42 STORRS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
spector and, therefore, not comprised in their figures, this loss 
of one and one-half millions will give us some idea of the ex- 
tent of the disease and its seriousness. Furthermore, this loss 
is increasing each year, and here we have statistics that are 
strictly reliable, because whatever may be said of the efficiency 
of the veterinarian inspector in detecting the disease, it is cer- 
tainly a fact that more animals are being condemned in the 
public slaughter-houses each year and the consequent loss is 
becoming each year greater. In other countries the statistics 
are not so easily obtainable, but there is no question that in 
other European countries the amount of loss is rapidly in- 
creasing until it is assuming somewhat startling proportions. 
This cannot be otherwise, when some countries like Den- 
mark have apparently fifty per cent. of the animals suffer- 
ing from the disease in some form. 
Of course the losses in indirect ways are also very great, 
but they cannot be estimated in figures. The loss of milk of 
the animals, the diminution in the fertility of tuberculous cows, 
the necessity of removing from the dairy herd many a valuable 
animal which shows the presence of this disease, add to the 
loss from direct slaughter no small amount. Loss is entailed 
too, by the increased suspicion of dairy products. Moreover, 
inasmuch as the disease is apparently on the increase, it is be- 
coming more and more difficult to obtain healthy animals for 
breeding purposes. It has been pointed out in agricultural 
meetings in Germany that it is becoming very difficult to get 
animals free from tuberculosis to serve as breeders for the 
dairy herd. Veterinarians are pointing out that this difficulty 
is becoming greater and greater each year, and that apparently, 
unless the tendency is counteracted in some way, it will only 
be a few years when it will be an impossibility for a farmer to 
obtain, for breeding purposes, any animals that are not infected 
with this taint. In this country the trouble has not by anye 
means reached such a stage, and yet apparently the loss is in- 
creasing here also, and unless some means are taken to counter- 
act it we may expect that our farmers will suffer as have the 
farmers in Europe. 
These facts are staring the agriculturists of Europe in the 
face, and their gravity is becoming more and more recognized. 
The agricultural boards in general appreciate the great gravity 
of the situation. They are stating over and over that some- 
thing must be done; that tinless in some way it is possible to 
counteract this increase in the disease the destruction of dairy 
