May 21. 1021 
730 
Agriculture and the State Department I would be 
issued a certificate of a “tuberculosis-free Accredited 
Herd” and that the possession of this certificate, 
which would remain in force from year to year as 
long as the herd showed no reactors on annual test, 
would allow me to ship cattle from my herd, as far 
as the Federal authorities are concerned, to any 
State in the Fnion. 
THIS RESULT OF TIIE FIRST TEST.—Signing 
the agreement constituted in effect an application 
for a test, and shortly after signing if a veterinarian 
representing both the State and Federal Depart¬ 
ments of Agriculture came to the farm to make the 
test. He proceeded to»do this by the subcutaneous 
method, under which a small quantity of tuberculin 
is injected under the skin of the animal, generally 
on the neck, and 12 hours later readings taken of 
the animal’s temperature at two-hour intervals for 
a period of 12 hours, the theory of*the test being 
that if the animal is tubercular her temperature 
during this period will show a gradual rise of two 
or three degrees above normal and a gradual drop 
back to normal. On applying this test to our cows, 
numbering about .10 head, one of the purebred 
Guernseys that T had bought tested was discovered 
a reactor, one was held to be suspicious, and about 
half of the untested cows were condemned as re¬ 
actors. In this way practically one-fifth of the herd 
was removed. These animals were slaughtered 
shortly after, and all of them found to have evi¬ 
dences of tuberculosis, two or three being what are 
called generalized cases, i. e., having evidences of 
the disease in several portions of the body. The 
carcasses of these generalized cases were condemned, 
but 1 was allowed to sell the carcasses of the others, 
which showed only slight evidences of the disease. 
THE INDEMNITIES RECEIVED.—After the ani¬ 
mals were condemned by the veterinarian those that 
he declared to be tubercular were branded with a 
big T on the jaw. A little while later a man came 
representing the Government Bureau and placed a 
valuation on the branded cows. This appraiser I 
found disposed to be fair, and T had no difficulty in 
arriving at fair valuations with him. Tn case I had 
not been able to do this it would have been possible 
for me to have applied for the appointment of a 
board of arbitration. Most of the animals appraised 
were very fine ones, two or three of them being 
grades for which I had paid $200 apiece. When the 
cattle were slaughtered I sold the sound carcasses 
and Hie hides, and averaged—taking out the.car¬ 
casses of Ihe generalized cases—something over $40 
apiece from this source. This money I was allowed 
to keep. In addition, I filled out certain reports, 
which I sent to the Bureau of Farms and Markets 
at Albany, showing the appraised value of the ani¬ 
mals and what 1 received for their carcasses. Some 
time later 1 was notified that I would be allowed a 
State indemnity of $67.50 for grades and $112.50 for 
purebreds and a Federal indemnify of $25 for grades 
and $.70 for purebreds, except in one or two cases 
where the total of the State and Federal indemnities 
and the carcasses came to more, than the appraised 
value of the animal, in which cases the State and 
Federal indemnities were cut down. r l his left me. 
according to my own figures, with a net loss of about 
$25 on grades and about $50 on tho purebred animals. 
CLEANING FB THE PREMISES.—Under the 
terms of my agreement it was next necessary for me 
to disinfect: the barn thoroughly in which these 
tubercular animals had been kept. We determined 
to do a thorough job on it. and although it was yet 
too early to turn cows out to pasture, we chose a 
warm day. turned everything out of the barn, got 
some help from the neighbors, took out every scrap of 
manure and bedding, and with hoes and chisels 
scraped every inch of floor and walls and brushed 
down the ceiling. We then took a strong spray 
pump and thoroughly drenched the ceiling with a 
carbolic disinfectant, and finished up by washing the 
floor with the same solution. In addition, the ap¬ 
proaches to the barn doors were scraped, the scrap¬ 
ings drawn away and plowed under. 
THE SECOND TEST.—Despite the fact that the 
herd was considerably reduced. I decided not to 
introduce any new animals, and to run it along as 
usual for six months and then arrange for another 
test. I had reason to expect that this test would 
not be so drastic in its results as the first one. I his 
time the so-called intradermal method was used, 
under which tuberculin is injected between the folds 
of the skin at the base of the tail and the reaction 
determined by noting whether a swelling appears 72 
hours later. Imagine my surprise when 14 animals 
reacted to this test, this number including the bal¬ 
ance of the untested cattle which I had at first and 
several of my finest purebreds. At first f was almost 
disposed to doubt the accuracy of the test, but I 
7ht RURAL NEW-YORKER 
decided to see it through, and the animals wore 
slaughtered. On examination of their carcasses 
most of them were found to have very slight indica¬ 
tions, mainly in the glands in the head. The real 
source of the trouble was located, however, in a 
purebred cow which had always been the show cow 
on the farm, because of her fine condition, but which 
had never been a profitable milk producer. This 
cow was found to be in awful condition. It did not 
seem as though she bad any healthy tissue in her 
body. Undoubtedly she was a spreader of the worst 
kind, so bad that she had not reacted to the previous 
subcutaneous tests she had been given (for I had 
bought her tested as well as put. her through the 
first test) and had remained a source of infection in 
the herd directly responsible for.the reactions that 
now occurred. By this time the price of beef and 
hides had fallen, and because the animals reacting 
contained a larger percentage of purebreds (two of 
which had cost me $100 apiece) I sustained a very 
heavy loss. I do not believe 1 could have swallowed 
this had it not-been for the striking evidence of the 
damage caused by what I had always supposed to 
be the healthiest cow I owned. 
THE BARN AGAIN DISINFECTED.—Again we 
went at it and thoroughly cleaned the barn. By this 
time we had a boiler in our milk house, and we were 
able to use some hot water, which 1 had been in¬ 
formed was most effective in such work. Following 
the washing and disinfecting, we thoroughly white¬ 
washed the •barn and established a practice of as¬ 
signing an individual stanchion to each animal and 
not changing them around. On January 1 I took in 
.1 Fine General Purpose Horse. Fig. 28.'i 
as a partner Mr. B. N. Millard, and together we anx¬ 
iously awaited the results of the third test, to come 
in April. 
THE THIRD TEST CLEAN—Just previous to 
this test our faith in the intradermal method was 
somewhat shaken by a neighbor having two cows 
condemned under it which, when killed, showed no 
indications of tuberculosis. As we had already .suf¬ 
fered from the effects of an error made under the 
subcutaneous method, and as we were above all 
tilings determined to get rid of tubercular animals, 
we arranged with Dr. Udall, of the New York State 
Veterinary College, to run all three tests, viz., the 
subcutaneous, the intradermal and the opthalmic, 
or eye. test. This Dr. Udall and his assistants did 
with the utmost care. The animals were kept under 
constant supervision during the tests, a record of 
their temperature throughout kept and every pre¬ 
caution taken to detect the slightest reactions. The 
results were better than we dared hope. Not a single 
animal reacted or showed the slightest disturbance. 
It seems almost too good to be true. Only those who 
have been through the strain can imagine the relief 
we felt. Of course the condition may not continue. 
Even with the most careful safeguarding there are 
a great many chances for infection from neighbors* 
cattle, from milk cans, from some infected spot that 
has not been cleaned up; but we cannot help but 
feel that the worst is over and that something really 
worth while, even though at considerable cost, has 
been accomplished. In our own mind we are satis¬ 
fied that the thorough cleaning up of the premises 
and the policy of not introducing any new animals 
to the herd, as well as a plan of testing that is 
designed to get at tuberculosis and not cover it up, 
are responsible for the results. 
CO-OPERATION FROM GOVERNMENT OFFI¬ 
CIALS.—Throughout it all we have had splendid 
co-operation from the representative of the Federal 
Bureau of Animal Industry assigned to New York 
State, Dr. Leonard, and from the head of the State 
Bureau, Dorr McLaury. These men have proven 
themselves practical m the handling of their prob¬ 
lems. and the veterinarians whom they have sent to 
the farm we have found to be careful and pains¬ 
taking. In addition, we have been peculiarly fortu¬ 
nate in having the services of Dr. Udall of the New 
York State Veterinary College, whose supervision of 
the herd has meant much. it. e. babcock. 
High Prices for California Eggs 
fITow is it possible that California eggs can be trans¬ 
ported .'>.000 miles or more to New York and then sold 
at a higher price than nearby fresh eggs? To most of 
us this seems one of the most remarkable things in the 
business.] 
N the first place, the coast eggs are produced in 
large quantities on poultry ranches under careful 
and strict business methods. They are shipped al¬ 
most immediately after production, so they are of 
fine fresh quality when reaching our market. Before 
packing they are carefully graded, all small or 
stained eggs taken out and packed by themselves, 
thus giving a uniform large-sized egg for their 
“extra” brand. This is so carefully looked after 
that a buyer, on examining a few cases can. with all 
confidence, buy a thousand, knowing they will all be 
the same. In addition to this, the eggs are chalky 
white and perfectly clean : they are packed in new 
cases and new fillers, and being shipped in carload 
lots, arrive here in perfect condition, very few 
cracked or broken. 
Now for the “nearby whites.” They are packed in 
second-hand cases and fillers, very few shippers pay¬ 
ing any attention to grading, the small eggs not taken 
out, and in many instances color not uniform. In 
order to bring top quotations they must be chalky 
white, large, fresh, and perfectly clean. 
New York. fitcii, Cornell & co. 
It is true, in a general way, that Pacific coast 
white extras are now selling to better advantage, or 
at least advantage equal to the finest nearby eggs, 
and this, in my opinion, is due to several causes. 
It is due in part to the fact that upon the Pacific 
coast, especially in the Petaluma district, the pro¬ 
ducing fowl exists under ideal climatic conditions, 
and she is, further, housed and fed with greater care 
than prevails, as a rule, throughout the nearby sec¬ 
tions of the country. The production of eggs there 
has become a major industry, and there are people 
who are devoting their entire time and thought to it 
in a larger way certainly than generally prevails 
on this coast. 
The shipments from the coast are, further, packed 
in fine style. The cases and fillers are new. and 
neatly branded, so that we have a package that, is 
very much superior to that in use generally by the 
nearby shipper, who largely resorts to second-hand 
cases and fillers. 
The conditions above referred to insure uniformity 
of quality and selection in a large way, so that dis¬ 
tributors can take on, for instance, a hundred cases, 
with every prospect of finding the entire purchase 
of a uniform standard and grade. This is impossible 
in nearby stock. Every case has to be individually 
inspected, resulting in very exacting labor on the 
part of the buyer in determining the character of his 
purchase. We have, therefore, found that it is the 
practice of the buyers to discontinue the use of 
nearby eggs as largely as possible, and use instead 
of them the finest marks of California eggs, which 
they can buy and distribute in a large way with 
almost a complete guarantee of uniform and excel¬ 
lent qualitly. 
It would be absurd to disparage the nearby eggs 
altogether. There are some marks of them pro¬ 
duced under ideal circumstances and packed and 
shipped with care which are superior in freshness, 
of course and. therefore, in quality, to the eggs com¬ 
ing from the other coast, where not less than a week 
is required under the most favorable circumstances 
for transportation alone, but there are so few of 
these fancy nearby eggs in relation to the very large 
demand that the larger jobbers are more and more 
preferring the Pacific coast white, and these latter 
are coming forward principally by express whenever 
there is any need of rapid transportation on account 
of weather conditions, and are. therefore, of very 
high order, and of such tine appearance and quality 
that the consuming public is coming to show a de¬ 
cided preference for them on their merit as a food 
product. ceo. E - cutler. 
Vermin-proof Corncrib 
N answer to C. Q. E.’s inquiry regarding his corn- 
crib, page 248, if he will build his posts of con¬ 
crete or wood and invert a tin milkpan over each 
post, T think his difficulty will be overcome, as mice 
cannot crawl over the inverted pan. k. l. w. 
