hope, the firm collapsed, 
leaving shippers minus thousands of 
dollars. Again, in another city, a firm 
that had accumulated considerable 
property by shrewd methods, gave its 
bank as reference. I called upon 
the bank, and by persistent effort 
learned that the bank would vouch for nothing except 
the financial responsibility of the firm, and remained 
painfully silent as to its reputation for integrity. 
Bank references, printed with gilt letters on business 
cards, are very pretty, but their cash value is small. 
The farmer who makes only occasional shipments 
of his own produce to market should not expect as 
good prices as a regular shipper. A moment’s thought 
will convince him of the idleness of any such expecta¬ 
tion. Suppose that A is a regular shipper from his 
town to commission merchant, X. A farmer, B, con¬ 
cludes to ship his own stuff to X X receives consign¬ 
ments from both A and B, and he knows that A’s 
patronage within a year will be worth a hundred 
times more than B’s. Naturally he pushes A’s stuff 
first, getting the top price ; then he sells B’s for what 
it will bring. If the market is dull, he will use every 
endeavor to get A out whole, as he wants to hold his 
custom, but he will not be unduly disturbed about B's 
loss by reason of a dull market. More than this : If 
he is dishonest, he knows better than to rob A of any 
considerable amount—that is killing the goose that 
lays the golden egg—but he can appropriate the half 
of B’s little crop, and let B take it out in kicking. 
Another sucker will take his place next year. No 
matter whether the commission merchant is honest or 
dishonest, the regular shipper will usually get better 
returns than the transient, as it is business fi'^st to 
protect the interests of the regular patron. 
“Educating the Market” ; Frauds. 
It is folly in a farmer to undertake single-handed to 
educate city tastes. He may have goods of fine table 
quality, but of poor appearance, and when he gets 
honest returns from such a shipment, is disappointed 
and believes that he has been robbed. I have been 
A View of the Feeding Alley at/the Ellerslie Barn. Fig. 123. (See first page.) 
