The Washington times., 1910-10-19
Believes Compulsory Testing
of Cattle Necessary for
Proper Protection.
CONDITION UNKNOWN
TO MOST CONSUMERS
E. w. Wilson Recalls Experience
TO Explain Real State of
Affairs.

To the Editor OF The Washington Times:
This communication is written from
the point OF view Of one who is taking
a great deal Of interest in the impend-
ing meeting Of dairymen to fight the
compulsory tuberculin testing OF cattle.
1t would be a good thing, in general,
for those dairy farmers and milk con-
sumers who do not know much about
this most interesting matter Of bovine
tuberculosis TO give the matter a little
consideration, and see If, after all, com
pulsory testing would not be better for
everyone, and especially for the dairy
farmer himself. because until we do
have compulsory testing farmers viii
never have cows free from tuberculosis.
il might be interesting 10 those un-
acquainted with the real benefits which
would be derived from compulsory test
ing 10 read few facts concerning this
matter Of tuberculosis in cows. Some
time ago 1 was manager of large farm
near New York city. We kept a herd
Of the finest cows within radius OF
fifteen miles. one day, while inspect
ing the COWS and their surroundings, I
heard a COW cough. 1 glanced at her
and thought that probably some OF her
food had irritated her throat The next
day I heard tESt same COW cough again.
l went up 10 her and put my ear TO her
side, when / detected a faint rasping
sound in the breathing through her left
lung. I called in our veterinarian and
had him test the entire herd.
Cow Gets Worse.
I had not mentioned my suspicious or
this COW. The res,.It of the test was.
this cow reacted. her temperature ran
! from IOl.2 degree before testing up 70
1864 degrees after --sting- She was con-
demned. / had TO ship her up 10 Al
bany. She was again tested BY an emf
nent authority. Dr. Bachus, and was
again condemned She was slaueh-
tered, and, on eNe mination, was found
TO be utterly rotten.
saw that COW during examination,
/ and II the enemies OF compulsory test
ling had seen her they would clamor for
/ the law tomorrow.
/ That cows ;ntestines were covered
with a mass OF little carbuncles cius-
4 tered Ike bl inches Of grapes. while her
milk veins were seething with the pres
I ence OF virurnt tubercle bacilh-
I ont OF a herd OF seventy-hVe cows
/ n
was the healthiest looking animal OF the
I lot. She weighed when killed $50 pounds
She always ate her food well ana pro-
| duced thirty-7ix pounds Of milk daily
with a butter fat test OF ~
Use Of Milk.
! Now for the results OF using the milk
/ from this COW. The owner OF the farm
! was supplied with milk for his house
hold from four COWS giving milk with
\ a butter fat test Cf 81 10 s. Anything
testing below was fed TO our hogs.
| consequently this cows milk was fed
/ 10 the young pigs. After the result Of
I the tuberculin test I killed one Of the
1 hogs and found that it was badly infect
ed with tuberculosis. I killed the re-
naming six and found they were all IN
/ fected, though not quite 50 badly as the
first.
| buried every one Of them Local butch-
| ers offered me cents per pound They
! would have cut of the diseased parts
and sold the remainder - first class
! pork.
/ ginian farmer who killed 0ne Of his
| hogs, buried one half OF II ~ the manure
| pile, and sent the other half TO market
! ne Is one Of the dairymen who Is
against compulsory testing Of COWS.
/ Handling Milk.
Those dairy-nen who condemn exam
ination are the men who draw milk
/ from a cows diseased udder on to the
i ground, because OF its being too thick
| 10 go througl, the strainer. but when
that milk becC mes a little thinner, ther
4 II goes into the milk pail. half goes IN
1 the milk pail and half on the ground
This diseased udder is caused by infiam-
nation Of the udder. which promotes a
4 disease called nammitis or garget. gen.
/ orally caused by overfeeding, or careless
milking. such as leaving too much milk
in one quarter. but when a COW does
/ become affected, the poor consumer gets
I the benefit and probably passes a re-
mark that the milk looks rich.
| What does the Health Commission
know of this dairying business? What
] does the executive committee Of the Pro
| ducers' Association know about IT.
| How many of them who are milk pro-
4 ducers have stood in their cowbar-.s al
! $3.50 and a. m. and watched the at
tenpts at cleanliness on the part Of the
| mixers, squirting tobacco juice every
| where and anywhere, in order that they
make keep awake
4 tuberculosis cattle are not the only
/ communicating influence on the dairy
i farm. There are 101 other evils which
II no commission can or ever will put 3
those evils are the farmer and the en-
condensed form, THE Honest Farmer.
II IT